Job hunting decisions and tips
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Which retail graduate employers accept graduates with a 2.2?
While some retail graduate schemes look for applicants with a 2.1, many employers accept graduates with a 2.2 degree on to their graduate schemes – or entry-level jobs. There are more employers in the retail sector willing to accept a 2.2 than in other sectors, such as law or IT.
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How to get a job in retail management, by Tesco graduates
We asked two graduate retail managers from Tesco, Luke Hammett and Claire Pickthall, to share insider tips from their job hunting experiences.
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How I got a job at M&S as a food technologist
Vanessa Fursden, a food technologist with Marks and Spencer, gives us her inside tips on how to get a graduate job in food technology. She talks us through everything from the application process for a food technology role to what the job actually involves.
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The skills you need to get a graduate job in buying, by buyers
David Byron and Sophia Jolly share their stories and tips for success on how they made their careers as buyers with TK Maxx.
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How to get a job in merchandising, by a Next merchandiser
Tejal Raichura, a merchandiser for womenswear jersey with Next, shares her insider knowhow with us. She explains everything from the application process to what it’s really like being a graduate in merchandising.
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How to get your first job in fashion design, by a John Lewis fashion designer
Elena King, assistant fashion designer with John Lewis Partnership and former graduate at Abercrombie & Fitch, reveals her best tips for securing a job in a competitive industry.
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The top trends affecting the retail industry: a guide for graduate job hunters
If you’re hoping to secure a graduate role in retail, commercial awareness is key and graduate employers will expect you to know about factors affecting the sector. Read our guide to what you should be looking out for and see our examples of current trends as of April 2018.
Applications
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How to write a great graduate retail CV
When writing your CV, here are several ways you can show retail recruiters that you’d be a fantastic candidate.
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‘Why retail?’: the application form and interview questions that can catch candidates out
Advice for how to tackle the tricky retail application form and interview questions: ‘why retail?’, ‘why this job?’ and ‘why this retailer?’.
Interviews and assessment centres
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Job done: how graduates can stand out at retail assessment centres
The majority of big retailers will include an assessment centre as part of their recruitment process. Usually, it’s the last stage of selection and will involve a narrowed-down group of candidates taking part in exercises, tests and interviews.
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Retail interview tip: study the retailer’s competition
Commercial awareness is not just about researching the employer you want to start your graduate career with; you also need to understand its competitors in the retail industry to see the bigger picture.
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Retail graduate interviews: the questions to expect
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most likely questions to come up in interviews for graduate retail roles, from trainee managers to trainee buyers. We’ve also given you some tips on how to prepare for these questions so that you can give the best possible answers – with a little help from Donna Miller, European HR director at Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
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Application and interview advice for Aldi’s area management graduate scheme
Aldi is growing. We asked Richard Holloway, MD for Aldi's Scotland stores and former head of graduate recruitment at Aldi, for tips on how to impress throughout the recruitment process for the area management graduate scheme – from careers fair to final interview.
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Retail video interviews: what to expect and how to succeed
Next, John Lewis Partnership, TK Maxx and Aldi all use video interviews as part of their recruitment process for graduate schemes. If you’ve got a retail video interview coming up, follow our advice on what to expect and how to give your best performance.
Skills and competencies
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Communication, leadership, teamwork: the top skills retail recruiters want from graduates
Five leading retail graduate employers tell us what competencies they expect from successful candidates – make sure you tick all the right boxes with your application and at interview.
Internships and placements
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Retail work experience: what’s available and how it could help you
Find out about industrial placements, summer internships, part-time jobs and short-term opportunities, and how they could help you in your retail graduate job hunt in areas such as buying, merchandising and fashion design.
Pay and progression
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Retail graduate salaries: which retail employer pays the most?
Which supermarket chain will give you £44,000 and an Audi? Will you get paid more as a buyer or a store manager? TARGETjobs Retail investigates graduate starting salaries.
Job descriptions
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Retail manager: job description
Retail managers are responsible for every aspect of the day-to-day supervision of retail outlets, including sales, staff, stock and resources management.
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Retail buyer: job description
Retail buyers identify, select and purchase stock that matches the retailer’s requirements.
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Retail merchandiser: job description
Retail merchandisers work closely with company buyers to maximise profitability by predicting and monitoring sales trends and accurately controlling stock levels.
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Clothing and textile technologist: job description
Clothing and textile technologists design, develop and manufacture natural and synthetic yarns, fabrics and textiles.
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Food scientist: job description
Food scientists apply scientific expertise and technological principles to the study of food products and processes within manufacturing and research settings.
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Food technologist: job description
Food technologists are responsible for the safe and efficient development, modification and manufacture of food products and processes.