Industrial Placement Review

My work placement was enjoyable as the tasks you complete are varied and challenging. There were definitely highs and lows due to the varied nature of the placement with different sections being more interesting than others. Overall I got a lot out of the placement and would recommend it to others.

As an industrial placement student most of your colleagues appreciate that you are only temporary and on occasion may not treat you with the same respect that an Area Manager would be treated. However, I did meet lots of nice people and make some really positive connections for the future. My only comment was that due to the fact there is only a small IP team we did not really feel part of any other area.

There was lots of advertised support however, on occasion during my store time I did not always feel that I got the support that I needed early enough to help me develop. During my Area Manager time I was in constant communication with my mentor which really helped bring me along and really helped me when completing my final projects.

Every day there was lots to do I worked 10 hours days whilst in store, however these flew by as I was always kept busy. However, during my Head Office time there was often times where we would not have work to do, which was good because it meant I could get my university work done, but I didn't feel like I was contributing to the business or helping myself to develop.

Over the placement I had lots of responsibility during store and area manager training, I also completed two major projects which had regional influence. Whilst the training isn't as in depth as you would receive as an area manager I still felt a sense of responsibility for my stores and area.

The placement was not that relevant to my degree as I study accounting and finance. However, the placement really developed my people and management skills and will help me when looking for a graduate role in the future. I also believe the Aldi placement has given me more confidence and prepared me for my future career.

The Aldi placement is not really office based as the majority of the time is spent in stores. however, in my stores there was always a great atmosphere and people genuinely enjoyed working for aldi as did I. This was also true for head office time with all the office girls being very approachable and friendly

The placement scheme does have a very clear and logical structure however, on occasion they may have been trying to cover too much and it may be worth focussing on certain areas of the placement more and developing structured training. I believe there needs to be more instruction as to what Aldi want from the IP scheme so that the student is more area of what is expected from them. Head office time was pretty poorly organised as some sections did not know when we were with them nor did they have enough work for us to complete

the firm invested in my training and development through textbooks and online practice however, I found the training method to be very much on the job training which doesn't always benefit everyone. However, my mentor was very good and helped me develop in a professional manner. I feel like there could have been more dedicated training as often I felt like my knowledge was not where it should be.

If you work hard enough you get rewarded as Aldi do recognise effort, however, the role was not for me. The opportunities within the company are great and not many graduate schemes offer you £42,000 and an Audi A4! Whilst no one in my region got offered the role neither did want it but I was aware that previous IPs have.

No not really, this was due to the nature of the scheme, we did not have any real opportunities to meet up with the other placement students as we were not located closely. The was no event for us other than a meal at the start of the year which was a shame as it meant we did not really keep in communication throughout the placement

It was fine I stayed in York

Not sure how relevant this is to the placement

No not really