Transitioning from Tech Comms to Brand/Partnerships Manager in (Branded) Resale. Where do I start?

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for some realistic career transition advice.

My dream is to move into the circular fashion / recommerce, specifically into a Brand, Communications, or Partnerships Manager role at a branded resale platform (companies like Trove, Archive, European version of ThredUp…) or directly in-house handling circular strategy for brands…

My background: I come from tech communications. I don't write code, but I know how the B2B tech side works and I'm deeply passionate about fashion circularity. But…being passionate is not enough.

I understand the major retail tech players, consumer behaviors on secondhand apps, and can instantly name the brands that are good to approach for official resale infrastructure…

The problem: I feel at a complete loss on where to start. Coming from outside the traditional fashion world, I know my biggest hurdles are understanding the actual business mechanics of resale. I need to learn how to talk to a brand's CFO about the math behind profit margins and trade-in incentives, how the physical warehouse and shipping logistics work once clothes leave a customer's closet, and how upcoming European sustainability regulations impact a brand's tech strategy.

My question to the community: Is this industry something I can realistically self-teach through deep-dive research, reading white papers (like Ellen MacArthur Foundation or Fashion For Good reports), and studying marketplace data (like the thredUP reports)?

Or should I be looking into structured, formal education? If yes, are there specific short courses, executive certificates, or credentials that actually mean something when recruiters scan a resume for a Partnerships/Comms role in this niche?

If anyone has successfully transitioned into a business/comms role in recommerce from an outside industry, I would love to know how you built your bridge…

Many thanks in advance!