M&S Jobs: Roles, Pay, How to Apply and Interview Tips

Marks & Spencer is one of the UK’s best-known employers, with roles in its stores, warehouses, supply chain, head office and technology teams. If you are thinking of applying, this guide covers the types of jobs on offer, what M&S pays in 2026, how the application process works, and how to prepare for the assessment and interview.

Quick answer: From 1 April 2026, M&S pays UK Customer Assistants at least £13.41 an hour, and at least £14.74 an hour inside the M25. You apply online through the M&S careers site, complete an assessment, and then attend an interview or group assessment.

UK Jobs Now is not affiliated with Marks & Spencer. Always apply through the official M&S careers site and check the job advert for the latest details.

Types of jobs at M&S

M&S recruits across several areas of the business:

• Store roles: Customer Assistants on the food hall, clothing and home floors, and in store warehouses. These are the most common entry-level jobs and are open to people with no retail experience.
• Store leadership: Team Support Managers, Team Managers, Deputy Store Managers and Store Managers.
• Early careers: Graduate and school leaver programmes, including a retail leaders scheme that trains people to become Deputy or Store Managers. You do not need a specific degree for the graduate retail programme.
• Seasonal roles: Temporary Christmas jobs in stores, which sometimes lead to permanent work.
• Head office and specialist roles: Finance, merchandising, food technology, supply chain planning, cyber security, software engineering and project and automation teams.
• Customer Assistant (store warehouse): a physical role that involves handling deliveries and stock, so stamina matters.

On the UK Jobs Now board you can see current M&S vacancies, including roles such as Customer Assistant Food, Team Manager Food, finance and engineering positions. Browse all live jobs for the latest.

How much does M&S pay in 2026?

M&S announced its latest retail pay award in March 2026. From 1 April 2026:

Role and location	Hourly pay from April 2026
Customer Assistant (UK)	at least £13.41
Customer Assistant (inside the M25)	at least £14.74

The increase was 6.4%, which M&S says is worth about £1,587 more a year for a full-time customer assistant. About 55,000 store colleagues are covered by it. For comparison, the legal minimum for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour, so M&S sits above it. You can see all the legal rates in our guide to the National Minimum Wage 2026.

These are minimum starting rates for the role. Pay for managers, head office and specialist jobs is set by the individual job advert and is often listed as “competitive” or left unstated, which is why some listings show no salary. Check the advert for the exact rate, shift pattern and any premiums for evening or weekend work.

Benefits

M&S says its pay and benefits package is worth up to £16.33 an hour for customer assistants. The benefits it highlights include:

• An uncapped 20% staff discount
• A Sharesave scheme
• Pension contributions
• Enhanced family leave (M&S has previously announced 26 weeks of maternity and adoption leave at full pay and six weeks of full-pay paternity leave, so check the current policy)

Benefits can change, so confirm the details with M&S when you receive an offer.

How to apply for an M&S job

Step 1: Find a role

Search for vacancies on the official M&S careers site, or browse M&S roles on our job board and click through to the employer’s application page. M&S uses its own application system, so you apply directly with the company, not by emailing a CV.

Step 2: Create an account and complete the application

Click Apply now, then sign in or create an account. M&S says the application for store roles takes around 45 minutes, so set time aside and do it on a computer or tablet if possible. You will be asked about your availability, which helps schedule your interview. You can also ask for reasonable adjustments if you need support during the process.

If you are interested in several roles at the same store, you generally do not need to submit a separate application for each one. You can mention your other interests at the interview.

Step 3: Complete the online assessment

For some roles, M&S asks you to complete an online assessment. For Customer Assistant roles this is an interactive assessment built around real-life store scenarios, and it includes attention-to-detail tasks and questions about everyday situations in a shop. For other roles, you may be given an online skills-based assessment.

Step 4: Book and attend your interview

If your application is successful, you are invited to either a one-to-one interview or a group assessment where you meet the hiring managers. For store roles you may be asked to book a slot yourself. Interview slots can fill up, so if none are available, check back regularly because more are added. Some store roles have also included a short selling or product exercise as part of the in-store assessment.

