First year usually based location
Graduates train at two stores in locations
across the UK
Head office location
Victoria, London
Disciplines accepted
Any degree
How to apply
Via our website
University events list
For a full list of where you can meet us,
please see our website
About us
John Lewis department stores are part of the
John Lewis Partnership. One of the best
known names in retailing, the John Lewis
Partnership occupies a unique position in
British retail.We're run by and for the people
who work here – our Partners. In 2007 John
Lewis was voted as the UK's favourite
retailer, in surveys by both Retail Week and
Which? Graduates have the opportunity to
join our fast-track management scheme to
quickly progress to senior management and
play a key role in ensuring our commercial
success and vitality as a business co-owned
by all those who work in it.With the significant
number of new stores we are planning to
open in the next few years, the opportunities
to have a successful management career in
our business are on the increase.
Graduates who make the most of the
opportunities we offer have gone on to senior
positions in our business. Currently two
former graduate trainees sit on the
Partnership's Board of Directors.
What is the aim of the graduate scheme?
Our training programme for graduates begins
with a focus within our stores. Graduates
start in their first training branch, initially
learning the basics of how we provide our
customers with excellent products and
service. Within a few weeks, graduates are
given responsibility for leading and
managing others. After 6 months, and
following a month long secondment in our
central offices, graduates move to a second
training branch to continue their development,
aiming to demonstrate their readiness to
manage their own selling department.
DepartmentManagers in John Lewis have the
responsibility for the sales and profits of a
selling department in one of our stores,
(upwards from £4 million sales turnover
a year) and the success and happiness
of the people working there. Attaining the
post of a Department Manager is the short
term focus of our graduates, who are
expected to be ready to take on this role
within 12-18 months of joining. Graduates
can then progress their careers into senior
management positions in our stores or in
other areas including Buying, Distribution,
Merchandising, Personnel and Finance.
During their training our graduates are
supported with both informal and formal
development opportunities, including
residential courses, seminars and individual
coaching and mentoring.
What we look for
To succeed as a graduate trainee in John
Lewis, you need to be passionate about
working in retail and have the drive to move
your career forwards. You need to be able to
deal with a challenging pace of development
and show both commercial awareness and an
ability tomotivate and inspire those around you.
Entry requirements
To be considered you must have:
gained a degree equivalent to a BA, BSc or
higher by September 2008. This can be in
any subject and of any class, from any
university or college
have GCSE Maths and English or
equivalent at grade C or above
are prepared to work anywhere in the UK
during your training (around 12 - 18months).
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