The Sustainability secondment role at Head Office has really shaped my future and given me a clear direction of where I want to go with my career. Who knew that my part-time role at Superdry, to support me financially whilst studying would lead to this!
I have been working part-time in store, at Superdry since 2015, whilst studying a BSc in Geography and then an LLM in Environmental Law. I graduated in 2019, not long before the before the pandemic hit and it has proven to be a tough time for many job seeking Grads.
Fortunately, in 2020 I got the opportunity to become an ambassador for sustainability as part of the Sustainability Warriors group which in turn, lead me to apply and be successful for the secondment I am currently doing in Head Office.
My role involves working with colleagues in the Sourcing Department in the UK, Turkey, Hong Kong and India as well as some of our external suppliers, to obtain all the necessary data for the Higg Index project.
The Higg index is a platform that maps the environmental impact of products and considers five environmental impact areas including Global Warming Potential, Nutrient Pollution in Water (Eutrophication), Water Scarcity, Fossil Fuel Depletion & Chemistry.
Its purpose is to a be a comparative tool or a guide for decision making, to optimise the sustainability of products. I will have compiled a list of 50 Superdry core products by the time the secondment is over. It is an awesome project to work on and I am really loving it.
I have learned so much from this experience. Not only has it shaped where I would like to go with my career, as a recent graduate, it is also given me hands on work experience in a role directly related to my studies. Furthermore, it has given me lots of transferable skills and filled in gaps in my knowledge.
I would recommend anyone who is thinking of doing a secondment to just go for it! A truly unforgettable experience & one which will enhance my CV.
If you would like to know more about the work our sustainability teams are involved with, take a look here