Wise words of advice

Get an insight into what life is like on the scheme. Here are some words of advice from our School Leaver alumni:

‘Be aware that you will have really good days, but also really bad ones. You might need to travel a lot to and from work. But don’t give up. If you’re determined and vocal about what you want, you’ll get it in the end.’ - Anna

‘Always be yourself. Come as you are, and know how great you want to be.’ - Amy

‘What attracted me was the space I was given to develop myself on the scheme. If you have the self-confidence, you’ll be able to make the most of the opportunities M&S has to offer.’ - Scott

‘Be confident. Hold a presence and get ready to become a young professional.’ - James

‘Don’t pretend that you know something. It’s ok to say you don’t know. Make sure that you ask questions. You’re training. This is the time to be inquisitive.’ - Anna

Insider Info

Discover more about what our School Leaver alumni have learned from the scheme – and what they thought about M&S before they started.

‘When I applied, I didn’t know what to expect. Now I know that you get from the scheme what you are prepared to put into it.’ – Anna

‘I went to uni for a year. But I shouldn’t have. I remember that I didn’t want to sit in a classroom anymore; I wanted to be out in the real world, doing.’ – James

‘The scheme has given me so many opportunities and I’ve learned so much. I’ve learned the value of giving inspiration to people from the managers who inspired me.’ – Amy

‘Ultimately, for me, it’s been a very positive experience. It’s been hard work but it’s also been well worth the effort. I have a plan for myself; I’m driven and I’ve learned to be resilient.’ - Henry

‘Over the last three years, the business has made loads of investments in innovation. It’s broadening its appeal and this makes it a very interesting business to work for.’ – Scott

‘I am a doer. I learn by being hands-on. That’s what attracted me to the scheme.’ – James

‘You learn who you are as a person – how you adapt your personal attributes to your role.’ – Anna

‘The M&S scheme is designed for you to achieve more. It’s an accelerated scheme that helps you go further, faster. So if you’re ambitious, it’s tailor-made for you.’ – Scott

What the future holds

M&S is a big, growing international retailer. So while you might enter the business on the retail side, who knows where you could end up. One thing you can be sure of is you’ll have all the support and encouragement to make your goal a reality.

‘In the short term, I’d love to become a Foodhall Store Manager. In the long term, who knows; there are so many opportunities. Right now, it’s a choice between exploring international opportunities and a move to Head Office. If I was to go with the latter, I’d love to move to an HR role. Developing and leading people is probably what I’m most interested in; it’s what really drives me.’ – Amy

‘I can definitely see myself at M&S in the long-term. People around me have really pushed and encouraged me, telling me they would take me as high as I wanted to go. I’m leaning towards a role at Head Office, although I do love retail, so looking at working in store internationally could also work for me.’ – Anna

‘I just love being in retail. I think I’ll stay in store for now. But I wouldn’t mind exploring international opportunities in the future. Never say never!’ – James

‘I'm not thinking much further ahead than my immediate goal right now - and that's to become a Store Manager. I like the idea of applying what I know at the next level and carrying on my development this way.’ – Scott

‘I haven’t been doing what I’m doing now for that long. That said, I do have a long-term goal to become a Regional Finance and Operations Manager. But that’s probably 10 years away yet.’ - Henry