Marks & Spencer |

The Retail Leaders Programme rotates you through every part of the store, but it also offers challenges and experiences that shape you as a manager. For example, just recently I was asked to coach a group of colleagues who were stepping up to their first team management role.

Some of them had been with M&S for years and they had more experience than me. But teaching other people is a great way to learn. I remembered what it was like to be new to something: I went back to basics and took them through the processes, step-by-step, showing them what to do and then letting them have a go. There was some lovely feedback from the group: they liked the way I made things digestible, rather than just delivering an information dump. Now they are fully fledged Team Managers, they still call me up for a chat. It built my confidence: I’m here for a reason and I’ve earnt my place.

When I joined, I expected the culture to be tough and unforgiving: I put pressure on myself to get things right first time, all the time. But I then grew to understand that you are given the space to fail and that you learn from your mistakes. The important thing is to use the support that’s available, embrace the experience and move forward.

For me, this is really what’s special about M&S – it’s the support network. People are there for each other. We all know what the pressures are, so people are very approachable and willing to help. Networking is very important for me: alongside my day job, I do a lot of social media on the side. I created a video for International Women’s Day that got over 5,000 views and I was invited to go on our Pride Float in London, which was brilliant.

I feel I’m making a difference, just being in this job: people who look like me aren’t always associated with management – but here I am. Being real about it, there is still a lot of work to do, but the business has a practical commitment to equal opportunities for everyone. I think we are very good at nurturing talent and removing obstacles to progress, but there’s also a sense of belonging which is very M&S.

During the pandemic, I had a bit of an epiphany. After working in marketing for almost five years, I realised that wasn’t what I wanted to do forever. I wanted to try something new and push myself in other ways. That’s when the M&S grad scheme opened for applications, and I could see it was an incredible opportunity with a well respected brand.

To join the scheme, I relocated to London from Liverpool, and M&S were so supportive, signposting resources and making sure I felt welcome right away. The induction week was very social – you’re encouraged to get to know each other through lots of icebreakers, and you get to build good friendships and working relationships very quickly. The whole Early Careers team were great at making us feel like we were part of the business before we’d even officially started!

You’re not expected to know everything, or to be an expert – you’re just expected to be enthusiastic and contribute towards the team’s success. As long as you’re being present, and actively trying to get the most out of the experience, that’s the most important thing.

I really like the collaborative side of the roles I’ve had during the scheme too. I don’t enjoy working totally solo, so it’s been nice to feel like part of a team that’s working to achieve something collectively. People here are very willing to help when you need a question answered, or you just need a bit of support or guidance.

The focus on development has been incredible. The structure of the development calendar means that your sessions are spread out in a way that gives you time to absorb new learnings and apply them in your roles. This plan for development is something that stood out in comparison to other roles. Here, it’s great to get that boost of confidence when you see or hear yourself using the skills that you’re developing to achieve things you never thought you could do.

The Retail Leaders Apprenticeship is a great way to start your career because there are so many development opportunities. Originally, my end goal for the programme was to become a Team Manager, but thanks to all the hard work I’ve put in and the support of my managers, I’m proud to say that I will have achieved that by early next month. Now I need a new goal – I think I want to be a Deputy Store Manager by the end of January next year!

Before I started, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do, but you can really choose whatever you want to be here, and the apprenticeship has helped me to build a career path I enjoy. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves working with people as much as I do! I like meeting new people and helping them to succeed, and I’ve already learnt so much about how to manage a team and support colleagues to grow.

There are great tools and networks to help colleagues who may be struggling or need some support. Each store has a Business Involvement Group (BIG) representative who is there to listen to any issues you may have and to improve the M&S community. And the job is flexible depending on what works for you: the different shift roles make it possible to set a work plan around your commitments.

In each canteen, there are also snack cupboards for anyone who has forgotten their lunch. I think this is especially important as we face the cost-of-living crisis, and it makes colleagues feel better when they arrive at work. I think this ties in with M&S’ wider ethics as a brand – we’re always striving to do the right thing, whether that’s helping people to eat sustainably, reducing the plastics in our packaging, or ensuring responsible sourcing in our supply chain.

We are all contributing to M&S’ transformation, and as young people, we will be the future workforce, so we need to take every opportunity to ask questions, learn from our managers and support others to develop alongside us. My advice would be to be open and honest – be yourself, and there will be a job role for you. And trust the process, because you never know what the next job role you come across will be.

I started my grad programme working in store, understanding the journey from supplier to shelf, and getting closer to the customers. It’s been a great foundation for my future roles.

My first rotation was in the Food team, which is a really vibrant part of the business. There’s constant innovation going on, which gives you such a buzz. I loved seeing new ideas and campaigns come to life, and I even got to try some delicious food!

