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Retail, Buying and Selling

Research careers and find opportunities in retail, buying and selling

About

Retail and sales are competitive markets. Customer service is a key focus to help drive sales and create success for companies.

The retail sector is the UK’s largest private employer, employing 3.1 million people in 2021.

Buying online is extremely popular, with the peak being during the pandemic. In December 2006, internet sales accounted for 2.5% of retail sales. In November 2022, internet sales accounted for 29.6% of all retail sales (Office for National Statistics).

Buying is dictated by what the customer wants, the new brands, the market and the trends. You have to spot and react to the most exciting opportunities that may spring from nowhere.

TARGETjobs

Roles, skills and salaries

The range of companies and sectors you can work in is huge and can suit graduates with a variety of skills. 

Job profiles

Have a look at Prospects and targetjobs to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:

Retail

Buying

Selling

 

Skills employers look for
  • commercial awareness
  • an understanding of what makes customers buy products
  • customer-centred
  • effective communication skills
  • adaptive, flexible and collaborative
  • accountability
  • the ability to motivate and manage people effectively
  • creativity and design skills
  • technical and IT skills

See also targetjobs: Discover the skills and qualities needed for buying and merchandising

Salaries

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position. To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources: 

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.

Be inspired

It’s not always easy to know which roles to apply for. The resources in this section can help you find inspiration from previous students and know where to get further support. 

Inspiration from people working in the industry
  • browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed
  • use LinkedIn’s Alumni tool to find out what Newcastle graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Newcastle Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on Getting inspiration from others [3:13]
  • attend alumni events, such as Newcastle Develop, to hear directly from our graduates
  • sign up for mentoring support with Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project. These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting
  • attend events, including recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions 
Online reviews

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:

Not sure what you want to do?

If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.

 

Explore career planning advice
Making career choices
Exploring your options

Sector and industry insights

Researching the industry is essential, whether it’s to:

  • help you decide which area to work in
  • identify who to apply to
  • tailor your application
  • impress an interviewer with your knowledge of the sector

Here are some resources to help you get started.

Career guides 

Read career guides for this sector, such as:

Industry news 

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments can be useful for applications and interviews.

Retail

Supply and Procurement

Specialist Retail

Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.

See our Events and workshops page for upcoming events, including recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights.

Student societies

Join societies, such as NUSU's Fashion Society show your interest in the retail industry.

Social media

Use social media to find industry insights

Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.

Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Professional bodies

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network  

Professional bodies often: 

  • run networking events  
  • have specialist groups you could join 
  • post vacancies on behalf of their members 
  • have member directories, useful for speculative applications 

Key organisations include: 

Retail

Buying and selling

Finding professional bodies worldwide

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.

Guide to finding opportunities 

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.

  • search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below 
  • look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities.
  • use Researching employers to help you gain insights into companies
  • attend events such as recruitment fairs  and  employer and sector insights  
  • contact employers speculatively – see 'non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs' to help you find organisations to approach 
  • follow companies on social media for latest news and updates 
  • consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs 
  • register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners. 
  • consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
  • create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance 

Advertised work experience

Gaining work experience in customer service or sales is essential when looking to start a career in this sector.

Placements and summer internships do exist in this sector, but are less common. They are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some companies will also consider first and final year students. 

Search for work experience

Use our resources to get started: 

See the following external sites for advice and advertised work experience:

Work Experience in auction houses:

  • Bonhams - internships in London and the US
  • Christie's - internships in London, Amsterdam, Asia and the US
NCL internships

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage.

  • Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.
  • You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.
Worldwide experience

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:  

  • additional vacancy websites  
  • CV, application and interview advice   
  • Advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world.  
Looking for ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank. 

Graduate vacancies

When to apply

The resources in this section advertise both graduate jobs and graduate schemes. See our graduate jobs page to understand the difference between them.  

For graduate schemes, apply as early as possible.  

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled. 

Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies. 

Vacancy sites

Use our resources to get started: 

  • MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts 
  • Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites 

 Search the external sites below for more opportunities.

Vacancy sites for retail, buying and selling

In the North East

UK wide

Graduate schemes & entry level jobs
Worldwide vacancy sites 

See  for details of overseas vacancy sites. 

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:  

  • additional vacancy websites  
  • CV, application and interview advice   
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world

Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs

Not all internships, placements and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through: 

A speculative approach is common for finding internships and placements and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available. 

How to access hidden opportunities

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities: 

  1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in. 
  2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company. 
  3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated. 
  4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying! 
When to contact organisations

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you: 

  • start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts 
  • contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin 
How to find organisations

Use the resources below to find organisations in the North East, UK and worldwide. 

In the North East
UK wide
Worldwide organisations

Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world. 

Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs in sales and retail. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.

Specialist agencies include:

See Recruitment Agencies to find more agencies.

Finding overseas recruitment agencies

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:  

  • staffing agencies and temporary help firms  
  • executive recruiters and search firms  

Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.  

Other ways to gain relevant experience

We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience.

  • Part-time work is common in the retail and sales. A part-time job in a supermarket or shop is a great way to increase knowledge of the sector and see if it's for you. See finding a part-time job for vacancy sources
  • Voluntary work in a charity shop is helpful experience for the retail sector. Voluntary work as a fundraiser would also be helpful for a career in sales.
  • Complete a free virtual internship. For example, with Forage, you can filter by career interest to find virtual internships in sales and management.
  • Build a portfolio of work to demonstrate your skills and interest. This would particularly apply to fashion roles.
  • Enter a sales related competition - prizes can often include internships. For example, Management Undergraduate of the Year with Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
  • sign up for free online courses to develop new skills.

Work for yourself

Working as self-employed or freelance is common in the retail sector.

Many large companies offer retail business opportunities in the form of franchises. In the UK, franchising is regulated by the British Franchise Association. The BFA website offers in-depth information and advice for those thinking of joining a franchise.

Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help: 

  •  support with idea generation 
  • provide tailored advice 
  • help you develop your skills 
  • introduce you to like-minded peers 
  • refer you to further support from mentors 
  • award grant funding up to £3,000

Related sectors

You might also be interested in the following sectors:

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