At the end, the interviewers will tell you when to expect a decision.

Step 5: Offer and onboarding

If you are offered the job, you will receive details of your pay, contracted hours and start date, and will be asked for the usual right-to-work and employment checks. Read your contract carefully before you sign, and see our guide to understanding your employment contract.

Seasonal and Christmas jobs

M&S recruits temporary Christmas colleagues each autumn. Applications work in the same way as for permanent roles. Seasonal staff are typically expected to work full time in the last two weeks before Christmas, and to be available on 22, 23 and 24 December, which are among the busiest days of the year. If you are applying, check the shift pattern at the top of the advert. Many people who start at Christmas go on to stay.

M&S interview tips

M&S says its hiring process is built around its behaviours: getting the details right, putting customers first, and working together to get the job done. Keep these three ideas in mind when you prepare your answers.

Before the interview

• Visit your local store. Notice how colleagues help customers, how the shelves are laid out and what standards they maintain. M&S itself suggests this as a way to spot ideas you can mention in your interview.
• Learn the basics. Know what the store sells, the difference between food, clothing and home departments, and the role you applied for.
• Check your availability. Be ready to explain which days and hours you can work.
• Plan your journey and your outfit. Aim to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, and dress smartly and neatly.

Questions you might be asked

M&S does not publish its questions, but these are the kinds of questions candidates commonly report for retail roles. Use them for practice rather than as a guaranteed list.

1. Why do you want to work for M&S?
2. What does good customer service mean to you?
3. Tell me about a time you helped someone who was upset or frustrated.
4. How would you handle a long queue when you are the only person on the till?
5. Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team.
6. How do you pay attention to detail, and why does it matter in a shop?
7. What would you do if a customer asked for something you did not know the answer to?
8. What are your strengths, and what would you like to improve?
9. Are you happy to work weekends, early starts or late finishes?

How to answer well

Use the STAR method for examples: describe the Situation, the Task you had, the Action you took and the Result. Keep answers short and specific, and use real examples from work, school, volunteering or home life. If you have no job experience, a group project, a sports team or helping a relative all count.

If you are asked to take part in a group assessment, be friendly, listen to others, share ideas and help the group reach a decision. You are not trying to talk the most. You are showing you work well with people.

Questions to ask at the end

Asking one or two thoughtful questions shows interest. For example:

• What does a typical shift look like in this team?
• What training do new colleagues receive?
• How are shifts and rotas organised?
• What opportunities are there to progress?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Rushing the online assessment. Read each scenario carefully, because attention to detail is one of the things being tested.
• Applying without checking your availability. Interviews are booked around the times you give.
• Giving vague answers. Specific examples are far more convincing than general statements like “I’m a people person”.
• Missing the follow-up. Check your email, including spam, for interview invitations.

Frequently asked questions

How much does M&S pay per hour? From 1 April 2026, UK Customer Assistants are paid at least £13.41 an hour, and at least £14.74 an hour inside the M25.

How do I apply for a job at M&S? Apply through the official M&S careers site. You create an account, complete the online application and assessment, and then book or attend an interview.

How long does the M&S application take? For store roles, M&S says the application takes about 45 minutes.

Do I need experience to work at M&S? Not for most Customer Assistant roles. M&S looks for the right attitude and behaviours, and gives on-the-job training.

Does M&S recruit for Christmas jobs? Yes. Seasonal roles are advertised in the autumn, and staff are usually expected to work full time in the final two weeks before Christmas.

Where can I see current M&S vacancies? On the official M&S careers site and on our UK Jobs Now job board.

Final thoughts

M&S is a popular employer, so strong preparation makes a difference. Complete the application carefully, practise your examples and show that you understand what good customer service looks like in store. Then apply to the roles that suit you from our current M&S job listings.

This article is general information and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Marks & Spencer. Pay rates, benefits and recruitment processes can change, so always check the official M&S careers site and the individual job advert.