FAQs for Candidates

No. Our service is completely free for candidates.

Recruitment agencies are paid by the employers they work with, so there is no charge to register with Fashion & Retail Personnel, apply for our jobs or receive support from one of our consultants.

Our job is to understand what you’re looking for, introduce you to relevant opportunities and help you navigate the recruitment process.

Because not every great job makes it onto a job board.

We work directly with employers across fashion, retail, beauty, lifestyle and ecommerce, from emerging businesses and growing brands to major UK and international names.

Registering with us gives you access to live vacancies, upcoming opportunities and roles that may be handled confidentially and never advertised publicly.

You’ll also have a specialist consultant who understands your area of the industry and can offer advice on salaries, career moves, interviews and the current job market.

Not at all.

Plenty of the people we speak to are happy where they are but curious about what their next move could look like.

You can have a confidential conversation with us without committing to anything. We can talk about the market, your experience, salary expectations and the types of opportunities that could be worth considering.

Sometimes the right move is now. Sometimes it’s six months from now.

We recruit across a huge range of roles within the fashion, retail, beauty, lifestyle and ecommerce industries, from junior and entry-level positions through to senior management, director and C-suite appointments.

Our specialist areas include retail, buying, merchandising, design, production, technical, ecommerce, digital, marketing, wholesale, sales, HR, finance, supply chain, logistics, visual merchandising and head office functions.

We recruit for permanent, temporary, freelance, interim and contract opportunities across the UK and internationally.

Fashion is where we started, but today our reach is much broader.

We recruit across fashion, retail, beauty, FMCG, accessories, lifestyle, ecommerce and manufacturing, working with retailers, brands, suppliers, manufacturers and online businesses.

If your experience crosses several of these areas, that can be a real advantage. Our consultants can help identify where your skills are most relevant.

One of our consultants will review your CV and experience against the opportunities we’re currently working on.

If we think we can help, we’ll usually arrange a conversation to find out more about you—not just what’s written on your CV.

We’ll want to understand what you do now, what you enjoy, what you want next, your salary expectations, location, availability and any deal-breakers.

That helps us avoid wasting your time with jobs that simply aren’t right for you.

No.

We believe you should know where your CV is going. We’ll discuss relevant opportunities with you and get your agreement before representing you to an employer.

Your job search should be handled professionally and confidentially, particularly if you’re currently employed.

No. Registering with us is confidential.

We understand that many candidates want to explore the market discreetly. We won’t contact your employer or share your details with a company without discussing the opportunity with you first.

Yes.

Our consultants look at CVs every day and know what employers in their specialist markets tend to look for.

Where appropriate, we can give you practical feedback on your CV, how you present your experience and what information could make you more relevant to the roles you’re targeting.

You can also explore our Career Insights for more CV, interview and career advice.

Absolutely.

If we arrange an interview for you, we’ll make sure you know as much as possible about the role, company and interview process beforehand.

We can talk you through what the employer is looking for, areas of your experience to highlight and how best to prepare.

Afterwards, we’ll speak to both you and the employer to gather feedback and help manage the next steps.

We receive a high volume of applications, so unfortunately we can’t always personally respond to every application.

If your experience is a good match for the vacancy, one of our consultants will contact you.

Even if a particular role isn’t right, keeping your CV registered and up to date means we can consider you for other relevant opportunities as they arise.

There can be lots of reasons, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t a strong candidate.

Employers can be very specific about sector experience, product category, location, salary, systems knowledge, management experience or particular technical skills.

Where we can, we’ll give you constructive feedback and keep looking for opportunities that are a better match.

Yes.

If several vacancies genuinely match your experience, there’s no problem applying for more than one.

You don’t need to apply for everything, though. Once you’re registered, our consultants can also identify relevant opportunities and speak to you about them directly.

Yes—and this is one of the benefits of speaking to a specialist recruiter.

We’re in the market every day, talking to candidates and employers about salaries, benefits and changing expectations.

We can help you understand what your experience is currently worth, whether your salary expectations are realistic and what you might expect when making your next career move.

Yes.

Alongside permanent recruitment, we have a specialist Temp & Freelance team covering short-term, temporary, freelance, interim and contract opportunities.

These can be ideal if you want flexibility, are between permanent roles, want to gain experience with different businesses or simply prefer freelance or contract work.

Definitely.

We recruit throughout the UK and internationally, with opportunities across London, the North, the Midlands and other UK regions, as well as roles overseas.

Some positions are fully office or store based, while others offer hybrid or flexible working depending on the employer and role.

Potentially, depending on your experience and your right to work in the UK.

Many employers require candidates to already have the appropriate right to work, although requirements vary between companies and vacancies.

Be clear with your consultant about your circumstances so we can advise you appropriately and avoid putting you forward for unsuitable opportunities.

Yes.

We recruit for international opportunities and work with businesses operating across global fashion and retail markets.

International recruitment can involve different requirements around relocation, visas, languages and local market experience, so our consultants will talk you through these when relevant.

Don’t see the perfect role right now? Send us your CV anyway.

New fashion, retail, beauty, lifestyle and ecommerce jobs come in all the time, and not every opportunity makes it onto our website. Some searches are confidential, while others move quickly through our existing candidate network.

You can create an account and upload your CV, or send it directly to hello@fashionpersonnel.co.uk and we’ll make sure it reaches the right specialist consultant.

Not sure what your next move should be? Give us a call on 020 7436 0220. We’re always happy to have a conversation, talk through the market and offer straightforward career advice.

You don’t need to wait for the perfect job advert to appear—get on our radar and let us help you find it.

We know the industry.

For over 30 years, we’ve specialised in recruiting across fashion and retail and the industries surrounding them. Our consultants understand the roles, the businesses, the terminology and, importantly, the people.

We don’t believe good recruitment is about sending as many CVs as possible. It’s about understanding where you are now, where you want to go next and connecting you with opportunities that genuinely make sense for your career.

Your next move should be the right move—not just another job.