Frequently Asked Questions

You can apply online for some of our Training schemes and some of the jobs advertised on this website. You may be asked to apply offline for some positions.

You can find the link to the appropriate application form within the Apply Now section.

Alternatively, use the search tool in the Career Opportunities section to browse the jobs in our current vacancy database. If applications are being taken online, you will find the link to the online application form on the page that gives the detailed description of the job.

If you would like to know the status of your submitted application, log in to your personal Application Centre via the 'Returning Applicants' links on the 'Applications' page.

Please note that we may send you an email requesting that you return to your online application to book yourself a place on a Selection Centre. You will have a limited period of time to do this, so do keep an eye on your incoming emails!

The John Lewis Partnership defies most conventional ideas about companies. Its culture is relaxed and informal, partly because it is one of the UK’s largest industrial democracies – everyone is a Partner in the business and can have a say in its running. The variety of social activities on offer makes it easy to meet people and make friends.

It is a requirement that you are eligible to work in the UK. If you do not hold an appropriate work permit, regretfully we cannot take your application further.

Please see our comprehensive list of online application form FAQs and technical assistance here.

Please use the link to the Apply Now page to revisit your application form or to check the status of your application.

WebSAF is a type of online application form. If you have already applied to another company who also use a WebSAF form, your personal details will be completed automatically when you enter your existing WebSAF username and password into our online application form.

If this is your first time using a WebSAF form, keep your username and password safe as you may find you can use it for applications elsewhere.

For more information about WebSAF, consult the application form FAQ section and technical assistance.

You can apply for a scheme once you are in the final year of your degree or after you have graduated. You can apply for either an April or September start date for Waitrose or a September start date for John Lewis and Head Office; however you must have completed your degree prior to the intake start date. We usually start accepting applications for the Waitrose, Head Office and John Lewis graduate schemes from September.

Be prepared to perform from the start of the centre

Try not to focus on the assessors or what they are writing as this will only put you off.

It's intense and draining (both physically and mentally) - make sure you have a good night's sleep.

We only take up references from your current employer once an offer has been accepted. We make no contact with them prior to this.

You can apply again after a period of 12 months has passed.

We accept multiple applications for certain schemes. However please only apply for one of the Waitrose Retail Management Graduate Scheme vacancies. Also due to the fact that certain schemes require different skills sets, the following combination of applications will not be accepted: John Lewis Retail Management and / or Buying and / or Merchandising.