It took me an hour to apply for an M&S “Customer Assistant – Fashion, Home & Beauty” job at their Street Outlet in Somerset. I spruced up my CV, sent the application through the M&S online career portal, and it asked me to complete a lengthy AI Q&A featuring work scenarios with multiple-choice answers.
I enjoyed applying, and even doing the Q&A. I knew I’d done well at the application, as – to blow my own trumpet – I’m expertly proficient at tasks like this. I also knew that, were I to get the job working 20 hours a week on the M&S shop floor, helping customers, arranging stock and working the tills, I would shine in the role. I have oodles of shop experience.
This time 10 years ago, I had my own shop. I had a team of 12 working across my online clothing store, Selfish Mother, and my real-life shop, The FMLY Store, in Bruton, Somerset, where we sold T-shirts, sweatshirts, kids’ clothes, bags, candles, skincare, and books. Since the shop closed in 2020, I’ve missed having an outlet to engage warmly with customers.
I liked the idea of the M&S part-time role, as it’s fun working in a shop and I enjoy chatting to people. Also, I love M&S; I was brought up on weekly trips to the clothing department with my mother, and now I’m addicted to their food haul.
