With everyone flocking to the shops to buy a merry assortment of cards, gifts and festive food – it’s easy to see why Christmas is the busiest time of year for those working in retail.
And it’s not just stacking shelves and ringing tills: careers in retail range from everything from chocolate taster to fashion buyer or window designer.
“When people talk about retail jobs they automatically think of sales assistant roles but there are lots of other jobs too,” says Victoria Matthews, adviser for the National Careers Service. “You could be a visual merchandiser helping to create displays, or a food buyer. The great thing about graduate trainee schemes in retail is that companies tend to give you experience in all areas of the business.”
The pay can be good too. Starting salaries for retail graduate schemes range anywhere from £20,000 up to over £40,000. And from sales assistant to store manager and head office management – there’s plenty of scope for career progression.
So, what’s the best way to find success with a career in retail? If you would like to find out – join us on Wednesday 9 December from 1–3pm GMT for a live chat with the experts. We’ll be discussing:
- Job options in retail.
- Starting out and routes into the industry.
- CV, cover letter and job application tips.
The Q&A will take place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: create a free Guardian account, or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profiles to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to charlotte.seager@theguardian.com, who can post them for you.
Panel
Michelle Burton is human resources director for Poundland. Burton has over 20 years’ of HR experience spanning the retail, manufacturing, distribution and facilities management sectors. Prior to working at Poundland, she held a number of senior HR positions with Sainsbury’s, including head of learning and development, and HR director for Sainsbury’s logistics division.
Janine Jenkinson is the head of talent acquisition for River Island, overseeing head office and international retail. She has over 16 years’ experience of recruiting within the retail industry, including workforce planning, talent attraction and employer branding. With over 25 years’ experience working within the industry she is well placed to talk about careers in retail.
Katie Owen is owner and managing director of Sargasso and Grey, an online wide-fit shoe retailer specialising in luxury women’s shoes. Prior to starting a retail business, Owen worked in private banking.
Christopher Suitor has worked for many years in executive retail positions; currently working as a partner in Suitor Menswear and owner of the Belfast Tailor. As part of his work, Suitor is an executive council member of Belfast chamber of trade and commerce (BCTC) and chair of the BCTC events committee.
Jon Gregory is a job search, application and interview specialist. He’s the author of Winning That Job, a guide for students and graduates, editor of win-that-job.com and is a regional ambassador for National Careers Week.
Kate Barron is the founder of Frame. After an 18 year career in recruitment, Barron went on to lead the retail division for a global talent management organisation, before setting up her own business. Prior to her years in recruitment and talent management, Barron spent her early career also working in retail.
Lydia Fairman is an HR and resourcing specialist, who owns HR and recruitment consultancy, Fairman Consulting. Lydia also offers free CV advice, interview guidance and careers blogs to help job seekers succeed in retail careers.
Sobayha Valli is the founder of Sobayha.com, an online fashion store for new and worn Asian occasion wear. Having trained as a chartered accountant, Valli moved into retail to work in strategy for an internet and mail order retailer, specialising in product development strategy, before setting up her own online fashion business.
Morag Pavich is the director of Mo’s Cookie Dough, a retail business which specialises in selling pre-prepared cookie dough. Before turning to retail, Pavich worked as a communications consultant and was head of communications for the Carnegie UK Trust.
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