Inspiring new talent… Sofology in partnership with Oldham College

Kicking off International Women’s Day talking career opportunities with the students of Oldham College

As part of a partnership with Oldham College, and kicking off our International Women’s Day activities here at Sofology, many of our inspirational female leaders will be talking about all things career related this week with some of the female students at the college. A series of online sessions will be held over week commencing Monday 8th March, International Women’s Day, with presentations and question and answer sessions from a cross section of the Sofology business to give the students a feel for avenues into careers in the world of retail.

Covering Retail Management and Buying to IT and Payroll, Google hangouts will be held with up to 40 students from the college who will be taken through the range of careers available in retail and given a flavour of what it’s like to work and progress through the various areas. As well as given insights into honing their CV for applications and the path to becoming the CEO!

About Oldham College

Oldham College offers a wide range of qualifications across areas including digital, creative, financial and professional services, caring professions, constructions and retail. Recognising that vocational education is more important than ever, the college works with employers to provide amongst other things, master classes and workshops.

Some of our Sofology speakers

Mica Harrison - Enfield Store Manager

Mica started in Sofology in 2017 and progressed to store manager, coming from a background in recruitment, studying medicine and even spending some time as a DJ. Her passion for retail has always been there however and she will be sharing her story with the students and top tips on how to get into the hustle and bustle of retail management.

Suzy McMahon - Buying Director

Suzy has over 20 years experience in buying, starting out when buying was traditionally viewed as a 'male role'. Thankfully it's more of a level playing field these days and with women as the main decision makers for sofa purchases, Suzy's eye for product, design and detail makes for a successful range of sofas in store. Suzy will take the students through how we develop products from inception to the shop floor, where the Buying team gets inspiration from and how they engage all our colleagues to love the products as much as they do.

Sally Hopson - CEO

Sally became our first female leader when she joined Sofology in 2018. With 30 years in the industry, working up the ladder of the retail world, Sally has a wealth of experience to share with the students at Oldham college and will be taking their questions.

Hone your CV

As part of the sessions, Stacey Williams our Talent Acquisition manager will run a CV workshop focussing on how to make an application stand out from the competition, giving some practical skills to take away. Here she shares her top tips for standing out in today’s crowded marketplace:

• Applications have tripled, if not more… Make sure that your application and experience (if required) is tailored to the role you’re applying for. If you’re unsure of how or what to add into your CV, you can call the recruitment team before you apply, have a chat about the role and see if it’s a good match. We can help you make the changes to your CV if the role is suitable for you - that’s what we’re here for!
• If you have had a number of different roles over a short amount of time, for whatever reason, add your reason for leaving onto your CV. If the previous role wasn’t for you, that’s fine. We need to make sure that our role matches with you so you don’t end up looking for a new position 6 months down the line
• Know your worth! Don’t apply for jobs which are paying less than what you expect. You will end up leaving and back in the job market soon enough
• Your recruiter wants you to do well! Use them, ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask what types of things the interviewer will want to know. We will tell you, I promise!

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