Visual Merchandising Review

I work on a luxury brand and my role entails supporting the visual merchandising team with preparing and planning for new launches and promotions. I manage the visual merchandising guidelines and the lightbox rollouts for the 625 stores and visit stores frequently to ensure these are implemented. I have also taken on my own projects to build up an expertise of visual merchandising.

I have learnt project management skills as I have overseen a number of visual merchandising projects, these also require a high level of organisation and people management skills, which I have developed in the role. I have also developed my excel skills greatly as I have used it on a daily basis throughout my apprenticeship.

I thoroughly enjoyed the programme, as I was in a lovely team who supported me throughout. There was also a number of apprentices on the same programme, albeit in differing job roles whom I got to share the experience with. I enjoyed the role I was in and have learned so much within it.

We were the first cohort of apprentices for L'Oreal so it was definitely a learning curve, however my team took to me only being available 4 days a week really well and I did not feel the need to do my day job while I was on my day off at university. The programme is not massively structured in terms of what role you do as we were in a variety of differing roles, however it is in that you work 4 days a week and attend university 1 day per week.

I received a lot of support from my employer to enable me to manage my workload into 4 days per week, as my manger was very happy to pick up anything urgent on my day of study. I was given half a day of study leave for each university hand in which really helped me keep a work/uni balance.

The training provider gave me loads of support, I met with tutors every week for seminars and would also have the opportunity to ask any questions I had about assessments. All of the tutors at Pearson were happy to meet one on one nearer deadlines and ensure that the requirements were understood and explain in more detail if necessary, which I found really helpful.

I didn't feel that the qualification was always massively related to the role I was in, however I thought it set me up very well for a future in business as it gave me a very broad insight. However where we related a module to the workplace I found it was very beneficial as I thought more about the strategy behind what I do in the workplace.

There are sports teams at L'Oreal and also environmental teams etc. There are also a number of opportunities to go to different events should you wish to do so.

Yes

L'Oreal have been extremely supportive of me studying whilst having a full time role and my managers have never expected me to do any work whilst studying on a Friday. L'Oreal were also very keen to find us full time roles upon the completion of the apprenticeship and supported me in this process.

I would recommend potential applicants to do their research into the company and wider beauty industry before applying, not only online but by going into store, dependent on the role. I would also advise that applicants try and think outside the box to be able to differentiate themselves from others.