Management Trainee Review

The placement was a good start in terms of hands on experience in the business world, but I feel my enjoyment was limited by the lack of variance in the role sometimes, and the hours required from it. It can become demoralising when you feel you don't have the tools required to do a good job and get as much from the experience as possible, which I felt was the case in the branch a lot of the time. Sometimes it felt like a bit of a grind.

In branch, colleagues become very dependent on each other because of how understaffed some of them are and the hours required of everyone each day, to the point where if someone is ill, everyone really gets behind. It can be a competitive atmosphere when it comes to sales and performance, which some people thrive in, but can demotivate others. If the branch feels someone is not pulling their weight, I've found people can become quite toxic towards each other and a "I'm working harder than you" culture can develop.

In my first months, when I actually had a branch manager, the support and guidance was fantastic, and I learnt a lot and felt my development was valued. However, my manager then left to go to another branch, and this completely stopped and has not been replaced. This seems to be a common problem in the business when branches are simply left without a manger, and things become very disorganised and employee development is somethwhat forgotten about because everyone is just trying to get through the days.

It's incredibly busy, which can be a good thing if you like days to pass by quickly, but the constant grind of it, when it feels like it really is going unrecognized, can be very demotivating and get you down. You may get a half hour lunch break in a 10+ hour day, but this will be the only break you will get.

The company entrusts you with a lot of responsibility, where some days you will be in charge of hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of assets in the from of cars, and are expected to handle the entire runnings of the branch when you are the only one present. This shows a high amount of trust which I like, but it can be stressful.

The skills you gain are good, all-round business skills which will help you in all forms of business, especially the interpersonal communication with customers, other businesses and colleagues you do on a daily basis. You will become effective at this. You could say these are the most important skills in the world of business so it is good in that respect. However, when it comes to specialised skills beyond this, there is little training or need, as the role doesn't go far beyond customer service and various admin in branch dealing with daily rental.

It is non stop and there is rarely a quiet moment as you are always busy. You will have fun with colleagues and develop close relationships, because you pretty much spend every waking hour with each other. However, if there is someone who doesn't muck in as much as others, it can become a little toxic, as if there is one person who is not a team player, the whole branch suffers. This isn't necessarily that person's fault, it's just the way the business is.

To be fair, the training process is a good one, mostly being based in a central training centre, where you will occasionally have training days and time devoted to development. However, most of it is off your own back with your 'training folder', which revolves around assessments rather than actual learning.

A fairly good amount on the devoted training days, even if these were relatively few and far between. But in branch, after my manager left, I feel the extent of the investment in my development was limited.

I won't lie, I don't look at the roles above me and think, "I want that to be me!". This is mainly because I don't feel enthusiastic enough about the company and the service that it provided, or the hours involved.

Kind of, few evening meals etc but nothing spectacular.

I lived at home and there wasn't a great deal of opportunity to socialize.

Trowbridge isn't known for its nightlife.

Not really.