25 June 2012

Let’s be honest: car dealers don’t have the best public image. Much as we might like to feel times have moved on, the media is still quick to portray all salesmen as ‘Arthur Daley’.

And I don’t hear of many careers advisors suggesting the showroom is a great place to build a future in retail management. Oh, it’s okay to go work for M&S, or even Tesco, but not Inchcape or Pendragon. Why?

Things are marginally better in the workshop. It is acceptable to want to be a mechanic – but it’s still considered a career choice for the less academically gifted; the underperformers in the classroom.

All of which is good reason why the industry needs to throw itself wholeheartedly behind the ‘See Inside Auto Retail’ initiative.

Opening up our doors to young people, teachers and careers advisors to show them the exciting career opportunities available in the industry is a great way to start changing perceptions.

We know auto retailing is a complex, challenging business that requires a wide range of skills and expertise; but we need to get that message across. Many auto retailers already have close links with local schools but bringing all this activity together under one banner is bound to make it more effective.

Auto Retail Network already works with management studies students at Nottingham Trent University on research and product development. We will be opening our doors wider for ‘See Inside Auto Retail’ in November and we would urge you to do the same.

Nobody can pretend we’re going to change perceptions overnight – but if we don’t give it a try, then we have only ourselves to blame.

Rupert Saunders

What are you planning for See Inside Auto Retail? Let us know and we’ll write about it. Tell us via the contact button on our website

Tags: Arthur Daley, car salesmen, careers, industry training, media, recruitment