Gen: Proud – Jess’ story

I joined M&S the same week I graduated from university, diving straight into the Clothing & Home Commercial Graduate Scheme. My path to retail wasn’t exactly planned - retail found me before I found it. I studied Human Sciences at UCL, and while I was there, I developed an interest in marketing and psychology. I’ve always been fascinated by people, and that’s what led me to M&S. The focus here is on people - whether it’s understanding customers, supporting colleagues, or analysing trends and I discovered that I enjoy the data and analytics side of things that comes with being on the scheme.

The rotations have been one of the most valuable aspects of the programme for me. I’ve worked in Merchandising, Supply Chain & Logistics, and I’m about to move into the .com team. Each rotation has given me insight into how different teams operate and how their pressures and priorities affect the business as a whole. This knowledge is invaluable as I move through different roles and learn how to collaborate across departments.

Of all my rotations, Merchandising in womenswear so far has been my favourite, although I’m still yet to experience my final rotation. I got to work on campaigns, range planning, and other commercially focused tasks. The experience gave me a strong understanding of how we trade, what decisions impact our stores, and how we can improve in the future.

One of my proudest moments was presenting a project in Merchandising focused on our Christmas campaign. I had to take complete ownership of the brief, presenting my ideas to senior leadership and helping to shape decisions that would make an impact in one of our biggest stores during the most critical time of the year. It was a huge responsibility, but also a good opportunity to prove myself.

The culture at M&S is one of the things I appreciate most. It’s not what you’d expect from a major retailer. You picture a corporate environment with leaders in suits, but it’s not like that at all. The office is filled with products, from clothes to food, and we even have our own shop in the basement.

Learning and development at M&S is primarily on the job, mostly relying on your team members and to learn the systems we use and through structured workshops with Early Careers. There’s also always something happening within the business that presents itself as a learning opportunity– the scope of what you can get involved in is huge.

I’m proud to be on the M&S Clothing & Home Commercial Graduate Scheme. It’s a great opportunity to rotate through different teams, gain hands-on experience, and take ownership of meaningful projects. If you’re curious about how a big business operates, eager to dive into data and trends, and ready to embrace new challenges, this programme will definitely stretch you and give you the tools to grow your career in retail.

Learn more about our Early Careers programmes here.