Trainee Programs

Trainees

Gain real-world experience as a Store or Home Office Trainee

If you’re a recent college graduate looking for the next step in your career, the JCPenney Trainee program offers a unique postgraduate experience under the planning and allocation, finance, IT and digital merchandising departments within the Home Office. The 16-week paid trainee programs are offered at the JCPenney Home Office in Plano, Texas or our Salt Lake City Accounting Center, twice a year from February to May and again from August to November. The best part? Upon completion of the program, you will transition into a full-time position with JCPenney.

The first three weeks of the program consist of core curriculum, including a two-day store experience and tours of our logistics and fulfillment facilities. The rest of the program is filled with classroom courses, self-paced training modules, on-the-job training, executive meet-and-greets and a final presentation.

Assistant Manager Merchandise Trainee Program (Stores)

If you love working with others and have a passion for retail, our 16-week postgraduate Assistant Manager Merchandise (AMM) Trainee Program is designed to prepare you to be a successful AMM in a local JCPenney store. Under this program, you will work directly with a trainer, the store management team and leaders at the Home Office to gain hands-on, real-life experience that will prepare you for a career in retail. In addition to online courses, you will work with these mentors to receive on-the-floor sales experience and leadership training along with a holistic understanding of the retail industry.

Here’s what you need to qualify for either program:

Be a graduating senior or recent graduate from an accredited university
Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher
Open to relocation to store location or Plano, Texas
Outstanding leadership and time management skills
Strong analytical skills
Have previous retail experience (for AMM trainee position)
Have a confident and outgoing personality
Thrive in team environments
Possess strong verbal and written communication skills