Ambitious and focused - Shaks is in exactly the right place.

My name is Shaks and I'm the store manager of TK Maxx in Hammersmith. The store is 33,000 square feet, and has a total headcount of 180. We've got seven managers - myself, a deputy manager and five floor managers.

Being a store manager means you've got to be an effective communicator. You've got to create an environment where everybody wants to work and excel. You've got to be quick to learn, able to adapt easily and ready to work in different scenarios - because no two days are ever the same. Of course, this means there's a lot of pressure. However it is quite fulfilling to meet the goals we set ourselves and the goals set us by the company. It's a great team effort.

If you are thinking about joining TK Maxx or retail, I would say we are the right business to be in. We've got over 200 stores in the country now, we're moving into Europe, and we definitely take our people up with us. I started eight years ago as a junior department manager in a small store and, within eight years, I'd worked my way up through the ranks. I now run the biggest store in the corporation.

As a store manager at TK Maxx, you gain HR skills, you're exposed to planning and the buying team - so you can cross-pollinate into different divisions if you want to. In fact, however you want to further your career you can do it by joining TK Maxx.