What it’s really like to be a guy working at the heart of the UK’s fashion industry

If you’ve ever considered working in fashion, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the office is comprised entirely of people who have creative degrees and have done internships at Vogue and LFW, and that all conversation is limited exclusively to what’s happening on the catwalks.

But is it really like this? We wanted to explore what actually goes on behind the scenes. We spoke to grads at Arcadia, who oversee brands like Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge, to find out what a typical day is like working for a massive fashion company.

Whether you’re creative or analytical, Arcadia have roles suited to any individual, across a number of companies like Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge – click here to find out more

John, Online Trade Assistant, studied History and Politics at University College Dublin

My job is to ensure that every customer who visits any of Arcadia’s brand websites has a seamless journey.

So much of my work is ad-hoc. I’ll constantly tweak the website to improve it, or make sure that online filters work correctly – just a little bit of everything. It’s a lot of fun.

My day starts at 9am – the first thing I do is make sure that anything we have set to go live that day is working. For example, if a sale has launched that morning, I make sure that it looks exactly as we planned, and that it’s all functioning correctly.

Around 10am, I go for a 15 minute coffee break with my manager or team mates. It’s busy all the time, so I’m never bored. Being on the trade team is like being the conductors of the floor – we bring everybody together and make sure that everyone’s projects align with each other. I’m always learning. 

Arcadia are looking for resilient and driven grads from a range of degrees to join them in Merchandising, Digital, Finance and Buying roles – find out more here

I go for lunch with my team at about 1pm. We have an amazing canteen that does everything – it even has a pizza oven. It feels really international and progressive – the office is so modern, and you definitely feel like you’re in the middle of a cosmopolitan city like London.

Coming to London from Dublin, it’s nice to meet people through work that you can become proper friends with. I think people underestimate how important it is to really like your colleagues. They’re creative, smart, and inspiring – I’m really lucky.

I spend the afternoon in meetings with the design and creative teams, or with Merchandising, Finance, or Marketing, catching up on what everyone is up to. 

I finish at 5pm every day, or 3pm during the summer when we get to finish early on Fridays. I try to make the most of the West End – I’m usually out, either at the theatre or galleries. I also spend a lot of time catching up with friends – I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t cooked dinner once since I moved to London five months ago – I’m like Carrie Bradshaw.

I can’t think of a better place to have started my career than Arcadia. The training here is unrivalled, and I know that no matter where I end up in life, people will always be impressed that I started here.  It’s a brand that’s recognised all over the world.

For people applying for Arcadia, going above and beyond in your interview is the best thing you could do. Don’t come in empty handed – put together a presentation about what you’d do if you worked here, or what you like about the company – people really appreciate the effort.

Arcadia have beautiful offices in the heart of London, with perks including staff discount, sample sales and an amazing canteen  – apply for their entry-level roles here

Daniel, Merchandise Admin Assistant, studied Business and Management at Reading

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My job is all about forecasting, planning and budgeting – it revolves around maths and clothes, which is a strange mix but I love it. It’s very fast-paced – there’s always something new to do.

When I get to the office for 9am, the first thing I do is check that all the stock we sent the previous day has gone to the right place, then I analyse sales and how much stock each store has – we’re always looking at how we can improve things to generate more sales. Sometimes it’s seasonal or weather-related, so for example we’ll send more rain macs to places where it’s forecast for gloomy weather, or sometimes it’s just down to the fact that certain styles sell better in particular places.

I normally have lunch with mates at about 1pm, and spend the rest of my day making sure all the stock is in the right place and looking at any upcoming action that’s needed, such as marking items down or managing our suppliers.

I’ll leave between 5:00 and 5:30. I never feel like I have to stay late which is refreshing for a busy company – if I do, it’s definitely out of choice.

In the evenings I tend to just chill. Sometimes we organise socials, like playing five-a-side football within Topman, which we do every couple of weeks. The bar in the office is also open on Fridays. It’s really cheap, and it’s a nice open space with music, so everyone comes down for a drink after work. 

My favourite thing about working at Arcadia is the interaction with the product. My desk is surrounded by clothes – it’s like working in a wardrobe. Because a lot of my job is quite maths-based, it’s nice to be able to match up the numbers with the physical item of clothing.

Working at Arcadia is great – if you love fashion you’ll see the latest trends, be involved in a lot of discussions about what’s set to be cool, and be able to see all the products and how they go from designs to the shop floor. The whole process is really interesting.

If you’re applying to work here, do some proper research into the business. A lot of people assume they can just talk about clothes, but try and show some knowledge of the role, while making it clear that you enjoy fashion. Also, express yourself – the way you dress shows your personality, so in the interview, dress how you want to be viewed, not how you think an interviewee should.

Want to work for one of the biggest fashion retail companies in the UK? Arcadia recruit for their entry-level roles all year round – apply now

David, Logistics Finance Analyst, studied Accounting and Finance at Liverpool

My job is basically to analyse the cost of getting stock from the supplier to the customer. The grad scheme I’m on is essentially three one-year rotations. I was an international finance analyst before, working with countries like Kuwait, Peru and New Zealand. I’ll probably go to brand next, where I’ll work with big names like Topshop, Burton, or Dorothy Perkins. 

When I get in at 9am, I’ll check to see if there are any critical things that have come up overnight, and then start picking up projects from the day before.

I’ll grab a coffee from the kitchen at about 10 – there are always a couple of people around, so it’s nice to have a chat with new people who you don’t work directly with before going back to your desk. It’s not cliquey at all and everyone is so friendly and approachable, which I really didn’t expect from a fashion company. 

Generally we go down to the kitchen for lunch between 12:30 and 1pm, but sometimes I like to go for a stroll through Fitzrovia and Soho – there’s a park nearby, so it’s really nice to switch off for a bit.

Afternoons tend to be more chilled – there’s not a rigid structure, but we’re always working towards the next deadline or project. 

I get to leave by 5pm most days, which is rare for grads in London. Before I moved to the city, I thought I’d be working 12 hours a day, shoving down some dinner and going to bed, but it’s not like that at all. I’ve usually got five or six hours to myself in the evening, which is something I didn’t really expect.

We also have amazing sample sales every few weeks, where they sell all the clothes the buyers use for samples. It’s so cheap – my wardrobe has doubled in size since I moved here, and it’s only cost me about £70.

My favourite thing about my job is that we get a lot of responsibility and autonomy, which I enjoy – I don’t feel like I have to run everything by my manager. I can make my own decisions and really see where I can make an impact.

If you’re interested in starting a career at one of the most exciting companies in the world, then check out Arcadia’s roles here

Whether you’re creative or analytical, there are opportunities for everyone at Arcadia – check out their entry-level roles here

Graduating in 2019? Kick-start your career in fashion and apply for Arcadia’s entry-level roles today