I was incredibly proud to be chosen as one of the inaugural Retail Ambassadors at the 2013 Specsavers everywoman in the Retail Ambassador programme. I was especially thrilled I got a chance to speak to a true retail role model – Nicky Dulieu.
In my first week a male colleague announced in a very loud voice “women don’t know anything about music”.
Sadly there were no similar women role models who I could aspire to be like in HMV when I started. This is changing but the shift is slow. HMV employs a work force that is 80% male – this is an improvement on when I first joined the company but it’s far from balanced. I believe this to be true of retail as a whole. I started as a sales assistant but very quickly moved to a buying role in Head Office. In my first week a male colleague announced in a very loud voice “women don’t know anything about music”. This was a very typical comment and attitudes toward women, especially in senior positions, were poor. Little did he know he spurred me on even more! I proved myself by working very hard, being passionate about the company and having a sense of humour.
It’s hard to say why there are so few women in senior positions in retail especially as it’s such a rewarding career (if you’re not afraid of hard work!) but I hope that initiatives such as the Specsavers everywoman in Retail Ambassador programme will help encourage women to seek out opportunities in the retail sector.
There’s such a huge diversity of jobs within retail, I think people think “retail = behind a till” but this is not true. The shop floor is a great place to start as you very quickly learn about the business you’re in, how fast moving and exciting retail is and most importantly, customers and customer service.
My advice is to get on by playing the rules of success, not gender. Earn respect and prove yourself as a retailer with tenacity, enthusiasm, customer focus and drive.
There are lots of promotion opportunities in retail. I started on the shop floor and rose through the company very quickly to Head of Trading. I was lucky to be in one of the companies that spots talent and promotes quickly. Retail is so fast moving – talent is spotted and encouraged quickly, if you want it – it’s there to grab. I’m delighted to say I’ve just recruited a woman to one of my buying teams from one of our stores – she didn’t get the job because she was a woman, she got it as she gave the best interview, had prepared thoroughly and displayed ambition and energy.
My advice is to get on by playing the rules of success, not gender. Earn respect and prove yourself as a retailer with tenacity, enthusiasm, customer focus and drive. You just may find yourself in one of the most rewarding industries of your career.
Author Bio: Melanie Armstrong, Head of Trading, HMV
Nominations are now open for the 2014 Specsavers everywoman in Retail Ambassador Programme. Nominate or apply here. The deadline for nominations has been extended until early June.