Industrial Placement Review

I absolutely loved my placement year with Aldi! There is no lying that it pushes you but you learn so much about yourself and it taught me that I can do a lot more than I thought I did before. You have the opportunity to work with a real variety of people in the business, from Store Assistants to Directors!

I felt most valued during my final project in the last 5 months of my project but I would never have been able to deliver that standard of work if I hadn't had my experience in store. In store, you need to prove yourself to be valued in store which may be hard in the beginning but working hard and being a team player will earn you that respect in any store environment.

I had an Area Manager mentor throughout my placement year, in addition to extra support provided by Store Managers and Directors.

Very busy!! Thinking back to what I used to consider a "busy day" in my second year at University is minor compared to what I consistently did throughout the year. The average working week is definitely 50 hours +. It's a great learning curve though, you learn how to make the most of your time, work efficiently and you also really learn to make the most of your time off!

A lot! I was given the opportunity to manage my own store taking almost £2 million per month - a huge responsibility. I then was lucky enough to work on a big project after store-time which involved coordinating all key events in the region and developing a store forecasting tool; which was used regionally. Alongside this I was also a part of a national project currently being implemented in all stores!

For me, the biggest skills I have learnt are: - Time Management - Especially once you get to management level in stores, the way you organise your day genuinely effects the day-day running of the store. Then, once you're in regional office, you are in charge of your own day and need to manage your time carefully. - Rapport - You learn to effectively communicate with a lot of people (customers, managers, assistants, directors, external companies) which will really translate later on. - Productivity - As a real focus of Aldi, you learn to be a productive as possible!

In this placement you'll have 2 office; stores and regional office. Both are very different! The store atmosphere is great - a big family who all need to work together to ensure the store is a success, with that of course comes some dramas but all good experience! The atmosphere in regional office is polar opposite, a lot more formal with the Managing Director and other Directors sharing the same kettle. Plenty of handshakes but a great opportunity to get to know all the Directors and assistants better.

I received a structured plan on my first day and although there were changes in the stores I was training in, I was always told in advance.

I don't think a company could have invested in me anymore. I was given so much freedom and support to pursue my personal objectives either in stores or project work.

2nd best graduate opportunity in the Times 100... does't get too much better! I am lucky enough to have been offered a place on the graduate scheme starting 2016/2017.

In all honesty, you're in different stores across the region (which is massive) for the majority of your placement. When you come to head office, you get the chance to mix more and work together on projects but generally everyone keeps a professional rapport with one another.

I was based in Chelmsford, Essex for my whole placement year and my monthly rent was approx. £450.

I tended to head to other areas of the UK on the weekend/days off to spend time with my boyfriend and friends so didn't experience this aspect.