Then, when I worked with Inclusion and Diversity on the Pride campaign, they said, ‘Okay Daire, you’re leading this. We’re here to support you, but this is your campaign to lead.’ The feedback that we’ve had from our LGBTQ+ network has been really good, and they love everything that we’re doing.

This year, we entered our first ever float into London Pride, and when we presented that to the Food Marketing Group, everyone was like, ‘Smashing job, keep it up!’ It sits right with me to know I’m making a difference for all our colleagues, whether they’re celebrating Pride, or Black History Month, or International Women’s Day.

On my first day, I was worried that I might be the only Black person in the office. But when I walked in, I realised I’d got completely the wrong end of the stick. I got to meet the Director of Menswear and Kidswear at the time, who was also Black, and when I met the rest of my cohort, I saw they weren’t just the typical men in suits that I’d expected.

But people don’t always realise just how diverse we are at M&S, so I decided to start my own internal magazine project. My boss got me in front of the right stakeholders to launch it, and they all loved it. They gave me tips to improve it, and now I’ve had the opportunity to work on that side project alongside my day job.

Because of the amount of responsibility M&S give us grads, you can really see they mean what they say about turning us into the leaders of the future. That’s why, with the new cohort coming in, I’ve buddied up with two grads to help them make the most of their rotations. M&S is changing, the world is changing, retail is changing – and I want to be the person they can look to for advice.

At the start of the scheme, I got my own advice from my internship line manager. He said to me, ‘You’ll become more well-rounded if you have a go at all these other things.’

That’s why, although I’ve fallen in love with my first rotation and my team, I can’t wait to experience everything else the business has to offer.

After graduating, I didn’t know what kind of role I wanted, so I decided to apply to schemes that would let me explore lots of different opportunities. The M&S scheme gives you the exposure to navigate a wide variety of business areas.

I now have experience in planning and strategy, social media, campaigns, and partnerships and collaborations. And I’ve been incredibly lucky across all these roles to have the opportunity to work on things you would never expect a grad to play such a fundamental role in.

Last year, I worked on our Clothing & Home Christmas campaign, which included shooting the TV ad and associated photography, and launching it across buses, billboards, and digital channels with a huge press release. And that was all in my first year of marketing!

While in the campaigns team, I got the chance to work on an empowering art installation with the artist Lydia Reeves. This involved displaying the chest casts of 16 women on London Southbank to celebrate boob diversity as part of our ‘Love your boobs, it starts with a bra fit’ campaign. M&S had never done anything like that before, and it was amazing to be part of it.

I also organized our International Women’s Day celebrations this year as one of the leads of the Gender Equality Network. We put on a breakfast in collaboration with Hello! magazine and ran an ‘idea-thon’ with 150 colleagues to discuss how to make M&S a better place for women to work.

Having all these opportunities has shown me that M&S is a business that really cares about its people. Overall, M&S has been nothing but supportive, encouraging me to push barriers, fulfil my potential, and figure out exactly what I want to do with my career.

This was my first job after college. When I started, I was a bit nervous, but I was paired with this great buddy – a colleague who took me through everything, answered all my questions and showed me how things were done. Then one day she said she was moving on, and I wasn’t sure how I’d manage without her. But my team believed in me more than I did.

And the thing is, I was fine. I knew more than I thought I did and suddenly I felt in control. I’d be organising a ‘fit session’ where we try out new shoe lines with live models, and I was at the centre of it, chasing samples from overseas suppliers, arranging everything for the meeting. Almost without noticing, I had developed skills in planning, communication and organisation – and these definitely hadn’t been strengths for me before.

I think this is how it works at Marks & Spencer: there are experiences and challenges that keep taking you out of your comfort zone, but there is a great support network. If you’re ever worried about something, you can talk about it openly and your colleagues will help.

Now I’m working in Merchandising for babywear and the focus is much more on the figures. We are using all kinds of systems and tools to show how things are selling now – and predict how they might sell in the future. It’s a different way of looking at the business from Buying, but you really need both perspectives to make the business work.

Meanwhile, M&S is supporting my apprenticeship for a Level 4 Diploma at the Fashion Retail Academy. Every fortnight, I can take a study leave day where I can further my learning by visiting an exhibition or working on my assignments. My current assignment is to create a new babywear range, so it uses pretty much everything I’ve learnt about Buying and Merchandising. And if there is anything I don’t know, I have plenty of colleagues to ask and who are happy to help.

I came to Marks & Spencer because I was passionate about fashion, and I needed a way in. Now, I want to build my career here and see just how far I can go.

My role in Foods is all about how I can make projects run better. I like seeing the bigger picture, understanding how everything works, and seeing how we can improve it. But I also like to be involved in implementing solutions, reaching out to stakeholders, and acting as a subject matter expert. What I really appreciate about the M&S graduate scheme is that I get to learn something new, become the expert in it, and then build on that knowledge in the next challenge.

