Where do I start? Retail Introduction The retail world is extremely diverse and can offer opportunities in a range of areas from buying and merchandising, retail management and store operations, through to finance, HR, IT and marketing. Retail is the UK s largest private sector employer with around 2.8 million employees (Skillsmart Retail, 2011). Around two thirds of these employees work for the 75 largest retail companies. There are many graduate schemes available in retail, particularly with large companies, but there are also opportunities with smaller specialist establishments. Finding out about Web The Careers Service website contains many useful resources, including links to retail industry insights, professional bodies, sector journals (such as those listed below), employer directories and vacancy sources. The Buying, Selling and Retailing / Transport and Logistics webpages link to these occupational resources www.ed.ac.uk/careers/ occupations
Journals and newspapers Graduate Guide to Procurement www.supplymanagement.com/careers The Grocer www.thegrocer.co.uk InRetail www.inretail.co.uk Internet Retailing internetretailing.net Retail Bulletin www.theretailbulletin.com The Retail Directory www.theretaildirectory.co.uk Retail Focus www.retail-focus.co.uk Retail Week www.retail-week.com Information folder Green folders (H) Buying, Selling and Retailing (P) Transport and Logistics Reference books (the brackets refer to which Careers Service office holds them) Careers in Pharmacy (KB) Getting a Top Job in Sales and Business Development (C) Guide to Careers in Logistics and Transport (C) Start and Run Your Own Shop (C)
Information team The Careers Information Adviser at our Helpdesk will be happy to help with information and advice on careers in retail. Even if we do not have the information you are after, we can tell you how to track it down. No need to make an appointment just ask! Getting experience Getting relevant experience in a retail setting will improve future applications and will also help you to decide if this is the right path for you. There are plenty of possibilities for this sort of work. Many retailers provide formal, paid work experience placements. Check their websites for details of when you need to apply. Target your local retailers/retail parks for part-time/vacation work or use retail specific recruitment agencies to find these opportunities. Keep an eye out for vacancy notices in shop windows on the high street. Retailers can be exceptionally busy at certain times of the year, such as Christmas or during the Edinburgh festivals. Employers can therefore be short staffed and are more likely to take on temporary, part-time staff. Bear in mind that you may need to apply a few months in advance for these sorts of opportunities as large retailers cannot afford to run the risk of being understaffed at such critical times and so do not leave recruitment to the last minute. Check out the vacancies we regularly advertise on MyCareerHub. Try some speculative approaches to retailers head office HR or graduate teams. If an employer offers no formal scheme for students it doesn t mean that they aren t interested in either offering some work shadowing or even some paid work for a particular project that needs doing. Be polite, enthusiastic and proactive in your approach and you could be successful. You can read more about Finding unadvertised jobs on our website. Volunteer in your local charity shop or any other setting offering customer service. For information on finding voluntary work, visit www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/volunteering or www.ed.ac.uk/careers > Explore your options > Volunteering
Check the Events section of MyCareerHub for details of employers giving presentations to University of Edinburgh students during semester. The Careers Service also organises Careers information sessions where professionals from certain sectors talk to students about the industry, what it s like to work there and how to get into it. For more information visit the Events section of MyCareerHub accessible via the Careers Service website www.ed.ac.uk/careers Use Connect.ed to make contact with alumni for tips and advice on getting into retail www.ed.ac.uk/careers/connected How to find a job A few large retailers visit Edinburgh during Semesters One and Two, and some attend the Edinburgh Careers Fair and Graduate Recruitment Fair, but there are many more opportunities advertised on MyCareerHub. Consider your areas of interest (for example, food, fashion, sport, music or DIY) and the types of companies you would like to work for, such as clothing or grocery retailers, and visit their websites for advertised vacancies. Use the sector specific resources linked from our Occupations webpages which include links to organisations which may advertise vacancies or have directories of potential employers www.ed.ac.uk/ careers > Explore your options > Occupations > Buying, Selling and Retailing There are various recruitment agencies specialising in the recruitment of retail staff, from manager to sales assistant. Use the resources in the Careers Service to identify relevant agencies and see our advice on how to approach them. This information is also available on our website www.ed.ac.uk/careers > Looking for work > Graduate jobs > Finding advertised jobs > Recruitment agencies The retail industry is an increasingly global industry and jobs are available around the world as well as both regionally and nationally in the UK. If you are an international student, you may wish to look at links between your home country and UK retailers to see if your
cultural knowledge or native language may provide a route in. You can find more information on working overseas, including how to find employers, on our Global opportunities pages www.ed.ac.uk/ careers/global Some retailers recruit all year round for positions, although many graduate schemes will have specific closing dates for applications in Semester One or early in Semester Two, with schemes often starting in the autumn. Further study There are postgraduate courses available which may help to develop your business skills within a retail environment but while some employers will be looking for relevant qualifications either at undergraduate or postgraduate level, others will focus more on work experience. Some of these courses will have a work placement component and links with employers. Examples of subject areas include retail management, buying and merchandising, logistics, purchasing, marketing and HR. Available postgraduate courses range from certificate or diploma to masters level. Some employers encourage further study as part of your professional development, providing funding and time off to study. The Further study section of our website contains information on finding postgraduate courses, applying and funding www.ed.ac.uk/ careers > Explore your options > Further study Applications and interviews Securing a job in retail isn t an easy option. Some of the head office roles in particular are as competitive, if not more so, than many other graduate schemes in other sectors. To be considered for a graduate training scheme many retailers ask applicants to have at least a 2:1 usually in a relevant subject for specific areas such as IT, and in any discipline for more general management positions.
If you are intending to apply to the large graduate recruiters you should be aware that closing dates can be early, often by the end of Semester One, so make sure you plan ahead. In order to help you prepare for applications and interviews, improve your business awareness by reading press such as the industry journals mentioned above, and by looking at the websites of associations such as the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) and the British Independent Retailers Association (bira). See our website for further help on applying for jobs www.ed.ac.uk/ careers/applications-interviews Considerations The retail industry is highly commercial, driven by sales and profit. Achieving sales targets is a big part of operations roles. Being a successful team member is also important and good interpersonal skills are required. Think about whether you would prefer to work in store operations or in a support role such as finance or IT. Would you like to work for an independent retailer or a larger organisation such as a major supermarket? Salary levels vary considerably but while they may not be as high as in some other sectors, retail does offer other significant benefits such as discounts, bonuses, share options and private healthcare. Promotion can also be rapid, especially from graduate training schemes. If working in a head office role (HR, IT or marketing, for example), hours are generally Monday to Friday, nine to five. Working in-store requires more flexibility and you may need to be prepared to work unsociable hours. Some roles such as area manager or buyer often involve substantial travel and possible overnight stays. You are welcome to discuss any of these issues with a Careers Consultant.
August 2014 The University of Edinburgh Careers Service, 2013 The Careers Service aims to be accessible to all users. If you require support to access any of our events or facilities, please let us know. We are happy to make this publication available in an alternative format. Please phone 0131 650 4670 or email careers@ed.ac.uk to alert us to your needs. The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336
MyCareerHub job adverts insider information on employers and interviews exclusive information resources booking for appointments and events features you can personalise access anywhere, any time www.ed.ac.uk/careers You can access MyCareerHub via the Careers Service website and log in using your EASE/MyEd username and password.