Next Merchandiser Trainee

Sorry I think Im a bit late to reply coz i kno u should have done the tests already...but i also applied for trainee merchandiser and trainee buyer, and i passed the test on trainee buyer but not merchandiser........and i will have a telephone interview with 8 weeks although i ve been waiting for a week already......anyways, gud luck to ur test results!!

Hi luluhan, thanks for your reply. No I havent done the tests yet. Are the two tests(Manchandiser/Buyer) different?

oh....both of them have verbal test which was 18 minutes answering 24 questions which included 8 small reading text (appro 100-200 words), and obviously there were 3 questions for each text.
and a numerical test for merchandiser but not for buyer.........and the numerical test were not that difficult as u can go to the psl website for some practice, they are similar~~ and remember do not spend too much time on one questions and do remember the 'cannot say ' options also have big probability as the right answer~~
anyways, hope this helps! gud luck!!!!!

Thanks a lot luluhan!!!

hi~~have u done da tests yet? did u hear from Next for a telephone interview? btw, i have not got a call from them yet....worried! gud luck!!!

yo,
just did the online test today for trainee merchandiser. the maths test was difficult, i only managed to answer half the questions(you need to be very fast or very very clever to complete it) the verbal test i found easy. but i reckon i've failed because of the math section!!!!!
BE WARNED----MATHS TEST IS DIFFICULT

hihi......dun think like that, coz i thought i was failed after doing the test but i still got a telephone interview with them....but i kno sometimes maths test is difficult and normally ppl can not finish them all.....
but anyways, dun think negative! u will be fine!!! GUD LUCK!!!

i felt 20 mins for the maths test was too short!!!!
how soon after you completed the test did u get the "CALL"?????cause i completed both sections and without any response on when i would hear feedback???/

oh..they never told u about ur test results whatever u got passed or not......
and i got their email saying i passed the test and would get a telephone interview 3 days later after i done the test

i wait in vain :-(

6 days have past and no response frm NEXT after my diabolical performance in the Online Test (maths section). hear this people of WIKIJOB, learn ur stuff--be quick to answer questions, unlike me!!!!!!!!

hello yorkshirepudding, dun b upset, coz they will definitely reply you whether or not they r gonna pass u to the next stage, so no news is still good news!!!!!im still waiting for my telephone interview.............

it happened today, the day i knew would arrive but didnt expect! i was in a merry mood as i opened the email--not knowing the consequence "YOU HAVE BEEN UNSUCESSFUL".. i would of been perfect for the job i was a allocator in my previous job with experience, well if the twats dont wont me SCREW U GUYS, IM GOIN HOME!!!!
Yorkshire pudding over n out!!!!!

I applied for the trainee buyer and received an email 3 and a half weeks ago to tell me I was through to the telephone interview stage. Spent every day so far waiting for the call... but still nothing! Was hoping someone on here may have received the call and could give some tips!! Luluhan, seems like I must have got the email a few days before u, goin by the date on your posting, so we'll probably get the call at a similar time too... I'll update on here as soon as I hear something. Yorkshirepudding, I have had so many 'Unsuccessful' emails from other companies I've applied to, this is my last hope!

well, they called me...
but why? She left me confused.....
she said: how many applications did u submit? ' three' I said.
then she sounded pretty pissed on the phone: we only gave u two chances, why did u give us 3 applications? you have not been successful, you didnt pass the tests. Then I asked: Can I try again next year? She said: NO NO, WE ONLY GIVE U TWO CHANCES and that's it.
......
Is it my fault that I am too keen?
Has any of you guys been warned: DO NOT SUBMIT MORE THAN 2 APPLICATIONS? I certainly was not...
oh well...never mind...

hello chocolatebutton, its nice to c ur message here, yes im still waiting, yeah, seems u should get their phone interview earlier than me.......and i ll definitely update u guys if i get their phone.......gud luck to u guys!!!

Hi meandgangs, when I applied I was going to apply to both Trainee buyer and merchandiser, but I,m sure I read either on the Next website or another that I've applied to that you should only apply for one role... So every company I've applied to I've only applied for the Buying role. They suggest you should read the job descriptions and apply for whichever suits you best. However, I've never read on any job I've applied for that you can't submit more than two applications - as I've said its usually one, or there is no mention of a limit.

