48 Week Placement Review

I enjoyed the placement at Lidl and I was able to develop myself very much during this time. I would definitely recommend it if you want to see different departments of the company and if you are interested in retail. It is challenging and I got a lot of responsibility and chances to develop my own management skills.

During my time with Lidl, I always felt valuable to my colleagues and supervisors. Everyone I got to work with was interested in the placement scheme and in me as a person as well. They also knew that I was a graduate and that I would go back to Uni to finish my final year. Also, they spoke highly of Placement students from the former years and about what role they have now within the company. From day one, I felt highly welcomed and part of the team, no matter if I was in store or in any other department.

The training and guidance from my supervisors was excellent, even if the amount of workload is high. I was always able to ask someone if I had any questions or need a hand or help, they also offered me advice as well. There is one person per region who is called regional training consultant, he took care of me and I could call him anytime.

No day is like the other at Lidl, no matter in which store or in which department I worked in. Every day there was another challenge and something new I could learn. This placement is perfect if you thrive for a challenge, not if you are looking for a boring 9 to 5 job.

At the beginning of my placement I worked as a sales assistant, putting stock out and sat on the till. After a short time, I was given more and more responsibility and I had progressed to a Duty Manager level. The last couple of weeks of my placement I was able to manage the whole store.

The management and leadership skills I was able to develop will definitely help me in my further career. Also, I learned a lot of processes in Supply Chain and I could improve my communication skills because I had a lot of different customer experiences and got to work with different colleagues and line managers and various backgrounds and cultures. In addition, I gained experience in project leading. After having a great time during my placement year I definitely want to apply for the Graduate Management Development Programme.

In every department I worked in I experienced a very nice and friendly atmosphere and they seem to get along with each other very vell. A great mix of different ages, cultures and mindsets opened many opportunities to socialize. I was invited to a Christmas Party which was really fun and super nice, during my time working in Head Office in London I joined the Lidl Soccer Team and practiced with them after work.

The 48-week placement programme is clear and well structured, after each module I had appraisals with my line managers. The Programme itself included 4 different modules, two weeks in Head Office in London and three training projects within the 48 weeks. All the departments I worked in knew about my arrival and I was always informed what I am supposed to learn and do in the upcoming modules.

Since I received a very good training in every single department I felt that the company invested a lot of time and effort into my development.

All placement student are currently ambassadors for the company and talk about Lidl when they are at their universities. Also, at the end of my placement, I had a conversation with my line manager about the Graduate Management Development Programme. Within Lidl, there are many different future employment prospects for me. When I finish Uni I will apply for the Graduate Management Development Programme.

There was another placement student within my region and we talked a lot and hang out during the placement programme. Even now, we still meet to catch up and talk. We also had a few meetings with the other placement students from different regions within Lidl UK as well, had meals and drinks together which was very nice. This was very interesting because we could talk about different experiences and differences within various Lidl regions. They all seemed really nice, we do have a Whatsapp group and a Placement Programme group on Facebook. I hope I will see them again in the future within Lidl.

During the Placement, I was able to live with my parents so I had very low cost of living during this time and I could save some money for the future.

Since I was living with my parents during my Placement, so I was already used to the Nightlife in this area. I was still able to see my friends and go out with them which was a lot of fun and I had a lot of different places where I could go.

There were various opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, e.g. Christmas parties and sporting events.