“LEARN HOW TO REPLENISH STOCK” FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES ONLY
The super-luxe fashion label Balanciaga – a favourite of Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss – has advertised for a “intern sales assistant” to work on the shop floor of their London store for up to four weeks, paid travel expenses only. This is despite the fact that this season’s “soie double face sleeveless dress” currently retails at £3,950 and their “papier A4 serpent peint” handbag is on sale for £2,050.
Apparently, the lucky candidate will “have the opportunity to gain experience” in tasks including “customer service” and “how to replenish stock”. Previous experience is not essential, but scruffy-looking interns need not apply, as “Personal appearance has to be in line with the company standards.”
The advert – posted on the University of the Arts London website (what were they thinking?) – reads:
INTERN SALES ASSISTANT – LONDON
BALENCIAGA
Deadline May 29, 2012
Industry Fashion
Placement type Unpaid work placement
Placement length Up to 4 weeks
Expenses Employer has agreed to pay Travel Expenses during this placement
Role Type Retail
Supervisor Michaela Nostinska (Store manager)
During this placement you can expect to gain the experience and/or skills outlined below
Reporting to : Store Manager or Assistant Store Manager
Role objective : learn the basic skills in selling
You will have the opportunity to gain experience in:
– To develop a good product knowledge and provide customer service
– Understanding of the current product / collection
– Learn how to replenish stock
– Learn internal procedures and ensure that they are understood
– Use the sales techniques which have been tought by the tream
– Competitors analysis (visual merchandising, customer service, windows…)
– Adhere to Security and Safety procedures
Who would benefit from this placement?
Skills :
– No specific experience in similar role is required
– Ability to adapt to change , flexibility
– Ability to initiate contact with excellent communication skills
– Motivated by being a team player
– Personal appearance has to be in line with the company standards
We have written to Balenciaga to request an explanation for how they feel this role fits with the minimum wage law, which states that anybody who fits the criteria of being a ‘worker’ must be paid at least the minimum wage (£6.08 for over 21s) for their labour. (The employer must pay this – and the intern cannot waive their right to pay, even if they say they are happy to work for free). Several months ago, HM Revenue and Customs vowed to crack down on the fashion houses who use unpaid labour – yet this advert is a clear sign that some of the big labels still haven’t got the message. We will let you know when Balenciaga replies…
See the ad for yourself:
*SHOULD BALENCIAGA BE ASHAMED?
Does this sound like a proper job to you? Are you disgusted that a high-end fashion label has advertised for an unpaid ‘intern sales assistant’? Do they have a responsibility to pay their shop staff a wage for their labour?
I particularly like the bit about how your looks have to fit with their standards. At least Abercrombie and Fitch/Hollister/other offenders have the decency to pay. Maybe Balenciaga should reclass this as a ‘model/slave internship’?
Clearly the person who wrote the ad could benefit from gaining some more experience in writing meaningful sentences. I’ve decided to focus on that because contemplating the idea of a sales assistant intern would probably make my head explode.
where do I review the new book??
Oh dear, this has to be the worst one yet – “Sales Assistant intern”?! Unbelievable.
Seriously… sales assistant intern? Why would ANYONE contemplate this… when you can get PAID at least minimum wage to do this work in any other shop? Soon there will be no paid minimum wage jobs… Waitressing internship anyone?!
@Joddle Thanks! http://graduatefog.myshopify.com/pages/customer-reviews
@Kate – I seriously don’t think we’re that far away from unpaid waitressing internships… Which is why we have to stop this madness! Keep watching Graduate Fog next week – we’re launching a big campaign next week, with Intern Aware…
That is absolutely disgusting. Where do they get off charging that much for clothes while they’re not even paying their staff?
I suppose this is how fashion works – much of the time, the people who are making the clothes are getting a lousy deal too 🙁
I’ve just had this automated response from Balenciaga. They’re not even having the courtesy to respond to all candidates. If applicants don’t hear back in a months, they should consider the response ‘negative’. What charmers…
@Tanya, sadly, getting no response is pretty common with internship applications. Some companies don’t even acknowledge they received the application! I think both are pretty rude and depressing (especially when the application often takes ages to complete), but this one takes the cake, what with the internship being unpaid and ridiculous both at the same time!
“Thank you for applying for the post of intern sales assistant. We will get back to you in due course because, hey, it’s not like you’ve got anything else to do. In the meantime, we’ve posted you a shoe to lick.”
We might not have Waitressing Interns yet, but we do have Waitressing/Barkeeping Apprenticeships where you basically do the job of bar staff except get paid about £100 a week for a 35-45 hour week.
Are you sure its not a scam job? (well stupid question!) the chap who wrote this might try dusting off the spell-check, especially since they’re attempting to entice grads into the lolz that is working in retail.