6 Steps To Boost Your Travel Retail Career

I love people, meeting people, talking to people, managing people, helping people, it goes on.  Having worked in various roles and Companies for over 20 years, I’ve recruited, inducted and led teams and managers and worked with some fantastic inspirational people, I take great pleasure in seeing those around me, friends and colleagues move on to greater roles, succeed and progress.

I now have the great pleasure of recruiting our own employees and have had the some would say arduous task of sourcing, screening and meeting numerous candidates to work with us.

Maybe its me…. But on many an occasion I have had to explain what Travel Retail is all about to potential candidates ( despite mentioning this in our job adverts ), “Oh I’d not thought of that” and “oh I didn’t realise” was the usual response when I explain about the travelling passenger by air or sea. Then the level of interest picked up, like the dawning of a new phenomenon, the realisation of the wider retail market.

I did think “Is travel retail that invisible?”  Maybe it is “out of sight out of mind” being stores and experiences that may only occur on a much less regular basis and perhaps only those who have been exposed to it for one reason or another really are aware of the opportunities and exciting environment that it is.  Certainly, ask anyone who works in the sector, they probably would not swap it for anything else, it’s a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it!  Given the length of service of most of the people I have had the pleasure of working with, I would take it most loved it!

I have reviewed 100s of CVs  in my quest to find the right people, and have drawn a set of criteria for anyone currently in the job market, wanting to get into travel retail.

1. Do Your Research – In order to work in TR be it in Head Office or in a retail position on the shop floor, you need to understand the business you are applying for – it is a different business model and there are more complexities to the business – you need to know what these are  – if in doubt Google it!
2. It Is All About The Travelling Customer – you have to put the shopper at the heart of your decisions and how your decisions would affect/benefit them – always think about the shopper journey
3. CV’s Should Be Short, Sharp And Punchy – I’ve read CVs ranging from 1 page to 8 (Yes 8 pages – I gave up at the end of Page 2! )  the best I’ve seen is a 1 page resume – and they got the job.
4. Adapt The CV For The Audience – Only the successful candidates had actually reviewed our business, considered and researched the wider Travel Retail sector then applied their skills as to how they could benefit us
5. Articulate Your Value To The Employer – explain your skills in a way that we see the value you can add – So if you’re great at Marketing – show us how you are great at Marketing – what have you done and how have you done it?
6. Have A Good Linkedin Profile – which actually matches your CV – any job is often about connecting and networking with people within the industry, start looking key people up

Travel retail is such an exciting channel, I recently travelled to the Far East on a business trip, I had some down time at Heathrow, I bought a drink and sat down and just people watched… wondering where were all these people going, where had they come from, why were they travelling, what were they buying… just fascinating.

For anyone looking for a job or seeking people to work with you in the sector, please do visit our sister website www.recruitgtr.com.

Thank you for reading & sharing.

Jill