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OxfordGuideToCareers2017
OxfordGuideToCareers2017
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RETAIL + SALES<br />
A major sector in the economy, the retail world is full of opportunities for graduates: roles<br />
exist across many diverse outlets and functions. The sector requires specialists in buying,<br />
<br />
skilled roles. Around 2% of Oxford students work as sales assistants or similar temporary<br />
positions after graduation – to pay for time out travelling, or to support themselves while<br />
they apply for graduate work or further study. Many other Oxford graduates enter the<br />
<br />
<br />
RETAIL + SALES<br />
Tom Flintoff<br />
Site Optimisation Manager,<br />
Marks & Spencer<br />
“Whereas in a ‘bricks and mortar’<br />
store you may not know if a particular<br />
product display is enticing customers to<br />
purchase, in the online world you can<br />
see this information real time.”<br />
Most major supermarkets and department stores in the<br />
UK have graduate training programmes, which often<br />
start with a rotation scheme around the organisation<br />
before specialisation. These schemes are particularly<br />
suited to students who want immediate responsibility<br />
and fast promotion, and who are multi-skilled but<br />
have not yet decided what their niche might be. The<br />
majority of roles are open to graduates of all disciplines<br />
and progression can be excellent as there is plenty of<br />
opportunity to be creative, to make things happen, and<br />
to follow your interests and values.<br />
The last 5-10 years have also seen tremendous growth<br />
in online retail. This has brought with it more jobs, not<br />
just in technical areas, but in everything from customer<br />
insights, buying, logistics and management.<br />
If seriously considering a graduate career in retail,<br />
you will need to be aware of areas such as Fair Trade,<br />
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability.<br />
Retailers’ profits and brand image are increasingly<br />
formed by these issues. Functional and sector<br />
experience with a retailer can also provide an excellent<br />
platform into other careers such as consultancy or the<br />
not-for-profit sector.<br />
GETTING IN AND ENTRY POINTS<br />
Retailers tend to recruit students for graduate<br />
schemes in their final year of study to start the<br />
following September, and many deadlines for full-time<br />
positions will fall towards the end of Michaelmas Term.<br />
Competition for these schemes can be intense. Specific<br />
Head Office roles may be advertised on CareerConnect<br />
throughout the year, or on company websites. Students<br />
who have been on a structured work experience scheme<br />
in this sector are likely to be at an advantage when<br />
applying for graduate jobs.<br />
Deadlines for internship schemes, usually aimed<br />
at penultimate year students, also tend to be in<br />
Michaelmas or early Hilary Term. If a retailer doesn’t<br />
offer a formal internship scheme, approach them<br />
speculatively for work experience or shadowing<br />
opportunities. However, experience of how the retail<br />
sector works can be gained in many ways – and many<br />
firms like their future managers to have spent time on<br />
the shop floor. Busy times of the retail year coincide<br />
with university vacations, so get some experience as a<br />
sales assistant during a holiday. Firms recruit temporary<br />
workers well in advance to ensure they are not short<br />
staffed at these times, often through specialist online<br />
recruitment agencies.<br />
EXTRA-CURRICULAR IDEAS<br />
+ Run a mini-business that has to turn a profit, such as<br />
a theatrical production or a college ball.<br />
+ Get involved with the OxCo-op, which makes ethical<br />
food accessible for the Oxford community, or similar<br />
local organisations such as Cultivate.<br />
+ Join The Student Consultancy (p.33) for an insight<br />
into the challenges faced by real businesses, and<br />
for the opportunity to help solve problems faced by<br />
local firms.<br />
+ Sign up for Insight into Business, to learn core<br />
elements of strategy, marketing and management<br />
and learn how to build a profit and loss account.<br />
+ Volunteer in a charity shop for customer service<br />
experience.<br />
MORE INFORMATION:<br />
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/retail<br />
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