Why work experience counts in retail

If you're looking for a retail job, your work experience can make a difference to your application.

A key factor in your entry point to employment on graduation, both in terms of position gained and starting salary, is the amount of relevant work experience you have gained before and during college. Sales assistant in any area of retail is a good first position if you want to get a broad view of the sector.

It pays to invest some time early on in finding out what type of experience the top recruiters will be seeking. The biggest advantage goes to those who have used part-time work, holiday work and placements/internships to gain wider and more senior positions in their chosen field as they moved upwards through their college programme.