Career learning from leaders in the retail business

Andy Clarke, retail director, ASDA

'I worked in retail part time while I was still at school and I was encouraged by the store manager to look into it as a permanent career. I was then sponsored by the same manager to join the management programme. I love working with people and retail is an incredibly strong people business, so it’s been the ideal career for me.'

Staying ahead of the competition
'Working in the fast-paced environment of retail makes for an interesting and varied career. As a retailer you have to keep inventing and re-inventing yourself to ensure customer loyalty, particularly if your business sells a diverse range of products.'

Anne Seaman, chief operating officer, Skillsmart Retail

Why does the retail industry need graduates?
'Retail is currently one of the UK’s biggest growth sectors and over the next six years 250,000 new jobs are anticipated. This means that many graduates will be needed for management roles, especially within store operations. The profile of the industry has grown hugely in recent years and hardly a day goes by without a big retail story in the media.'

'The sector is certainly facing some fascinating challenges, including the drive to grow in India and China; issues around private equity investment; and consumer and government-led pressures, eg raising skills levels, ethical trading and environmental concerns.'

Advice to graduates
'Drive, initiative and communication skills are all vital qualities for retail employees. Graduates are also in demand for their intellectual skills: the ability to analyse complex issues, approaching them from a new angle and coming up with innovative ideas and solutions – in other words, using their talents and creativity to help businesses remain competitive.'

Anthony Thompson, director of retail, Marks & Spencer

'I worked in shops as a student and I loved the pace, working as part of a team and talking to customers. It seemed to me that if you worked hard you could get a lot of responsibility quite quickly – running a section or even a store. I saw early on that you can also make an immediate and measurable impact.'

Focus on service
'Keep everything simple and always listen to the front line. A career in retail involves long hours and hard work but don’t be put off: it’s worth the effort.'

Antony Smith, head of store operations, Orange Retail

'Each part of my career has taught me something valuable and helped me get to my current position. At Next I learnt about branding and getting the best out of people. In my role at Arcadia I developed a sharp commercial edge and was taught how to make a business successful. It was great putting all these skills into practice in my next job at Habitat.'

Take pride in a job well done
'The most important qualities to bring to a career in retail are a passion for customers and pride in a job well done. And to help progress your career, it’s important to choose a company that gives you breadth of experience. It’s an exciting industry and there’s always something new to get your teeth into.'

Belinda Earl, group chief executive, Jaeger

What's exciting about working in retail?
'Retail is about theatre: it’s full of interesting, vibrant, energetic people, the outlook is contemporary, it’s fast moving and it’s at the sharp end of business. The proposition, the brand and the product are the key areas of focus. The retail sector is affected by everything, from the economy, the weather, through to the mood of the nation. From a graduate perspective it offers a high degree of opportunity and variety.'

'If you’re prepared to work hard and be committed, you can take on significant responsibility at a very early stage of your career – whether it’s through the operations route, where you will effectively be running your own business, or a head office-based route, where you will develop business and strategic skills, as well as learning to make immediate decisions.'

Advice to graduates
'Retail is a flexible industry: you will have the chance to try different things, explore your skillset and develop the right path for you. Have a vision (but be open minded), take chances and be prepared to go down the route that suits you best. You don’t need to stereotype yourself.'

Carole Lee, director of buying furniture, John Lewis Partnership

'I did a part-time MBA at the City University Business School in my mid-thirties while working. Studying financial markets broadened my perspective and the whole experience gave me the confidence to move on from buying to tackling a role at executive board level.'

Be prepared to take risks
'Intelligence and drive are a vital combination for success in a retail career. It’s also important to have the courage to take risks. Always give your best in every job you do, don’t let your ambition get in the way of the task at hand. Retail is a fun industry so get the most out of it.'

Claire Rowland, UK sales manager, Enterprise Rent-A-Car

'I studied recreation management at Loughborough University and initially looked at jobs in that area but then I took a step back and thought about what I wanted from a career. I decided that business management was something that interested me more.'

Constant challenge
'It’s enjoyable working as part of a team in a role that is both challenging and fun. Although I work for a large company, there’s a personal feel to it and I gain great satisfaction from knowing that I’ve made a difference every day. It’s also a job in which I get to use my strong people skills.'

Diana Breeze, director of organisational development, Sainsbury's

'Retail is a great sector in which to develop your career as it’s a fast-moving industry. This is particularly true for me working in HR as I have to come up with solutions that will have an impact on the business straight away. There are new challenges to face every day and this is what makes the job so interesting and rewarding.'

Potential in every role
'When you enter the industry, it’s vital to be open-minded. On the face of things, the job you get may not be what you expect but every role has the potential to be challenging and exciting.'

Diane Lynch, director of rental operations, UK & Ireland, Enterprise Rent-a-Car

'The most significant influence on my career path was finding a company I enjoy working for. I have had a variety of roles and learning to excel in them, while raising a family, has been, and continues to be, a great experience.'

Choose the right organisation
'Be passionate about what you do and be knowledgeable about your business. Both of these qualities will gain you respect as a leader. Make sure you choose an organisation that suits you and in which you are able to develop your career. The best way to do this is to really find out whether the people who are interviewing you really enjoy their jobs.'

Ian Cheshire, chief executive, B&Q

Which qualities do graduates need to get ahead in the retail industry?
'You need to be able to be very clear and quantitative around how different business models work and ask yourself: "How can we make this happen and make it a success?" At other times you need human intuition, understanding and creativity to predict why something will sell next season. When you get retail right it goes like a rocket. Good attention to detail and an execution-type mentality are essential, along with the ability to get on with people, as everything happens by engaging with and motivating big teams of people.'

Advice to graduates
'Understand how broad retailing career options are – good retailers will encourage you to move around and the richness of experience you’ll gain will give you a great opportunity to find out what you want to do and how you want to develop.'

Richard Forte, director of operations, McDonald's Restaurants Ltd

'While at school and university, I had various jobs working in hotels and retail organisations. As part of my business studies degree I completed office-based placements. While I enjoyed the work, I realised I’d grown to enjoy interacting with large groups of people and being physically as well as intellectually challenged in a retail environment.'

Get the full picture
'While internet research is important, it will not give you the full picture of what it’s like to work for an organisation. Don’t have any preconceptions – talk to employees to find out more about the culture and the environment you’d actually be working in.'