Industrial Placement Review

Highly. Aldi is tough but I really felt that I made a difference. You get given so much responsibility - it's not like you're doing the graduate version of making the coffee.

Generally I felt very valued in the workplace, but as you are tasked with managing older, more experienced employees in the business, occasionally you have to have some difficult conversations, manage some difficult people, and you don't always feel appreciated. When it comes to management, that's the nature of the beast - you're not going to be loved by everybody.

The Aldi shop floor is hectic and rota-ing in a firm training plan is something they could improve on. Training occasionally didn't happen or wasn't done to the standard that I would have hoped for. It helps to be a good independent learner, though hopefully in the future this shouldn't have to be a required trait.

Extremely.

A lot. On day one I was given keys to the store. Within three months you're expected to run the store as an Assistant Store Manager. It's not secret that Aldi is the highest paid placement year, and it's because they expect a lot of you.

I give 9 out of 10 because honestly, it won't help me in my degree a huge amount. I have learned good time management skills and how to be organised and get things done quickly, but largely working at Aldi is so much different to going to the library everyday and sitting still. Nevertheless, I have learned skills that will stick with me throughout life. I have established good self discipline and good people skills, and if I choose to go down the management route in my career (which I hope to) the opportunities I've had to develop my management skills will help me massively.

My placement was split into two parts - Store time and Head Office time. Stores were extremely hectic, and at times 'cut-throat', but in a weird way you learn to love it. People in stores used to say you're cut from the Aldi cloth or you're not. Head Office was a bit more relaxed, but busy nevertheless. Everyone is friendly, which is something I for some reason did not expect.

Brilliantly. My timetable was given to me on day one (before I started even). Any amendments to the timetable were placed well in advanced, and were always for my benefit.

Massively. The year you have at Aldi as an Industrial Placement is a smaller version of the year the Training Area Managers have as part of the graduate scheme. If I return, I will not as much training for the graduate scheme because I have completed a good chunk of it already. I was told on my placement year that Aldi hopes they can employ all of their Industrial Placements as Area Managers after graduation provided that they are all good enough.

Very. The graduate scheme is challenging and well paid, which is certainly what I am looking for. I was offered the Area Manager role at the end of my placement provided that I get a 2:1 in my final year of University.

There was not, because Aldi wants the placement year to reflect what the graduate role is like, and what potential employees can expect of the working culture. Aldi is hardworking, and jobs there are not necessarily as social as other companies.

I lived in a couple of areas, and the cost of living was about £800 a month both times, including bills and rent. I did need a car and a driving licence for the placement though, which was a fair chunk of money.

I don't know - you don't have time to socialise too much at Aldi! Don't go for Aldi for the social aspect of it. As a potential future Area Manager, you're also expected to keep a professional relationship with the people you're managing, for the same reason that you wouldn't go out drinking with your boss. You would have to manage about 12 employees (potentially 100 indirectly) as an Area Manager, and you can't break that boundary.

No. Or at least, not with the company. I went for a Christmas meal but that was it.