Sam’s Career Journey

Why Argos…
“At the assessment day, when you get to talk to the previous grads, you get the feeling the scheme is exactly what it says it’s going to be because everyone is so open about talking about it. Everything HR said would happen has so far, so you can’t complain about that.”

Being chosen…
“I was extremely excited because it is a hugely competitive programme and they only took on 3 graduates, so I felt really privileged to be the lucky chosen one!!”

Exposure…
“The support and exposure you receive cannot be rivalled.”

“The rotational placements are a great way to get a really diverse understanding of how this large and unique business runs. There are only 3-5 graduates in each year so the programme is adapted to your personal needs and is very flexible to your development.”

“The design of the scheme is fantastic as you spend the first rotation in store where you see peak and catalogue launch and then rotate round the business on varying rotations.”

“Each graduate is sponsored by a director, is allocated a senior manager as a mentor and has close contact to HR so there is a huge amount of support throughout the whole programme. The opportunities and visibility you receive over the 2 years make the perfect start to anybody’s career.”

Development…
“I’m currently in Group Commercial, which sits within the group function which looks after Argos and Homebase. I’m working in the value chain team where they primarily focus on 3 month cost saving projects and look at ways to make process and relationships with suppliers more efficient.”

“Before that I was in ADSI – Argos Direct Stocked In. I was looking after the Home and Furniture ranges for all products which are stocked in store but customers want the item for home delivery. My responsibility was to ensure stock was in the right place at the right time for over 2500 lines.”

“Next I am going into Marketing for around 3 months but nothing has been set yet regarding the placement.”
“I loved being in store because you get such a buzz off the craziness over peak and cat launch. The team were fabulous and we had such a good bond that no matter what happened in store we always had a laugh.”

External training…

“You get the opportunity to complete multiple some courses which include negotiation and influencing.”

“We also attended a week long retail course at Oxford Business School in the summer which was run by the British Shops and Stores Association. This was an action-packed week with many senior management guest speakers from varying successful retailers, and projects which focused on the most important aspects of commercial retail.”

Making a difference…
“When I was on my buying rotation, I project managed a 15 store trial to stock 4 white good products (washing machine, tumble dryer, under-counter fridge and fridge freezer) in store for customers to take away that day. It was a huge challenge because nothing that size and weight had previously been allowed in store, so ensuring Health & Safety were happy was a must. The processes followed had multiple challenges to them, but once the trial went live it was a huge success. We are currently looking at extending the trial out to more stores around the country, so watch this space!”

Mentors and buddies…
“It has been great so far and hopefully will be for a good few years. Your mentor is there to support you and give you that guidance you will require. It is great to be able to have regular chats with such an experienced colleague and to pick their brains whenever you can.”

Why you should apply…
“A great culture, with supportive colleagues. It’s one of the best graduate programmes around, with a huge amount of development opportunities and flexibility in the direction of your future. You will get a lot of visibility and contact with very senior managers and the board of directors.”