Careers at Lush

If you have ever shopped in the ethical cosmetics chain Lush, did you ever wonder how many jobs are involved in creating a bath bomb, from concept to sale? It's 12. Did you know that their factories operate 365 days a year, 24/7, and that all items are hand made? And did you know that Lush invented the bath bomb and shampoo bars, and that last year it sold 190,000,000 products?

These were some of the facts that seven Springfield Year 9 pupils found out on a careers trip to Lush. The store was very welcoming and, as well as explaining the logistics surrounding a retail business, the staff set the girls a range of tasks. Firstly, they had to make an intergalactic bath bomb by hand, just as a worker would on a factory production line. They then had to perform a product location task, competing to win freebies by finding products containing ingredients such as bergamot and silken tofu. They also had to try and come up with an idea for a brand new product. Then, they had to learn and demonstrate customer service skills by demonstrating how a product worked to another pupil as a 'customer'. Finally, each small group was given a different product range and asked to create a store display. The outcomes looked incredibly professional!

We hope that the experience will be useful on the pupils' CVs when they are old enough to apply for their first jobs, given that many have their first experience of work in either retail or hospitality. The trip also gave the girls a confidence-boosting opportunity in customer service skills, useful in many lines of work, and a better sense of the structure of a company. Year 9s had a lovely time and we are so grateful to the Solent Careers Hub for arranging the event and for the staff at Lush in Cascades for being so informative, welcoming and friendly.