NEXT Retail 60 second CV
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We wrote the book, can you help us write the next chapter?
Founded in 1982, Next is now over 35 years old. Since the groundbreaking launch of the NEXT directory (aka The Book) in 1988, our business has gone from strength to strength. And our vibrant digital team is at the forefront of our future. Our website is one of the most-visited retail websites in Europe, seen by millions of people across 72 countries, so we must continue to deliver unsurpassable quality and craft, at speed. This doesn't happen by magic. From content to design and user experience, every element is carefully considered, scrutinised and strategised. We’re going through a huge change. We need a solid team with us who are committed to driving the business forward. You might be one of them.
We’re looking for innovators and trailblazers, the switched-on and clued-up, the faster than fast-paced, the light-years-ahead forward thinkers. So if you know your UX from your CX and your SEO from your CMS, we’d love to hear from you.
We asked (Anthony Williams) what it’s like to work for such a dynamic environment:
How long have you worked for Next and what first attracted you to the company?
I’ve worked at NEXT for over 6 years now and I wanted the challenge of working in a much larger environment. Coming from a successful medium sized design agency to Next was the perfect opportunity... and where better than a FTSE 100 company!
What change have you seen over the 6 years with the business?
The rapid growth of the Next online business has been phenomenal. Each area of the online business has seen enormous growth and doesn't look like slowing down anytime soon. New website designs, rapid growth of the mobile market and going from a few international countries to over 72 are just some of them.
What makes working within the digital team at Next so unique?
There's such wide variety of roles, numerous different teams, constantly changing and improving processes, exciting developments and all in an incredibly fast paced environment where everyone still manages to have fun.
What impact does the digital team have on the Next business?
Being instrumental in providing the right online content at the right time to the highest quality alongside the traditional printed Directories has strengthened the Next business and has proven to be a valuable asset to the business.
You must face lots of challenges in your role? What are they?
Nothing ever stands still in this role. Being part of developing and working with new systems to improve workflow can be one of them but an enjoyable challenge is managing and working with my fantastic team of Online Coordinators and not forgetting the superb remote team of over 200 in India.
What career progression opportunities do Next offer?
There's plenty of scope for progression within Next. Not only within departments but across the whole business with new opportunities advertised on the intranet.
What does the future of Next look like for the digital team?
It's a fantastic and exciting future with lots of potential in fast paced and growing online world. Nothing stands still for very long at Next and everyone is really focused on producing a high quality website that looks fantastic, is easy to use, performs well and shows off the Next products to their best.
Which piece of work are you really proud of?
The setting up of a brand new Online Spread process from scratch when I first started at Next and recruiting a fantastic team of designers who created online versions of the printed Directories.
What makes working with the Next digital team enjoyable?
Good teamwork and lots of hard, but rewarding work that everyone is proud of.
Is there anything about your location or on-site facilities that people would find surprising?
Probably the excellent restaurant. The food is fantastic, and subsidised, so you can have anything from a fresh salad to a full roast dinner. Just be careful you don't walk past the full English breakfast every morning... the smell can be too tempting!