Company and location
Harvey Nichols, Leeds

Industry sector
Hair and beauty/retail

What does your job involve?
I work in the Cosmetics and Perfumery department. My job involves straightforward sales as well as supervising staff, authorising refunds, exchanges etc.

What’s your background and how did you get into that job?
I had a Saturday job in retail when I was younger. I then worked in Greece for several years as a professional dancer, on TV, in cabaret clubs, with singers etc. Obviously cosmetics are important in that industry and I really liked that aspect of my job. When I came home I wanted to work in cosmetics so I wrote to the department manager at Harvey Nichols. I wanted to work here because it’s the best, most prestigious store.

How did you gain your language skills?
I did French at school, which helped me understand something about learning other languages. When I lived in Athens I lived with Greek people and picked the language up. I had to keep asking people what things meant. Watching American movies with subtitles on TV was a good way of learning but it was hard, as Greek has a different alphabet. I now speak enough Greek to be able to chat to customers. My reading and writing are very basic, but that doesn’t really matter in this job.

How do you use your languages at work?
We get loads of international customers in here. There are quite a few Greek students at the university and their families sometimes come to visit. I wear a badge with a Greek flag and can recognise Greek customers by their accent - though sometimes they don’t speak any English at all. They’re usually thrilled that I can speak their language. They’re really flattered, as it’s quite unusual to find an English person who speaks Greek, and really encouraging, even if I only say a few words to them.

What would you say about languages to someone considering a career in retail?
It’s always a good thing to have another language under your belt. Having people skills and the confidence to sell is really important in this job. If you can explain things in another language too, so much the better!