This page provides you with application and interview advice provided directly by graduates working at Arcadia Group
"I had an initial phone interview. I would recommend making sure you do this at home/somewhere quiet, and even though the interviewer can't see you, smile and be positive as they will still be able to sense this.
After this I had a group assessment day which involved a maths test, a group exercise and a one on one interview. For this I would recommend looking over some basic maths just to make sure you are prepared and getting a good grasp of the current retail climate. Within the group task make sure you are yourself and join in. This really isn't as scary as you think it will be - and I am quite shy!
Once I had gotten through the assessment day I was placed with a brand within Arcadia and came in for an interview with Topshop and had to prepare a short presentation. Again the people at Topshop are so lovely that this was not as intimidating as I imagined. Shortly after this I got the call!
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MAA, Topshop Dresses at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "There are different stages to the interview process - It starts off online with an application form and a maths test. After that stage there is a phone interview. The third stage was an interview with a member from HR, a presentation and another maths test. And the final stage included two interviews with one of the merchandising managers.
The questions were quite similar across all interviews, as they really try to get a feeling of how you would fit in with the rest of the teams. The maths tests are fairly straight foward and any merchandising or buying books would be useful. "
Merchandising Admin Assistant, Topshop at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "I firstly applied through a graduate website shortly after leaving university. After completing my application form I was given a telephone interview about merchandising and Arcadia in general.
Once I had passed this I was invited to a graduate assessment day which involved a group exercise and a maths test - it was here I got to meet others who were looking for a similar role to myself. The group exercise involved planning a very basic range and quantities of stock based upon a scenario.
After this I then got invited to an individual interview a few weeks later more specifically about the MAA role and for this I also had to prepare a SWOT analysis on stores and the brand. "
Merchandise Administration Assistant, Non-Clothing at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "The application process has multiple stages - it begins with an online application form and a basic numeracy test. There is then a interview and presentation with a member of Arcadia Group HR as well as a retake of your numeracy test. You are then put forward to your most suitable brand - one that they feel you are most suited to the culture of. You are then interviewed by the brand's HR team and members of the merchandising function who assign you a team if you are successful."
Senior Merchandiser's Admin Assistant, Fashion Merchandising at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "Prepare well if you attend one of the assessment centres. Look at the company’s history, the variety of brands, the customer profiling of the company.
Ensure that you have a wide range of extra activities on your CV, try to get into activities that provide you with responsibility and that you can relate to working well within a team."
Retail Finance Analyst, Wallis Finance at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "Ensure that you research the role and company that you are applying for. If you feel it’s the job for you, then take your time on the application. It is worth your while to spend more time on a few applications, than applying to as many as possible – the resourcing team on the other end will be able to tell! I would advise to gain as much generalist experience as possible at first, that way you can decide further down the line where you want your HR career to go."
HR Graduate, Shared Services, Retail at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "The first stage is filling out an application form online for the Arcadia Group. The next step is a phone interview. Then sometimes you come in for a Group Interview and then a final interview where it is usually you, a buyer, and a HR representative.
My best piece of advice is that you can never be too prepared. Research the role online and focus on the qualities they are looking for. Once you know what brand you are being interviewed for spend as much time in one of their stores and get to know who the customer is and their competitors. Do a SWOT analysis on the brand and one of their competitors and present in your interview."
Buyers Admin Assistant, Wallis at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "There were a couple of interviews and a short maths paper to test very basic skills. The interviews did involve informal presentations but all that is needed is strong knowledge of the brand, it's competitors and the current market."
Merchandise Admin Assistant, at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "i had one phone interview, a 1 to 1 interview, a group interview and then an interview with 2 buyers. The interview was all about describing yourself so they can figure out what kind of person you are. Trends are also heavily mentioned as well as experience"
Buyers Admin Assistant, Jersey at Arcadia Group
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Arcadia Group Jobs "I first applied online and filled in questionaire and had a maths test.
I then had a group HR interview to determine which brand I was suited to.
I finally had a interview with Topshop with HR and the Buyer for the department I was interviewing for for which I had to prepare trend boards and a SWOT analysis."
Buyers Admin Assistant, Topshop Dresses at Arcadia Group
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