Many large retailers have graduate schemes, although they also like to promote their own staff.
Your graduate programme may give you a taste of different retail jobs such as buying and department management. As a manager, you may have less direct contact with the public and you will have a team of staff to manage. You will also be part of the team responsible for your store’s performance figures.
Case study
Once I've graduated, I’ll apply for graduate schemes. I’m not sure that store management or retail operations are for me, though. I am more interested in a head office job...
Harrison Muyeji, supervisor/shift leader at a leading supermarket