POV: Being an apprentice at ABOUT YOU

Hey guys,

my name is Carina and in the following I will tell you a bit about my apprenticeship in foreign trade and wholesale at ABOUT YOU .

How I came across ABOUT YOU:

Before my apprenticeship, I studied business administration, but somehow I was missing the practical experience and the "what for". What am I doing this for anyway? After coming across the apprenticeship advert of ABOUT YOU by chance, I thought I might give it a try. So, I applied and after having a good feeling during the interviews, the joy of acceptance was of course even greater. Therefore, after a year at university, I decided to quit my studies and started working at ABOUT YOU.

Of course, ABOUT YOU always has been a well-known online shop to me and due to my affinity for fashion and business, I was very happy to be able to combine these two components. What I like most about the apprenticeship is that I had the chance to take on my own projects and responsibilities right from the start. I think this is common at AY, but very unique compared to other companies.

What is an “apprenticeship in wholesale and foreign trade” actually?

“Apprentice in wholesale and foreign trade”: Primarily I acquired commercial knowledge, but it is so much more than that. It is gaining experience; it is facing challenges and it is taking responsibility.?

Doing my apprenticeship in wholesale and foreign trade allows me to explore a lot of different professions and to think about which job might be right for me. The focus here is on value chain management. This means that you will oversee the process of a product through the planning of upcoming seasons/campaigns, the purchasing of goods in various style groups, the monitoring of delivery dates, customer/partner support and sales key figure analysis, all the way to the dispatch of the goods to our customer. After completing the apprenticeship, I have the opportunity to work as a?commercial professional in many different departments and continue to use what I learned before.

The different departments I’ve seen in my apprenticeship:

My time @AY started in the buying department, where I supported the Buying Shoes Team, afterwards I joined the Partner Integration and the Supply Chain Management. Both departments taught me how new partners, suppliers and products are integrated into the shop. Besides, I received insights into the individual delivery processes as well as our warehouse situation.

Moreover, I had the opportunity to join the HR Department, where I used to help the Relocation Team to onboard employees from outside of Germany. My last two departments were the Merchandise Planning, where I improved my skills in Excel and reportings as well as the Account Management, which handles all requests from our fulfillment partners. Here I assisted in the support of multiple associates and monitored stock coverages and assortments.

All in all, the mixture of departments was perfect for me. I had the opportunity to plan my stays in the departments together with my apprenticeship instructor and even extend stays whenever I really liked the team and the work. Even during Covid, we had a lot of cool team events: We went for an alpaca tramp in Schleswig-Holstein, visited the ABOUT YOU Pangea Festival and had a lot of funny virtual lunches and dinners.

How does the application process work?

You apply online, explain a bit about your school education, the work experience you may have, attach your CV and your application will be sent to AY. Through different interviews you will get to know your recruiter and your potential apprenticeship instructor and get a good overview of what working at ABOUT YOU could look like. My recommendation for the application process is: Just be yourself!

Looking back, the apprenticeship at AY was definitely the right choice for me and could be the right one for you too!

If I made you curious and you are eager to start your career at ABOUT YOU, then check out the our career page and apply for the apprenticeship in wholesale & foreign trade.

By the way, we also offer another apprenticeship with focus on e-commerce. ?

We are looking forward to your application and I hope that we will get to know each other soon. ??

All the best,

Carina