I Got Hired: Assistant Merchandiser at Boohoo

Posted on: 29 November 2023 by Richard Finch in Graduate stories

Emer Kelly is a Class of 2022 International Business graduate who is now working as an Assistant Merchandiser at Boohoo.

I found looking at jobs on LinkedIn was the best way to go! I didn’t really know what I wanted to do after I finished uni so I started applying for jobs that I didn’t know too much about for at brands that I liked.

I ended up being quite lucky (I think I only had 2 failed interviews before getting the job I’m at now) but don’t feel disheartened if you apply for loads and you don’t hear back, it’s all part of the process!  

It’s exciting (and scary) being put into the real adult world but the payoff is so exciting. You get to meet so many new people and learn so many new things about yourself and the world that it’s definitely worth the stress of adulting!               

I’ve felt like I’ve been quite lucky with how everything’s gone post-graduation. I was lucky to have started working before my official graduation but if this doesn’t happen don’t feel like you’re not good enough as it can be tough applying for jobs.

Sometimes you don’t know what you want to do so you can feel overwhelmed (I definitely did and applied for some I didn’t even know what they meant!) and anxious about where you’re applying to. My top tip would be just applying for jobs that you think you might like, if you get an interview you’ll know from that if it’s something you’ll be interested in but if you don’t hear back don’t take it to heart as there’s loads of jobs out there!

My advice to students:

1. Enjoy graduate life because it opens up a lot more opportunities for you!
2. Don’t get too stressed about the job climate as it can appear intimidating but you need to just power through it
3. Be open to new opportunities as what you think you want to have a career in now may not be the case in a few years so don’t close anything off