Industrial Placement Review

Although I found the placement difficult during the start of store time, I began to enjoy it and understand the role of an area manager the more I developed throughout the business and understood how the business operates from the ground up. I felt like I was constantly busy and learning new things, which some of my peers may not have experienced during their placements. Most notably, I feel that I have become a much more confident person in the process. The area management role is very interesting and involves people management alongside analysis, which I particularly enjoyed.

At times it was difficult to know if I was valued during my training in store because I was a lot younger than many of colleagues and less experienced. As Aldi stores are incredibly productive I was conscious that I needed to pick things up quickly in order to prove myself to my store colleagues. However, in Head Office we were given lots of complex and interesting projects that could really aid Aldi's progress. We were given the opportunity to discuss and present our projects to the regional directors which made me feel like I was making a real impact on the company.

My area manager/mentor was really helpful throughout the placement. They gave me advice, updated me on my progress and reassured me of my abilities. In store, the managers were often tough whilst providing guidance but this is because you are learning on-the-job. It is important that you take constructive criticism positively as this is what really helps you to develop.

I was incredibly busy on a daily basis during my 6 months store time. There was always something to be doing or something that could be done in order to help the team. Store time was a very physical job, so often I would be carrying out tasks very quickly and I was constantly on my feet. In Head Office the pace is slightly slower but you are entirely responsible for your own work and making sure it is completed by the deadline. The projects we were given filled each day as they often required a lot of detail and Excel work.

I was given a lot of responsibility from the offset. After just a few weeks I was responsible for holding the store safe for example. Within a couple of months I was an assistant manager in store, managing teams of people of all ages and backgrounds which not many people my age have had the opportunity to do.

The skills that I have developed and gained during this placement are invaluable. I have reflected upon everything that I have learnt within my university assignments and it has given me a better understanding of the working world across management, finance and operations.

The atmosphere in store was frantic but incredibly team based. Everyone is committed to working quickly and to their best ability. The head office staff are really friendly and made me feel welcome. They were also really keen to give advice and help me whenever I needed it.

The placement was not exactly how it was advertised. For example, my store training did not follow the structured plan but I made sure that I asked questions and filled the gaps in my knowledge. Furthermore, there were times that the IP's were not expected by staff or staff did not know what to task us with.

Aldi invest a lot in their employees by firstly offering great pay and giving the scope to experience lots of areas of the business.

Aldi is a great company for progression, especially for young people. With hard work it really pays off as area managers can expect to progress to director level in just a few years. This is unrivalled in the graduate job market.

Unfortunately, due to the size of the region, in the first 6 months I lived nowhere near my colleagues so I wasn't able to socialise with them. Also because it is shift work we were often never free at the same time. However, now we are all together in head office and work only weekdays we are able to socialise outside of work much more which is really nice.

It would be really good if there were sports teams or interest groups perhaps, so that you could really get to know your colleagues and also socialise. However I realise this is hard due to the nature of the job working across 7 days at times and colleagues do not necessarily live close by.