CAREER - My SA Career Guide

Edcon Company Profile
From modest beginnings in 1929,
what started out as a basement
shop in Joubert Street,
Johannesburg, Edcon has grown
into South Africa's leading retail
company with a turnover of over
R20 billion.
There are over 1000 stores in South Africa,
Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho,
specialising in clothing, footwear, cosmetics,
home decor, books, stationery and general
merchandise. Edcon has grown to 10 of South
Africa's best loved retail brands - including
Edgars, CNA, Prato, Red Square, Boardmans,
Jet, Jet Mart and Super Mart - making it the
leading speciality fashion and lifestyle retailer
in southern Africa.
Edcon employs 20 000 permanent staff and
approximately 20 000 temporary staff. Edcon
Financial Services provides credit facilities and
financial services products to the Group's four
million-plus cardholders.
Ever thought of pursuing a career in retail?
Probably not, right? Did you know that retail
is one of the fastest expanding sectors in the
South African economy? Did you also know
that a career in retail is not limited to selling
shoes, bags and lipsticks? There are a number
of programmes and opportunities specifically
aimed at maximizing the potential of our
people as well as you, the future leaders of
Edcon.
Operations management development
programme
This programme gives individuals the
opportunity to fast-track their in-store careers
to management level. At the end of the
programme each candidate will get appointed
Edcon
living value
as a departmental manager in a large store or
as a store manager in a smaller store.
Training Outside Public Practice (TOPP)
TOPP offers candidates the chance to gain
valuable hands-on experience and the
opportunity to complete articles while working
at Edcon to achieve a chartered accountant
qualification. Our finance specialists work
closely with managers and directors to shape
the overall strategy and individual business
unit direction, as well as provide an accurate
up-to-date picture of the organisation's
financial position.
Merchant development programme
As a merchandise trainee, you will be exposed
to both on-the-job and off-the-job training
as well as a store phase to acquire the relevant
skills and knowledge. Merchandising entails
two aspects - buying and planning - and is
one of the most sought-after careers at Edcon.
While a B Com degree will set you in good
stead if you want to pursue a career in
planning, if you want to become a buyer you
will need to display a flare and understanding
of fashion. A diploma in garment
construction and design is a prerequisite.
Human resources trainee programme
At Edcon, we are continuously searching for
the best HR graduates to join our team and
help us in achieving and maintaining our vision
of being an 'employer of choice'. Graduates
are invited to submit applications for the
internship programme, and upon completion
of the programme and depending on
performance, are placed in full-time
employment in one of the many exciting HR
divisions, such as Employee Relations, Benefits
and Remuneration and OD.
More information
from Edcon:
Number of positions available:
500
Degrees required:
Business-related qualification, Diploma
in Retail Management, design diploma,
B Corn Accounting, B Corn or post-
graduate qualification in human resources
or industrial psychology
Location of positions:
Crown Mines, Johannesburg
Closing date for applications:
September 2007 and January 2008
Contact details:
Visit the Edcon website at
www.edcon.co.za , mail your details to:
edggrads@edcon.co.za or
fax to 086 5011 763
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