A career in retailing: Instructions

READING AND LISTENING

Look at the sentences below and the view expressed by 5 different people about their careers in retailing.

Which view does each sentence refer to? 
For each sentence 1-8, mark one letter A, B, C, D, or E
You  will need to use some of the letters more than once

  1. The way this market operates has been transformed
  2. New employees are given an overview of how the company works
  3. I have increased my business expertise since joining the company
  4. I enjoy working in retail more than in my former job
  5. Working closely with other people is an important feature of this job
  6. Company training is organised so that all the staff share common goals
  7. I need to keep up to date with developments in my field
  8. My business would like to employ only people genuinely committed to a career in detailing

    A CAREER IN RETAILING

Keeping the customer satisfied is central to the retail business. But  how much job satisfaction can workers in the retail trade expect? Five people who work in retailing talk about their careers

  • A. Steve Cain
  • B. Virginia Clement
  • C. Tim Edlund
  • D. Diane Maxwell
  • E. Jan Shaw

A CAREER IN RETAILING

Keeping the customer satisfied is central to the retail business. But  how much job satisfaction can workers in the retail trade expect? Five people who work in retailing talk about their careers

A

Steve Cain is deputy director of trading for a large supermarket. He says

“When I moved into the retail sector I found it offered more tangible achievements and rewards than my previous business consultancy work. The power base has changed in the industry

and it’s the retailers who are now driving things forward. Before

buyers waited for the product to come in and negotiated the price with the manufacturers

but now in food retailing

it’s the retailers themselves who are developing their own brands and fixing prices

so that makes it an exciting field to work in.”

B
Virginia Clement is support and development manager for a large clothing department store.” This means I am responsible for all the buying and merchandising. This demands teamwork, and for me, this is one of the most attractive aspects of working at head office. You have a lot of contact with people, from shop floor staff to suppliers. We work in a very open environment and we’re very team-oriented. Each  team is responsible for getting a particular product to the store on time and in the right quantities

C
Tim Edlun, who works in buying for a large clothing store, says, “the buyer has to have some flair for design, but balancing that, you need a strategic view and business acumen. There are numerous factors influencing a buyer’s choice of product range for each season. I have to be aware of current trends in the suppliers’ market, competitors’ activity .and both local and global customer demand. I go all over Britain to keep abreast of this information. Working hours are very irregular, so it’s the complete opposite to a 9 to5 job It can be extremely exhausting, but I love it

D

Diane Maxwell is buying controller for women’s wear for a home shopping catalogue company. She says that, despite the hard work, her job remains varied and satisfying. I’ve gained a huge range of skills with the company in all kinds of fields, both through formal courses and by means of on

the job training. The scope of the buying role is extremely broad. It’s not just about the product. The focus of the job is on producing A profitable range and that requires extensive business knowledge.

 

E

John Shaw is personnel director of a supermarket. She says

“What we really want to do in our company is take on people with a real interest in trade rather than managers who only want to complete a job as fast as possible Our new graduate recruitment programme aims to do exactly that. The induction programme introduces all aspects of working for our company giving early responsibility and first hand experience of the company’s working

culture. Career development within the company is based on general management skills rather than specialization

so whatever department they are in

employees will focus on similar aims.

 

 
 
 
 
 

D

Diane Maxwell is buying controller for women’s wear for a home shopping catalogue company. She says that, despite the hard work, her job remains varied and satisfying. I’ve gained a huge range of skills with the company in all kinds of fields, both through formal courses and by means of on

the job training. The scope of the buying role is extremely broad. It’s not just about the product. The focus of the job is on producing A profitable range and that requires extensive business knowledge.

E

John Shaw is personnel director of a supermarket. She says

“What we really want to do in our company is take on people with a real interest in trade rather than managers who only want to complete a job as fast as possible Our new graduate recruitment programme aims to do exactly that. The induction programme introduces all aspects of working for our company giving early responsibility and first hand experience of the company’s working

culture. Career development within the company is based on general management skills rather than specialization

so whatever department they are in

employees will focus on similar aims.

ANSWERS

1A   2E   3D  4A  5B  6E   7C     8E