Careers blog written by: Irena Zientek, Information Resources Manager, Careers

Retail

This is not just about being a store manager and stacking shelves. This fast-paced sector offers a range of graduate management jobs, including:

• Store management;
• Logistics;
• Marketing;
• Sales;
• Merchandising;
• Buying;
• Human resources;
• Finance;
• IT.

Employing around three million people, the UK retail sector offers graduates plenty of scope to develop and progress quickly. Many of the large retailing companies run graduate training schemes and provide the opportunity to take on responsibility early on in your career. A graduate store manager for a large retailer can be responsible for 30+ staff within a couple of years and could be earning £34,000 – £60,000 within five years.

Working in the retail sector requires a range of well-developed skills, including:

• commercial awareness;
• leadership;
• enthusiasm;
• people skills with a customer focus;
• communications skills;
• numerical  and IT skills;
• persuasion and negotiation;
• and an ability to work to deadlines and targets.

To find out more about working as a graduate in the retail sector, check out:

• Professional Connect – Q&A session followed by a chance to network with York alumni, now working in the retail sector. Tuesday 25 February (6.15pm – 8.30pm) in the Physics/Exhibition Centre.

For further details, go to: www.york.ac.uk/careers/connect

• Job Sector information on retail: www.york.ac.uk/careers/sectors
• The Industry Insight for retail at: www.prospects.ac.uk/retail_sales_sector.htm##
• Guest blog: Key skills for the retail sector, written by Tip Top Jobs Group
• Guest blog: the retail sector written by a Recruitment Manager for John Lewis

So find out what a career in retail is really all about – you might be surprised.