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Retail and Fashion

How to develop your experience

Retail and fashion is a competitive sector, however summer internships and placement years are common in this industry, so there are many opportunities to build your skills and experience while at university. You can also bolster your CV by volunteering, doing an internship or having a  part-time job.

Internships and work experience

Many of the large supermarkets and shops run paid summer internship programmes for undergraduates in their penultimate year of study. Here is just a selection of those on offer:

Professional placements

Many retail organisations offer placement programmes where you can work for a company in a paid role for a year. Here are some of the organsations that offer placements:

Placements and Internships sites

Essential skills for retail

  • Commercial awareness
  • brand/company knowledge
  • Leadership skills
  • Numerical and analytical skills
  • Good organisation and time management
  • Customer service skills
  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • Strong communication skills
  • Team working ability and a respectful approach to colleagues

Getting experience