Before joining M&S, I saw it as this cool graduate opportunity that not many employers were offering, but I was scared as I wasn’t sure what the office culture and environment would be like. When I got here though, everyone was so friendly and welcoming as soon as I walked into the building, and I had nothing to worry about!

It’s definitely more relaxed and less corporate compared to some of the places my friends work. That doesn’t mean that people don’t work hard though – everyone’s determined to meet their goals, strategic priorities, and deadlines, but you also have the time to focus on your personal and career development.

I feel like in some careers it’s always go, go, go and you don’t get time to reflect or, in other places, it’s just too slow. I like that you can find your perfect balance here. And there are times where you can really step out and make sure you’re looking after yourself, whether that’s through flexible working, or going to the different talks and wellbeing events that we hold.

You manage your own time – you get to decide when you’re going to watch a talk and what training you want to take up. You’re trusted to take control of your career development and your work, which I really appreciate. As a grad so new into your career, you might not be as trusted in other businesses, but here I’ve had projects to spearhead, and you get a real sense of ownership and responsibility.

On our graduate programmes, everyone starts off in store for four months to see and understand how store colleagues prioritise their workloads. That knowledge then helps us when we get to do our rotations across the business.

Because M&S is such a big company, there’s always something new going on, whether it’s a marketing campaign, a new product innovation, or an event. This is your opportunity to try out a whole range of rotations, while working for an established brand with great products.

As graduates, the skills we’re picking up through all our rotations are going to help us become the future of M&S. And as you progress, you start to understand how the different teams fit together, and how your work contributes to the bigger picture.

For example, in marketing you get to know everybody. After all, it’s creative work we’re doing, so we need plenty of collaboration. I’ve noticed that, even if people are pressed for time, they’re always so approachable and friendly. Working in this environment, where you’re really listened to, you learn a lot about the power of networking and relationship building.

And hybrid working just adds to that. Nothing beats learning from my team in person, but it’s great to have the flexibility to work from home, too. Perhaps the most exciting part is our policy that allows you to work abroad for up to two weeks every year: I’m planning to work abroad next year, to really make the most of being in Spain.

At the end of the two-year scheme, I’ll roll off into a permanent role in the business. Each rotation on the scheme has helped me learn about different areas of the business and understand more of what I want from my future career. And even though I’m not sure which permanent role I’ll take yet, there’s been a lot of investment in our development throughout the scheme, and I know that there’s still a lot to learn. For example, in my current role, my manager has designed a detailed training plan to help me get the most I can out of this rotation.

All the graduates across M&S were also lucky enough to have had nine sessions of leadership coaching over the past year and a half, and we all came away with a certificate. A group of five of us still meet up regularly to continue having those coaching discussions. That’s the nice thing about being on the grad scheme – even if you’re all in different roles, you’re part of a group, and there’s always someone to have lunch with!

I studied Human Sciences at UCL, and while I was there, I developed an interest in marketing and psychology. I’ve always been fascinated by people, and that’s what led me to M&S. The focus here is on people - whether it’s understanding customers, supporting colleagues, or analysing trends and I discovered that I enjoy the data and analytics side of things that comes with being on the scheme.

The rotations have been one of the most valuable aspects of the programme for me. I’ve worked in Merchandising, Supply Chain & Logistics, and I’m about to move into the .com team. Each rotation has given me insight into how different teams operate and how their pressures and priorities affect the business as a whole. This knowledge is invaluable as I move through different roles and learn how to collaborate across departments.

Of all my rotations, Merchandising in womenswear so far has been my favourite, although I’m still yet to experience my final rotation. I got to work on campaigns, range planning, and other commercially focused tasks. The experience gave me a strong understanding of how we trade, what decisions impact our stores, and how we can improve in the future.

One of my proudest moments was presenting a project in Merchandising focused on our Christmas campaign. I had to take complete ownership of the brief, presenting my ideas to senior leadership and helping to shape decisions that would make an impact in one of our biggest stores during the most critical time of the year. It was a huge responsibility, but also a good opportunity to prove myself.

The culture at M&S is one of the things I appreciate most. It’s not what you’d expect from a major retailer. You picture a corporate environment with leaders in suits, but it’s not like that at all. The office is filled with products, from clothes to food, and we even have our own shop in the basement.

Learning and development at M&S is primarily on the job, mostly relying on your team members and to learn the systems we use and through structured workshops with Early Careers. There’s also always something happening within the business that presents itself as a learning opportunity– the scope of what you can get involved in is huge.

