Long before coming to York, I was pining for a part-time job there. There was one place in particular I was set on working: the beautiful Jo Malone London Boutique in the city centre. It’s on the corner of Stonegate and Low Petergate, which has a gorgeous view of the Minster.
I’m nothing of a fragrance expert, but Jo Malone is home to my favourite perfume and it’s the one British brand I was able to name off the top of my head before moving to the UK.
I was feeling a bit unprepared to brave bills and groceries sold in the Great British Pound. All my savings were in US dollars, and my scholarship stipends were set to Euros, and both are weaker than GBP. So I began looking for part-time work opportunities in the city centre right away.
Applying
I primarily searched on LinkedIn, where local fashion-retail and food-service roles appeared intermittently. Since I was looking for a role at a specific brand, I also scoured the Estée Lauder careers page, the parent company of Jo Malone. Sure enough, temporary part-time roles at the York location were released, and I started applying.
My retail experience wasn’t particularly relevant to the application—I’d only worked in fashion-retail in high school—but I was sure to add my days of availability at the top of the page. I had classes on Monday through Wednesday; so each week I had a long weekend where I was available to work.
The interview
Two weeks after submitting my application, I got a cheerful call to schedule an interview on the upcoming Saturday. They said it would take 30 minutes, and to bring a photo and come prepared to tell the story behind it, as part of the process.
The interview at the boutique was on-time, laid-back, and took 25 minutes. From arriving, I was virtually showered with compliments from the manager about my demeanour, style, and the photo-story I’d rehearsed. I showed a film print of me and my 16-year-old sister at the Eiffel Tower. I explained that she’d been able to visit me in Europe for the first time recently, and that I was so proud to show her all the opportunities abroad that are worth taking advantage of.
The interview went so well, I felt as though I’d been hired on the spot. But since there were four other interviewees, and sometimes Northern English folks are just really nice like that, I waited for the confirmation to come via email. On the following Tuesday, I received the job offer.
The work-study balance
Fortunately, I had a clean split between my class time, Monday through Wednesday, and my work time, Thursday through Saturday. In total, I was working 18 hours per-week. Sundays were my days of intense rest and relaxation!
But I needed to find a real balance still. After my six-hour shifts, I’d rarely feel motivated to finish a reading or start an assignment. I was also walking an hour round-trip to the shop, which took away any inclination to walk another 20 minutes to campus to study or attend a social event. As a temporary employee considered “new” for my entire duration at the shop, I didn’t always feel that I had the flexibility to ask for rescheduling accommodations.
Instead, I reconditioned my sleep schedule to accommodate my 9.30am arrival time to the shop. Since my classes didn’t begin until 11.30am at the earliest, I could spend the rest of my mornings taking notes on readings to feel much more prepared before going to my seminars.
Benefits of working part-time
As much as I enjoyed the peaceful morning walks into the city, wearing renowned perfumes, and learning about the world of fragrances, the best thing about the job was earning some extra cash—especially without needing to commit to a permanent role. Signing an indefinite contract, personally, would have felt daunting, leaving me feeling tied down especially during holidays.
For the first time since moving to the UK, I felt totally financially comfortable. I could order food in every couple of weeks, I could plan a day trip to Manchester (only two hours away by train), and best of all, I could stop by M&S Food on the way home for a couple of treats. Their chocolate chip shortbreads have been my best British discovery.
The employee discounts that come with working retail can also come in handy. Buying local gifts for friends and family abroad became that much easier with a few pounds shaved off. And in my case, the role gave me an opportunity to see a bit of the land beyond York—one off-site event took me to a 5-star hotel in the Yorkshire Dales for the day.
I was lucky to work with a great set of colleagues. Though in that sense I’m convinced I would have had a good experience at almost any shop. The people here are kind, the customers are generally patient and good-humoured. Especially as an international student, the overall experience really helped me to feel integrated and involved in city-life. I’m deeply grateful for the months I spent at Jo Malone, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
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