Graduate Opportunities
Human Resources business placements
Training
As an HR business placement student you will be placed in one of our brands for the duration of your placement. Your training will be very much on the job, learning from experienced HR teams about this important business function.
Career Path
We encourage successful business placement students to apply to join the business on graduation; a business placement with us is the first step to a successful career.
A typical career path in Human Resources is as follows:
Profile
Laura Grieve
HR Business Placement Student
Joined Miss Selfridge in July 2007
I am currently taking a year out from my Retail Management degree at Loughborough University to complete an industrial placement within HR. Although an industrial placement is a compulsory part of my degree, I have quickly realised it has advantages. I am really enjoying the fact it will help me make that all-important career decision by being able to test the water first.
My degree is retail related, and some of the modules throughout my first two years of study were focused towards HR. This has developed my interest in this arena and is why I began leaning towards HR as a possible career path. I had also been working in a local branch of Topshop for the past four years as a sales assistant, which provided me with an insight into what it was like to work for one of the leading brands on the high street. Working in store was exciting as no day was ever the same, and I got to feed my passion for fashion, while learning how to react in such a challenging environment. When I discovered Arcadia ran an HR business placement programme in its Head Office in London I jumped at the chance to apply. It meant I would be able to pursue my interest in HR while working in an environment that was both exciting and fast paced.
After working really hard throughout the application process and finally the assessment centre, I was delighted to find out I had been offered a place within the Miss Selfridge brand for the year. The experience so far has been fantastic and has totally exceeded my expectations. The team have been so accommodating and value me like a real member of the team, which has really increased my confidence. On occasion I have been thrown in at the deep end and really had to think on my feet, but I love it, it really enables me to use my initiative. As well as supporting the team with HR administration, I have also been involved with helping organise assessment centres, and also monitoring absence levels for both stores and head office. I also have regular development meetings with my manager, which I feel I benefit from greatly. I constantly know where my focus lies, and I really feel that my team genuinely care about my development.
Overall all the hard work to get here has paid off, and I am pleased that I was so committed to getting a really great placement. I have learnt that if you get it right you can gain so much in return. I like the flexibility of the placement, and am so pleased about the excellent HR exposure I have had so far, both within head office and retail. I feel really settled within the team at Miss Selfridge and feel like this is actually a job rather than just a placement. I have quickly become very passionate about the brand and Arcadia, and would definitely look to apply to the HR Graduate scheme once I have finished my degree.
Salary
If you are successful and offered a Human Resources Business Placement you can expect to receive the following:
- Structured training and development
- Salary of £15,350
- 22 days holiday
- 25% discount on all brands
- Season Ticket Loan
What we are looking for
Our Human Resources business placement positions are tailor made for students studying for an HR-related degree and undertaking a year’s placement as part of their degree. As with all of our Graduate programmes you must hold a minimum of five GCSES (or equivalent) grades A to C, including Maths and English.
We also look for applicants with the following attributes:
- Studying for an HR-related degree (sandwich course)
- Attention to detail
- Good organisational skills
- Team working
- Influencing and communication skills
- Passion for fashion retail
How to Apply
Our HR business placements are extremely sought after so please make sure you apply at the earliest opportunity. Our deadline for applications is 21st December 2007.
Our application process involves the following steps:
- Completion of online application form
- Completion of online numerical ability test (provided by the SHL Group)
- Telephone interview with a member of our Graduate Resourcing Team
- Attendance at Assessment Centre (in London)
If you have the right to work in the UK and you’re confident that you fulfil all our requirements, please click below to complete the application form. This could be the first step towards your future career.