Case studies…

Retail manager: Entry requirements

Although this area of work is open to all graduates, a HND/degree in the following subjects may increase your chances:

retail management;
marketing;
business studies;
accounting and finance;
fashion management.

However, there may be exceptions where the retailer is a specialist in its field and more relevant HND/degree may be preferred.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not usually required, although a proportion of retail managers do undertake relevant postgraduate study.

Entry without a HND/degree is possible.

Retailers have specific skills they are looking for in their recruitment process, and generally these personal qualities tend to be favoured over academic qualifications.

Many companies expect applicants to have some retail experience whether acquired through part-time or through holiday work. Alternatively, larger retailers offer placements for students which frequently lead to job offers – with one retailer recruiting 100% of its placement students.

Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:

effective leadership and the ability to motivate others;
the ability to plan and prioritise workloads and delegate accordingly;
customer focus;
the ability to grasp new concepts quickly;
the ability to multi-task and work under pressure;
shrewd business sense and a well-developed commercial awareness;
a desire to work as part of a team to generate fresh and innovative ideas.

If you want to work within the retail industry it is advisable to get some work experience. As well as paid employment, you may also wish to consider voluntary work at local charity shops or similar experiences. You may be involved in a variety of different roles like stock management, pricing, merchandising, finance and customer service.

Alternatively, if there is a specific retailer you wish to work for, contact the local manager to request work shadowing although be aware that many managers are very busy and may not be able to accommodate your request. Others may offer you another level of management to shadow, such as a supervisor or an assistant manager.

Remember all experience is good experience and if you later apply to the organisation the manager may be involved in the recruitment process.

Competition is steep, with one company having over 8000 applicants for 200 spaces. Be aware that closing dates for some training schemes can be as early as December or January to start the following September (some close earlier, when they have reached their applicant quota), so you will need to prepare early. Selection techniques in the industry are generally sophisticated and often based on online application procedures and assessment centres, which usually involve group exercises, presentations and psychometric testing. You may find it worthwhile to try speculative applications to smaller and independent companies.

For more information see work experience and find courses and research.

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