Placements/Internships
Within our branches, we offer both Retail Management Summer Internships and year-long Retail Management Industrial Placements.
Placements and internships are a great way for you to get an overview of how a John Lewis branch is structured, how it operates and an insight into what a career in John Lewis retail might be like.
Please note we only offer placements/internships in Retail Management; we do not offer placements/internships in specific functions such as Buying, Marketing, Design or Personnel.
Retail Management Summer Internships
What better way to spend your university summer holiday than by gaining invaluable experience combining the practicality of working on the shop floor with the theory of running a successful retail company?
A jam-packed six weeks based in one of our department stores, our Retail Management Summer Internship Scheme focuses on general retail management and business skills. You'll gain an overall view of trading and retail management, with exposure to different product presentations, stock control and selling techniques.
You can expect to meet and talk to senior branch management, and we'll set a project on a commercial aspect of the business for you. And if you're good enough, we might even recommend that you move straight to the assessment centre stage for the next intake of our Retail Management Graduate Scheme.
We are looking for university students from any degree discipline with a passion for retail and customer service. You should have an interest in retail management, and possibly previous retail experience.
Strong written and verbal communication skills are vital as you'll be working alongside senior managers, colleagues and customers, as well as giving a presentation on your project.
Things you need to know
- Be prepared to work some weekends and evenings
- You'll need to complete an online application. If you're successful at application stage and pass all the online tests, you'll be invited to an assessment centre
- You'll have a performance review at the end of your internship to determine whether you could be recommended to move straight to the assessment centre stage of the next graduate intake for the Retail Management Graduate Scheme
- We ask successful candidates for the three branches where they would like to work in preference order and attempt to place them in one of those branches
- You are given the opportunity to conduct the six-week placement at any point over the summer holidays that suits you, and this is agreed on a mutual basis between you and the branch. This gives you the flexibility to do other exciting things with your break
- The placement is paid, at a rate of approximately £300 per week
Application Criteria
The minimum criteria are as follows:
- GCSE Maths and English or equivalent at grade C or above. Please note, you will be required to provide evidence of your qualifications
- You must complete this Internship whilst studying for a full university degree (equivalent to, or higher than, BA or BSc)
- You must be prepared to work some weekends and evenings
We are sorry, if you do not meet the above minimum criteria, we will not be able to consider your application.
Retail Management Industrial Placements
What better way to spend your year in industry than by gaining valuable experience working for a highly successful retail company. It might be obvious, but you must be conducting this placement as part of your University degree course or you won't qualify and we wouldn't want to waste your time.
However if you are looking to do exactly that, you'll be based in one of our department stores. Our Retail Management Industrial Placement Scheme focuses on retail management and business skills. You'll gain an overall view of trading and retail management, with exposure to different functions that make up a branch. As your placement progresses, you will receive increased responsibilities with the view to managing you own section of a department.
You'll have a passion for retail and want to deliver outstanding customer service. We look for candidates with a hunger for success, good commercial awareness, and a passion for people and the Partnership. Strong leadership potential is vital as is your ability to work in, and deliver results through, a team. You'll be someone who genuinely cares about the well-being of your Partners.
Strong written and verbal communication skills are vital as you'll be working alongside senior managers, colleagues and customers.
Things you need to know
- The placement is salaried at £15,000 and you will receive benefits such as the Partnership annual bonus (which is a proportion of your salary; in 2012 this equated to seven weeks additional pay), a discount card, ticket subsidies and many more
- Be prepared to work some weekends and evenings on a regular basis
- You'll need to complete an online application. If you're successful at application stage and pass all the online tests, you'll be invited to an assessment centre
Application Criteria
The minimum criteria are as follows:
- GCSE Maths and English or equivalent at grade C or above
- This year will be your year in industry as part of your University degree course
- You must be prepared to work some weekends and evenings on a regular basis.
We are sorry, if you do not meet the above minimum criteria, we will not be able to consider your application.
The Application Process
The application process for Summer Interns and Industrial Placements will be broadly similar to the graduate process. Please refer to the Application Process section of our website for more information.
