Industrial Placement Student Review

I loved my placement year. It was such a rewarding year - Aldi is very fast paced so you are always busy and the days go really fast. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the year; the role that I played in store, the people that I worked with and the projects that I was involved in. Some aspects have been challenging however during this year my skills have improved dramatically, and I have realised that I am capable of much more than I have ever thought! In my placement year I started by shadowing an Area Manager and learning about the role that they play. I then moved on to my first of three store times. Over this time I did everything from putting stock on the shelf, serving customers up to managing my team of 30, inputting the store orders and doing the rotas. At points working in store was tough, however how I much I gained from this year made it 100% worth it. You have to be prepared that this is not an easy 9-5 Monday to Friday placement year, instead this is a year of working really hard, all hours of the day! However this doesn’t mean its not enjoy able - I love my store time, and felt like I really made a difference to the Teams that I worked with. In all stores the teams were really friendly, welcoming and I was really sad to leave them. After your time in store, you move into the head office. This time is more structured 8-6 Monday to Friday - so it was nice to get my weekends back! Over this time myself and the other IPs visited every department to learn about their roles. Within each department (Logistics, Trading, Finance and Admin, Property and Store Operations), you complete a project vital for the business. This time was really enjoyable because once assigned a project you were given free rein on how you wished to complete it. You are very much in charge of your own time, and I took pride in the projects that I presented.

When in store I felt very much a valued member of the team. You reach the level of an Assistant Store Manager, which means that people look to you for guidance and value your opinion. When completing project work you report directly to one of the Directors. During this time you are completing projects which provide great value to the business. At Aldi, you have to be prepared that unlike in school, people are not there to tell you how much of a good job that you've done all the time. This means that you have to be confident in your ability, and always push yourself to achieve the best. This does not mean you are not valued - its just the working world!

Each IP is assigned their own Area Manager Mentor, I was really lucky and my mentor was very approachable. This means that if you are having any problems, there is someone who you can easily turn to. Whilst in store, the store managers are great for giving you support, guidance and training. However, at Aldi you are also expected to make a lot of decisions for yourself, and no one is going to make choices for you. Therefore you are in charge of making serious judgement calls that can impact the business as a whole and you have to take responsibility for these decisions. During our regional office time we had an office mentor who was our point of call for any questions that we had whilst in the offices.

Very busy - At Aldi you do not have the option of sitting still. There is always something that you can do. This means that the days fly by and I cannot believe how fast this year has gone.

When they say on the website that Aldi gives you responsibility- they were not over-exaggerating! In my first week when shadowing an Area Manager, I conducted interviews for potential store assistants to decide if they were the right fit for Aldi. Then in store, on your first day you are given the keys to the supermarket. By my final store time I was the acting store manager, in charge of all personnel queries for my 40 members of staff, completing the rotas over Easter, placing store orders and making sure that on a day by day basis the store was running smoothly. If you want a job with responsibility then you should definitely apply. I would say this placement year gives you more responsibility than most graduates get,

I have developed so much more confidence in myself and my abilities over this year. It has made me realise that you cannot limit yourself in what you can achieve. Next year going back to University I hope to continue with the work ethic that I have developed this year, and continue to manage my time more effectively.

In Aldi there are almost two offices - in store and in the regional head office. In store the atmosphere is very relaxed. You have to react to things on a daily basis which are not always ideal so everyone in store has a sense of humour about it! I worked in three separate stores, and the atmosphere was slightly different in all three of them, however what was common was that everyone is happy to have a laugh but want their store to do well so as a result work really hard The office has a different culture. Directors are permanently based in the office, so the atmosphere is not as relaxed as in store. In this period of the placement, it is your opportunity to stand out to the directors and hence you need to be professional. However, this does not mean its not enjoyable, I sit on a table with payroll assistants and we can still have a chat and a laugh.

Aldi is growing at a really fast rate, so the placement year training plan has changed over the course of the year to accommodate for the changing needs of the business. For example, my area managers had a new store which was struggling, so I moved there to help the store manager which was not part of my training plan. However, overall it was well organized. During our time in the office, we knew which departments we were visiting and where we would be over that 3 month period.

The company invest highly in you, however you also get out as much as you put in. If you are prepared to work hard and make the most out of the opportunities that are presented to you, then more opportunities will come your way. This can mean working long days, and working over your contractual hours - its not something expected of you, and is instead down to your own personal approach.

I would love to work for Aldi after university. However it is incredibly competitive and it has not been clear as to whether we would get a job after university or not.

Whilst in store, you live 2 hours plus away from each other, and you are all working separate shifts that fall on different time slots. This means that socially it is not the best with other placement students. However, when in head office we were all located in the same area as each other so the opportunity for social events was far greater

In my store time the cost of living was relatively cheap, however Chelmsford is more expensive. However, it is what you make of it! If you choose to go out for food in Chelmsford and stay in a swanky house then obviously the cost of living is higher. I chose to live in budget accommodation to save money for the summer, and spent my money socializing on weekends

I didn’t use the night life in either of the places that I lived. If you are looking for a London based placement where you can go out and socialize with friends every evening, then this may not be the placement for you. When in head office, I travelled most weekends to see my boyfriend, friends or family. However I have been told the nightlife is good!

In store it is harder to get involved in activities outside of work because you can work any hour of the day. However, it is also what you make of it! I am sure that if you wanted to join a local club, then your store manager would try their hardest to accommodate. In the head offices you have your evenings and weekends free, so there is plenty of opportunity for activities outside of work.