Lifting the lid on retail
When you think of retail, images of a busy shop floor with a suited and booted manager overseeing assistants likely come to mind. Of course, this is a key aspect of the sector, but retail is so much more than just what the customer sees.
Behind every shop floor there is a supply chain linked by logistics, merchandisers and buyers, technologists and designers. Each of these departments plays a vital role in ensuring the ultimate goal of consistent sales to happy customers.
Read on to learn about the sorts of roles available in retail, who you can work for, the recruitment process, and the skills, qualifications and experience needed to land a job.
Want to get straight down to applying for retail vacancies? Then find them on targetjobs: Graduate jobs | Graduate schemes | Internships
Shopfloor, head office or warehouse
Which department has you sold?
If being in and around the hustle and bustle of the shop floor is what attracts you to retail, then a management scheme is for you. Retail managers need to keep a finger on the pulse of trade to drive stores and their teams forward to achieving sales targets. Find out from a graduate how to become a retail manager next.
Buying is an essential role in retail: buyers choose which products are sold by the retailer and, as such, can make or break a retailer’s commercial success. The role often involves visits to designers and manufacturers and requires a key understanding of trends, along with negotiation skills. Find out more in our job description.
Retail giant or high street shop
Employers and their job roles
Large retailers across the breadth of the sector seek graduates and you could work in food, fashion, health and beauty or ecommerce, for example. Household names run graduate schemes.
However, these graduate schemes aren’t your only option for starting a career in retail. You’ll also find individual trainee manager vacancies and entry-level roles from which you can work up to management with experience.
And if the large, well-known employers don’t appeal to you, then be sure to look to smaller chains and independent high street retailers too. However, bear in mind that you won’t find graduate schemes with these employers – you will be more likely to apply for individual vacancies.
Retail roles
Jobs in the sector
See a selection of key roles you’ll find with graduate employers in the retail sector. Find out the required skills and education along with the experience that will help you land the job.
Supply the demand
Degree v. experience
For graduate schemes you’ll typically need at least a 2.2 degree to be eligible. Depending on the employer and the programme, the minimum degree grade may be set at 2.1 and this may have to be from a specific discipline. In contrast, although some individual trainee manager vacancies may ask for a degree, many won’t.
Whichever role you are going for, related work experience will bolster your applications. There are a number of formal internships and industrial placements for students, but any experience in a customer-facing, fast-paced environment (such as on the shopfloor or in hospitality) is hugely advantageous.
Stand out in retail
Sell your skills
Communication, teamworking and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to work effectively, under pressure are key for retail careers. Customer-facing retail roles also call for strong service and sales skills, while those at head office will typically require strong analytical skills. Find out more about how you can demonstrate these skills to retail recruiters in our special advice feature.
Sell yourself to employers
The recruitment process
What to expect
For graduate schemes with a large retailer, you’ll typically submit an initial application, sit psychometric tests, attend interviews and take part in an assessment centre. The process for individual trainee manager vacancies and entry-level roles will typically only involve an initial application, including a CV and cover letter, and at least one interview.
Our top employers
Industry leaders with a large annual graduate intake.
Featured employers
Active employers looking for graduate talent all year round.
.webp)
FAQs in Retail
-
What is the highest paying retail job?
-
The salary you receive as a graduate working in retail will vary hugely according to the retailer and, often, the location. Aldi and Lidl are well known for paying the highest salaries for their graduate retail management schemes. Outside of these areas, the higher-earning roles can generally be found on the technology side.
-
What is a retail graduate scheme?
-
A retail graduate scheme is a structured programme in which graduates learn the ropes of their retail function while undergoing formal and on-the-job training. On some graduate retail schemes, particularly in retail management, you will rotate around a number of different departments (such as store management, logistics and buying) to gain a greater understanding of retail as a whole. Retail graduate programmes typically are one or two years in length.
-
What are the challenges of working in retail?
-
Although not the case with every role in retail, the sector is generally known for being fast paced, high-pressure and with performance measured against targets. It is essential that retail professionals are able to spot future trends and plan for them. Certain roles, particularly management roles, can require long and/or unsociable hours, especially around high sales seasons such as Christmas.
More careers advice
Browse by category
Advice for school leavers
Discover the world of options open to you on finishing school or college and get tips on how to make the right decision for you.
CVs, applications and tests
Find the tools and tips you need to help you apply for graduate jobs or internships. We cover every aspect of the application process, from writing a CV to answering online application questions and sitting psychometric tests.
Career ideas
Find advice for figuring out your dream career, including what options are available to you after graduating and how to choose the right graduate role.
Finding a job
Finding a job isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Here we help you to jump potential hurdles, giving essential advice for home and international students: from applying in tough economic times to getting a top graduate job with a 2.2.
Internships
Completing an internship allows you to sharpen your skills, improve your CV, prepare for the world of work and potentially land yourself a graduate job. Discover what internships actually involve, how to apply for them and how to make the most of them.
Interviews and assessment centres
You impressed on paper; now it’s time to show the employer in person that you’re the right hire. Learn how to do this with our expert advice for answering interview questions, developing interview techniques and acing assessment centre exercises.
Job descriptions
Discover the qualifications, skills and experience you’ll need for more than 300 job roles and find one you’ll love.
Job offers and working life
Job offers, rejection emails and stepping into the working world with your first graduate job can pull you in a million directions. Fortunately, we’ve curated advice on how to accept job offers, bounce back from rejection and make an impact in your first job.
Skills for getting a job
Discover the skills that major graduate employers seek and how you can demonstrate them on your application form, and at interviews and assessment centres.
University life
Wanting to leave uni with a degree is a given. But what do you want from the other bits of student life? Discover how to combine study, rest, work and play with our insights from students and graduates.
advice by sector
