What We Look For
We recruit up to 20 graduates every year through two intakes in April and September. In these graduates, we seek a genuine passion for food retail and an appreciation of fine food. After all, this is a first-rate graduate scheme designed to transform ambitious graduates into exceptional Waitrose Branch Managers.
As well as a strong academic record including a minimum 2:2 degree in any discipline, we are keen to find well-rounded, resilient individuals. Strong analytical abilities, excellent communication skills and an astute commercial awareness are key attributes we look for.
Natural leaders will thrive on this scheme, therefore being able to motivate your fellow Partners is vital. As a manager, you’ll be accountable to your team so the confidence to justify your decisions is crucial.
The capacity to cope with the pace and intensity of this scheme is hugely important. Food retail is a fast-moving business that throws up new challenges and unexpected occurrences everyday. Therefore the ability to think laterally and quickly to find the best solution is paramount.
Things to bear in mind
- Retail is not a nine to five, Monday to Friday job. It involves some late nights and some weekends, when you will be constantly dealing with customers and fellow Partners.
- If you are hungry for a fast-paced managerial career in the thick of the shop floor, this is the path you should follow. However, if you are perhaps thinking of using this scheme as a conduit to another area in retail, we recommend you explore some of our other schemes.
