A Day at the NEXT Headquarters

As soon as we arrived, we collected our visitor lanyards, which instantly made us feel very official.

The first part of the day involved speaking with the Early Careers team, who introduced us to the trainee opportunities available at NEXT. Hearing about the different graduate and trainee roles was so exciting – these are the sort of positions that we’d all be looking at after we graduate. It made everything feel much more real and achievable.

Afterwards, we were taken on a tour of the headquarters.

Seeing everything behind the scenes gave us such an insight into how a major fashion retailer operates. The headquarters had everything from mock shop floors and professional photo studios to product testing areas. Every part of the space showed just how much work goes into creating the customer experience we normally only see in stores or online.

One of the highlights of the day was getting to see exclusive products that haven’t even launched yet. It felt so surreal seeing upcoming collections before they reached the public.

We also had the opportunity to speak directly with members of the buying and design teams. Being able to ask questions about their careers, day-to-day roles, and industry advice was incredibly valuable. For me personally, it really helped me understand whether this is a career  I wanted to go into in the future.

Another major part of the experience was taking part in the Mock Assessment Centre. Third-year students were able to complete mock interviews and presentations in front of the recruitment team, it was an amazing opportunity to get real-time feedback from the team and get tips and tricks on how to ace the interview.

Not only did this help build confidence, but it also made the idea of returning for future opportunities feel much less intimidating. Meeting the teams in person created a much more welcoming and comfortable atmosphere.

Of course, no trip is complete without good food, and NEXT kindly provided us with lunch, which was amazing and gave everyone a chance to relax and chat about the day so far.

Before heading home, we also got the chance to speak with current trainees about how they secured their roles and what their experiences have been like working at NEXT. 

Overall, the trip was such an incredible experience. It gave us a genuine insight into the fashion industry, helped us learn more about future career opportunities, and allowed us to connect with professionals already working in the field.

I had so much fun, learned so much, and I can’t wait to come back someday.