Work Experience at Matalan- Critical Analysis

Week 1:

During my first week at Matalan, I felt I had gained a real insight as to what a trainee buyer would do on a day to day basis. It was a fast paced environment which I thoroughly enjoyed as it kept me interested in what I was doing. The first week was mainly about getting to know the building, staff, and how things worked in general, so I was taught by one of the trainee buyers; Krysie. She had only been working at Matalan for about a month herself so as she was telling me what to do, occasionally she'd discover something new for herself too. My daily duties included; posting samples such as colour swatches and fabric samples, checking what had been sent to us and putting it into the computer system to make sure all the information on the labels were correct, taking items up to Quality Assurance and other departments, sitting in on meetings with manufacturers discussing problems that had arisen during the sampling process, meetings about quality control and how important it is to produce and sell safe products as there could be serious consequences if not controlled properly, and meetings about upcoming trends which could be featured in the upcoming collections. I did these tasks for both the first and second week I was at Matalan (however I was more independent come the second week). My attendance and punctuality was high, I didn't miss a day and I was in the office just before 8:30am every morning (start time was 8:30am), and the day finished at 5pm. I interacted with the staff on the children's wear team, including the designers and merchandise team and sat in on meetings with them, where trends and statistics were discussed; this was really useful as it helped me understand more about the brand and where they get their inspiration from. I was also interesting as I got to see the business side, whereas I am more used to looking at the creative side such as designing and buying. I realised merchandising would not be for me, as it involves lots of figures and statistics, and critically analysing everything from what sold well to what colours were most popular. I enjoyed my opportunity to sit with a designer for children's nightwear, as this gave me an insight into what she did on a daily basis. Her job was a lot more creative, and she would use Photoshop and Illustrator to create CADS, prints and moodboards. Having done this made me realise that this would be more what I would like to go into once I have finished my degree, rather than in buying. I was also introduced to new technology, such as the Wacom, which allowed the designers to use Photoshop and Illustrator as if they were drawing with a pen, there was no need for a mouse as this device made their job easier and outcomes were more precise than if they were to use a mouse. I also got to see a smaller technical device which was used for cutting out fabric samples in a neat circle, and these samples would usually be used to send to manufacturers and suppliers so that they knew exactly what the fabric itself would be like, and the colour. The building itself and the office I was working in was very modern and spacious. I assume this is because they moved into this new building just a couple of years ago, as they were previously based in Skelmersdale. Being able to work in a spacious modern environment  encourages employees to put more effort into their work as they feel more comfortable in their surroundings, rather than working in a building that is out dated and less inspiring. Their distribution centre is based next to the offices, in a large warehouse. This is where the items are sent out to customers ordering items online, and items being sent to stores across the UK. 

Week 2:

During my second week I began to feel more comfortable and confident in the tasks I was being set, and this allowed me to complete the task properly and more efficiently without me feeling unsure or hesitant. An example of me being more independent on my second week would be when I was told to take out the post and put all the information (garment style number, size and quantity) into the system by myself, therefore I felt like this gave me a lot of responsibility, as my wrong doings could be detrimental to the flow of production on the buying team. I had also gotten used to the layout of the building by my second week, so I got told to take certain items to different employees within the Matalan offices. One of these tasks was mainly to take a bunch of items that had just been sent in the post from the manufacturers, to Sarah who worked on the Quality Assurance department. Sarah had many years of experience working in this field in the business, and had worked for other companies doing the same (or a very similar) job. She had do check that everything was perfect with the garments, for example they fitted correctly, the colour and fabrics used were correct, and the measurements were correct too. The quality assurance team was quite big, with a couple of people working for different departments such as womenswear- accessories, lingerie, shoes. If the products aren't perfect or pose a threat to any buying customers, then they aren't allowed to be produced and put onto the shelves, unless the problem is fixed. Having these regular visits to the QA department made me realise that this is not the job role for me, as it wouldn't allow me to be as creative as i'd like. However visiting this department was very interesting and I ended up learning a lot about it that I didn't know. In addition to doing this independently, I was also asked to create fabric swatches to go onto colour boards and mood boards, I had quite enjoyed doing this task as it was one of the more creative tasks I got to do. Every colour had its own code number so I had to find the correct colour to create a swatch out of for my boards, and there were 12 folders full of many colours.I realised the second week that I had been given a bigger variety of jobs, as in the first week, I was mainly clearing out the sample room and tidying it up so that new stock could be stored there. I was happy to hear during the second week that I was able to do more different jobs by myself. 

 As the two weeks came to an end I noticed I had changed in myself; I was more confident in speaking to new people, I took initiative when I didn't have someone there to tell me what to do, and I have gained many skills that I will take on with me when applying for future jobs in the industry. I have learned the importance of meeting deadlines, and that tasks need to be completed accurately, otherwise the end result will be disappointing. In addition to this, I think it has been a really useful opportunity to allow me to see what role I would like to do if I was to join a company when I finish university; I would prefer to work on the design team as this is more suited to me as a person and what I enjoy the most and am most good at. I think my least favourite role would have to be a merchandiser, as I know i'm not that strong working with numbers and statistics, and it doesn't excite me, therefore I wouldn't put my all into it. Over all, I had a very pleasant and useful experience at Matalan, and would like to go back one day to see what it would be like to work on the design team.