I’m proud to be on the M&S Clothing & Home Commercial Graduate Scheme. It’s a great opportunity to rotate through different teams, gain hands-on experience, and take ownership of meaningful projects. If you’re curious about how a big business operates, eager to dive into data and trends, and ready to embrace new challenges, this programme will definitely stretch you and give you the tools to grow your career in retail.

The M&S Retail Graduate Programme stood out as the perfect foundation for my career, surrounded by excellent leaders in a fantastic environment, especially in a company that’s doing so well in a tough economic climate.

The application process was challenging with interviews, assessment centres, and various tasks. It’s a competitive process but ultimately our recruitment team want to ensure that Graduates will succeed in the fast-paced, demanding role in retail. The assessment process helped me gain confidence and believe in my potential to succeed at M&S. I was so happy to be offered the role and I’ve really hit the ground running here.

On this graduate programme, there’s no such thing as a “typical day.” I’ve experienced everything from learning various roles in-store to attending the M&S live Christmas conference, surrounded by hundreds of leaders from across the UK. Networking at such events has been invaluable, and these varied days have massively increased my knowledge of how the business operates.

There are a few key skills that I think you need to succeed on the Retail Leaders Programme. Being adaptable is crucial, as the programme expects you to explore the different parts of the store from Food to Café to Operations. Communication skills are essential for networking and discussing areas for improvement or further learning.

Above all, being curious is vital—we’re here to learn everything we need to succeed as leaders at M&S, and asking questions is key.

The best part of the graduate scheme is the open dialogue with senior leaders, from duty management in-store to divisional managers and even the CEO, Stuart. This makes me feel like a valued member of a massive, well-respected company. The constant learning and personal development can be challenging, but it’s also one of the best aspects. M&S are committed to investing in Graduates and School Leavers as we are the future of the business. Moving around departments and learning different roles forces us to get comfortable with new experiences, which is the best way to understand how M&S operates. Working at M&S has provided me with a supportive environment and countless opportunities, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me.

I highly recommend the M&S Retail Leaders Graduate programme to anyone passionate about retail and business. It offers opportunities to immerse yourself in the company, to take accountability from day one and continuously grow. It’s a great foundation to gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in becoming a Store Manager in one of our multi-million pound stores.

To be successful on the M&S graduate programme, you need to be curious, confident, and, most importantly, be yourself.

It was at a university open day that I first learned about the field, and I was immediately captivated. The idea of combining my love for science with food - learning about how foods are made, the science behind the success of a recipe, and the intricate details of nutrition - just felt right.

My journey into the food industry was a natural progression from my studies, and the M&S Food Business Programme was the perfect next step. The innovation at M&S is unmatched, and the opportunity to be part of such a motivated team was too good to pass up.

Growing up, M&S Food was a treat in my family, and as I got older, I began to truly appreciate the quality and innovation behind those products. During my time at university, I was eager to gain hands on, industry experience. I was fortunate enough to join M&S as part of the Industrial Placement that included six months at the London support centre and six months working directly with a supplier. I learned so much from that year and I knew I wanted to come back to M&S on the Graduate scheme once I’d finished my studies.

A typical day on the Food Business Programme is so varied and gives you exposure to all sorts of projects. One minute, I could be discussing a project with someone from the wines team, and the next, I might be trialling sandwich ingredients.

As part of the programme, I’m encouraged to soak up and learn as much as possible. I’m given the freedom to guide my own learning and be curious about all aspects of the business. From structured personal development workshops to shadowing colleagues from across the Food team or our suppliers, I’m learning new things every day.

There are a few key skills that I think are essential for success on this programme. First, being adaptable is crucial because the food industry is fast-paced and ever-changing. Communication is also key, especially when working with suppliers and managing relationships. But most importantly, being curious is vital. Working in the food industry is demanding but if you love what you do, eat sleep and breathe food and want to learn more, this programme is for you.

One of the things I love most about working at M&S is the culture. It’s fast-paced, and everyone is passionate about what they do. That energy is contagious, and it motivates me to constantly push myself, drive projects forward and take on new challenges.

One of my proudest moments so far has been leading a sugar reduction project in chocolate. It was a complex initiative with significant investment, and seeing the final products rolled out across 100 products was incredibly rewarding. It was a unique opportunity to prove myself and make a real impact on the business.

The M&S Food Business Programme has given me a deep understanding of how a large company like M&S operates. From personal development workshops to deep dives into specific categories and exposure to different functions, the learning opportunities are endless. M&S is committed to investing in its graduates, and I’ve been encouraged to explore my interests, whether that’s becoming a specialist in dairy or diving into the world of chocolate.

I highly recommend the M&S Food Early Careers Programmes to anyone passionate about food and science. It’s a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in the business, take on responsibility from day one, and continuously learn and grow. If you’re curious, adaptable, and ready to say yes to every opportunity, this programme is the perfect foundation for a successful career in the food industry.