Marks and Spencer graduate training

Marks and Spencer say that they are keen to recruit graduates irrespective of whether they’re recently-qualified or have been out of university for a few years. If you are considering a placement in Retail Management or HR then your degree need not even be in any particular subject although, for other Head Office roles, M&S do insist on a relevant qualification.

Whatever your background or qualifications, your career with Marks and Spencer begins with an induction course – the length and coverage of which depend on both the job and your degree. Typically the programme lasts one to two weeks and will give you an overview of the way in which the company works.

All induction courses include a one day workshop in which all the graduates get to meet both one another and some of Marks and Spencer’s senior management. You also get to hear from them about the things that they do, what it’s like working for M&S, and how the organisation works. The course hammers home the Marks and Spencer customer service ethic.

The majority of training is done on-the-job but, from time to time, you will be called away to attend a more formal course or workshop. These can be anything from a couple of hours in length to a few days. You will also be ‘attached’ to a manager whom you will shadow and, in doing so, benefit from their experience.

Other learning that you will undertake, consists of following relevant Marks and Spencer’s workbooks through – this is done homework-style, i.e. in your own time. You will also do hands-on practical work where you or your team get to undertake a specific investigative project or assignment.

The Retail Management training scheme starts in either April or September and normally lasts a year but, if it takes you a bit longer, that is not necessarily a problem. Other training schemes can last as long as three years.

Initially you will be based in one specific store which Marks and Spencer promises they will endeavour to make in your own particular region. However, once you’ve passed the training, you are quite likely to be assigned somewhere else and thus will need to relocate. M&S will assist you with your costs but you will still have to deal with the social upheaval. All IT graduates are based at either the Heathrow or Central London office, the latter being the location for all Head Office jobs.

You will be required to work a nominal 40 hours a week – nominal because you will be expected to put in whatever hours the job necessitates. The times you will work may also vary and it is assumed that you will adapt your life accordingly.

If you work in a Marks and Spencer store, the requirement is that you wear M&S clothes however there is a substantial discount on your ‘uniform’.

On successful completion of the course, you will, it is hoped, look for a permanent managerial position within the Marks and Spencer organisation.

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