My New Job- VM For Topshop

BECOMING A VISUAL MERCHANDISER FOR TOPSHOP

After four long months I finally started the job I was dreaming of getting. It's not my dream job but it is the start of my dream job adventure. Since being in college and since leaving college I have had zero clue of what I wanted to do and I don't know if you can relate but I get so anxious about what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life and whether I will be fulfilled enough. I've worked as a sales assistant since october at Topshop and I'll tell you now that is not the life I wanted to be living and the only thing good about that job was the people I've had the pleasure of meeting and being able to call my friends. However a job was advertised for a visual merchandiser which was exactly the thing I had been waiting and I actually applied while I was on holiday.... I was that eager... I'm a loser. 

I have never done anything like this and to be honest I didn't know this job even existed a year ago but here I am writing this as a vm for Topshop and a Topshop 'flagship' merchandising store. The store I work in is huge and I knew that as a sales assistant but then when you get given the task to dress all the tables in the store and make sure all the 'trends' have the right accessories in them you really understand how huge the store is. Just merchandising the bag wall (image above) took about two hours and that's how I know this job is going to be very creative, stressful and most of all fulfilling. 

WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO:

I've has this question asked by every single person i've told and basically in a nut shell my job is to make the store pretty but also shopable AND that is a lot easier said than done. We have about three 'girls' in our store which all have different trends and styles plus ivy park, concessions, jersey, swim, bags and tall, petite and maternity sections. You have to match the products with the girls, make sure you have outfit builds within each of the trends and accessories and graphics to go with them. To make my job even more full on we are also becoming vm's for Topman on the lower floor which is a whole other kettle of fish and I've actually had some experience in that before so I'm hoping it's not too scary though I will be needing a ladder for the majority of my time as everything is so bloody high up. 

The few images above are some of things I've already merchandised in my two days and although I still have a lot to learn and a lot to improve on I think I'm doing okay. My ideas and the way I would place things are very different I feel to how the other vm's would and that's my favourite part of this job because I can be me and do my thing and no one is judging me for it. Being creative is so much fun and it really releases a lot of bad energy for me so this job is literally a therapy session and the hours are great which is just an added bonus but there is so much work to do and I already feel a tiny bit stressed with being under pressure and having to live up to exceptions even though I have no idea what they are yet!

So that is my new job and when I know what I'm doing and I start gaining the skills of a vm I will get back to you but for now have this post as a 'good things come to those who wait' and also a 'started from the bottom now we here' kinda thing and enjoy the rest of your day. 

Soph x