A graduate on one of John Lewis Partnership's Graduate Schemes reveals her biggest tip for prospective applicants.
Graduates looking to apply to the John Lewis Partnership are warned to not underestimate how unique the organisation is, according to one successful applicant on their Graduate Finance Programme.
Joanne Davies joined the Waitrose Finance office in Bracknell last year. She says that to be successful in applying to JLP, graduates need to understand what makes the business special.
"[JLP] operates in a very different way to most 'ordinary' businesses," she says.
"The Partnership model affects all areas of the business - how it operates, the types of people they employ, how partners interact with each other and how decisions are made. My advice is to try to think about what impact this has, both for the area [graduates] are applying [to], but also the business as a whole."
In a partnership, graduates and employees alike are treated with equal respect and value. Joanne says council meetings are a perfect example.
"Any partner can go to the council meetings and watch the discussion as it happens - it is also streamed to all branches and offices," she says. "It was a really fascinating experience and was amazing to see the real power that the council has in decision making, ensuring that partners views from across the Partnership are considered."
Technology Scheme graduate, Jack Wyse, also has some advice for potential applicants: be brave and follow through.
"I almost dropped out of the application process because I thought I didn't have a chance," he says. "Be yourself, smile and demonstrate your interest in the Partnership."
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