Thousands of DMU students graduated in July after years of hard work. We reported some of their stories in our Class of 2015 series...
Winning a competition during the first year of her degree course has changed the life of one De Montfort University (DMU) student.
After making the most of the opportunity her prize gave her, Ceri McGlynn – who will be graduating with a first in Retail Management BA (Hons) – is now working for Next at its Enderby headquarters.
She started there as an assistant merchandiser in June, but the seeds of her success were sown in 2011 when DMU lecturer Philip Garton used his industry connections to give students the chance to win a four-week paid placement at the retail giant, followed by a guaranteed interview for a year-long internship.
Ceri, who impressed a team of judges in a series of exercises and an interview, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity. That summer I spent a month on merchandising in a few different departments. I got on well with people and really got stuck into the job, so it all worked out brilliantly.”
The company felt the same way – Ceri was invited back, without needing an interview, to work for a year as a trainee merchandiser for the home department.
“After my second year at DMU I returned. They treated me just like a graduate and put me on their training scheme. There was a lot of stock management and working with buyers to put ranges together. It was great to be working with products as well as just figures.”
Once again, Ceri impressed: “They offered me a job as an assistant merchandiser, which is the next level up so I won’t have to repeat a year. We have a hand in choosing everything you see in the book or online. We then make sure we’ve got the right products in the right quantities for stores across the UK, the website and the directory, so there’s lots of juggling.
“I’m very excited – Next is very strong on training and there is a good career structure with lots of opportunities. Becoming a merchandiser would be my next step, where I’d be responsible for a small team and several different product groups or departments.”
One of the reasons Ceri chose DMU was because she liked the idea of a sandwich course: “I thought if I could do a year somewhere I could get a foot in the door – which is exactly what’s happened. So it’s been a great decision!”
She’s also grateful to her course and tutors for giving her the retail and marketing skills she needed: “My first year gave me a great overview, touching on related subjects like human resources, accounting, advertising and e-marketing. The focus tightened up in the second year, giving us great insights into areas like customer behaviour and buying patterns. The final year has been really practical and I’ve really enjoyed being given more assignments rather than essays and reports. I’ve also learned a lot about presentations and teamwork – both of which are vital in the workplace.”
Posted on Monday 6 July 2015