Armed with a degree and ready to hit the working world? Our graduate schemes are a fantastic way to start your career, fast-tracking you to a leadership position whilst learning skills throughout the business along the way.
Don’t just take our word for it though – we caught up with some of our graduates to hear exactly what they think about the scheme!
Owen, Retail Management Graduate
“The grad scheme is one of the best things I’ve ever done. Leaving university without any clear path meant that coming onto this scheme was a perfect choice. The program features regular training and reviews, at set intervals, so that your targets are always clear.
“More importantly, no two days are the same, as you have to react to changing circumstances or relocations in order to progress. For example, I have moved from Yorkshire to Nottingham to test myself in a different capacity in a separate part of the business. With some store closures and reorganisation of the business, emphasis and responsibility has been placed on myself and on the other graduates, lending us a great deal of experience that will serve us well going forward in our careers.
“If you want a challenging but rewarding career, I would seriously consider applying for this graduate scheme. Lithia UK is a fantastic company to work for and I would do it all again if I had my time again!”
Nakeeb, Commercial Vehicle Sales Team Member on the Retail Management Graduate Scheme, Evans Halshaw Ford Wolverhampton
“I started the Lithia UK Retail Management Scheme in March 2019. Prior to that, I was working for Lithia UK as a Customer Service Assistant within the Car Store division.
“The scheme is structured well with lots of exposure to various parts of the business, different franchises and manufacturers. You know exactly where you will you be placed and how long you will be there for, also what your role is and the reason why you have been placed in that particular location or dealership. Each scheme is different and you will never be doing the same thing as another graduate.
“I was fortunate to begin the journey with Car Store, beginning with the implementation team travelling the country, opening and supporting new sites while gaining experience in different departments and in leadership positions. Travel costs are subsidised and relocation support is sometimes available, depending on the job role.
“Currently I am working within our Evans Halshaw Ford Division in Commercial Vehicles, and then moving to a Stratstone Porsche Centre.
“You will have regular reviews from the Graduate Team, looking at what you’ve covered so far and how you wish to develop further; however the development is all in your hands and the more work you put in, the further you will go.
“The Training and Development Team at the Lithia UK Training Academy is really supportive and hold lots of training courses and modules, looking at things like Leadership Development and Customer Service, which can really transform the way you operate within a dealership. They also hold manufacturer specific training.
“The training sessions can be booked online by yourself or by your leader. They are also a fantastic way to build rapport with people all over the business, from other dealerships to other colleagues at our head office or CX Hub, to see how they operate.
“The graduate journey can be very demanding at times as a lot is expected from you. So, what I’d recommend to new graduates is to be open, honest and ready for new opportunities. You should view every dealership move as a new start, adapting quickly and implementing everything you’ve learned each time you move. You will make mistakes but the key is to learn from them fast and make sure they do not happen again.
“You must be ready for constant changes and adjust accordingly, while having the ability to work with and build rapport with different people quickly. Being flexible in terms of travel and relocation will also help you explore opportunities which can aid development in the larger scheme of things.”
Learn more about our graduate scheme