It could give the impression that you are very keen, but they've obviously taken the view that you have wasted their time... Looking forward to my phone interview even less now!

Luluhan, it was nice to see this thread as I don't know anyone else who is at this stage. I'm worried about the telephone interview, have you had one from any other companies?

hello chocolatebutton, i have not had a formal telephone interview b4 but i had a few like small companies' interview, they asked similar questions like why do u want this job ,y u applied this position, and tell me a time that u r being a team member/leader, questions like normal interview questions that u can search on the internet or on this wikijob forum.......but i recon that telephone interview will normally be to confirm ur education background and work experiences...........its should b easier than a face-to-face interview.....so i think we ll be fine!!

Fingers crossed!! Are you living near Enderby would you have to relocate? I've had a couple of small telephone interviews, but nothing like this. A couple of my friends have recently had telephone interviews for Topshop as Buyers admin assistant, and neither of them were successful. They were given appointment times to ring, so were prepared too! They were asked questions like why do you want to be a buyer, why do you want to work for the company, describe current trends, describe future trends, etc...

oh...im living in leicestershire....so its fine for me.......oh god none of ur friends had passed to da next stage.....sorry to hear that.....yeah i think NEXT should give us a time for when they ll give us a call.......at least a small period.....(they said within 8 weeks in email)....but i think as long as we prepare questions as much as we can....we ll not be so nervous....anyways...thx for sharing these with me...

Hey,
Has anyone sat the maths test for the Trainee Merchandiser position? And does anybody know how long it takes for them to let you know if you have passed?
Thank you!

hey. this is probably too late for you but i took the test and i found out i passed the following day.. hope you did too :)

.

Hello All I thought I'd share my experience as I found this site quite useful recently.

Back in March I applied for a Trainee Merchandiser Vacancy with next, almost instantly I got an email saying I was eligible and would be sent the online reasoning and mathmatical tests to complete.

Again, these were sent through pretty quickly and I took them. I found the reasoning test very simple and the maths test incredibly hard, so much so I was convinced I wouldn't get through.

But alas a week or so later I got an email saying that I was through to the telephone interview stage and would be called within 12 weeks to arrange a time. Now twelve weeks would have taken us up until June or July at the latest. I had just about given up but I got a call this pased monday and the interview was arranged for Thursday.

People that are looking for the kind of things they ask you as I was before the interview here it comes:-
First they ask about your current employment, and previous employment

Then they ask why you want to work for next - this is an improtant one i think - prepare for it well - i talked about an affinity i feel i have with next as a brand, as an ever present in my life, and how working for a successful company reflect an image of a successful person

Next what was my understanding of the role, I took this mainly from the next careers website so I won't bother typing it all out, but research it well

Then there was a few typical competence questions, I can't remember exactly what they were, one was think of a time in your current role or previous role when you have changed things for the better, this was tricky but I managed to come up with something I'd done in my previous job, it was a relatively small thing but it showed initiative.

I remember another one was problem solving - an example of a problem you've solved.

Finally I was given a scenario:-
"In the month of July, a garment sells 600 pieces in week 1, 600 in week 2, 600 in week 3, but in week 4 it sells 900, what possible reasons can u come up with for this increase"

This required some quick thinking but I think I pulled it off OK.

And finally they gave me the oppertunity to ask some questions, which I did to show enthusiasm. I asked about the Assessment Day, and about the Trainee scheme.

I hung up the phone, not knowing whether i had done well or not.

But alas the next day I got an email saying I had been successful!

So the next step is the assessment day, has any one done this? I really could do with some pointers.

I hope this is useful.

Hi

I found your information on the next merchandising phone interview really helpful. I was wondering if you have had your assessment centre yet and if you could give me any advice.

Thanks

Hey JP_21 have you done your assessment centre yet? Mines next Friday. Any tips?
x

I got offered a retail management role with M&S so I postponed my next application for a year. Good luck for your assessment x

Oo congrats! Enjoy it! I'll let you know how it goes x