Winter was
pretty hectic for me last year. I was at university and it was the first
Christmas in our flat, but on top of that I managed to land a seasonal job at
Lush Cosmetics! Lush was one of the first brands I’d ever experienced “consumer
loyalty” for, and I desperately wanted to transfer that passion into selling
the products, so I applied to three different stores around my area! I managed
to get an interview, a trial shift and then eventually a job at the one in my
university town.
Working at Lush is something I get asked about a lot, so I thought it’d be worth writing about. Everyone associates the brand with overly enthusiastic sales assistants, so many people assume working there is the best thing ever. I loved my time at Lush (and I often wish I had the time and energy to go back!) but, like any other job, it has good and bad points.
There are
so many great things about working for Lush. First of all, the staff benefits
are really good, especially compared to where I had worked previously (a not so
ethical clothing retailer). Sales assistants have an hourly wage above the
minimum, and everyone gets paid the same regardless of age. There’s also the
chance for monthly bonuses if the store does well, plus other incentives to do
well. My store used to give out prizes to the best performing employees which
was really motivating! On top of all that, there’s a generous staff discount
and corporate deals – stuff like gym memberships.
There are
also some amazing people working for the company. Literally every single person
where I worked was friendly, caring and outgoing, and the managers were lovely
people who are amazing at their jobs. Of course, this varies quite a lot
between stores and may not always be the case, but I had such a wonderful
experience with my co-workers that I struggle to imagine anyone having issues
working there. This combined with the benefits makes a very positive work
environment.
Finally,
the job is rewarding. Being able to sell products that align with your ethics
about the environment, human rights and animal rights is a great feeling and is
really motivating. Working there barely felt like working because I wanted
to be there and sell products I genuinely believe in! Learning about the uses
of different essential oils during training sessions only added to this, as I
felt I was also getting a lot of lifetime knowledge out of the job.
Now for the
not so fun parts. The major con for me was how emotionally and physically
draining the job is. Running around the store and pretending to be happy for 8
hours at a time is enough to drain anyone, but especially introverts like
myself. Although this meant I was very tired for most of November and December,
I do feel like it was worth it. I did a lot of group demonstrations which
really helped improve my confidence and public speaking – enough that people
could actually notice it outside of work! It also taught me that going up and
talking to people isn’t so scary, and I feel like I’ve made more friends thanks
to that.
The other
downside was the hours. I didn’t know my university timetable would be five
days a week until long after I’d started the job, so I had to give weird
availability to make up for the fact that I couldn’t do the required three full
days. Juggling their demands with my university classes was incredibly
difficult, so I wouldn’t recommend the job to anyone who already has a busy
schedule. Like I said before, I’d love to go back but my classes this year mean
I just don’t have the time.
In short,
my time at Lush was amazing and it’s definitely the best job I’ve ever had, but
it was a difficult to manage alongside my studies. I ended up getting very
tired and a little ill from the stress of it all so decided to take my spring
term unemployed, and I’m so grateful that I had the ability to do so. If you have any questions about working
at Lush, I’d love to hear them in the comments below! I hope you have a
wonderful day!
- Bethan
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