General Management Placement Review

Aldi is incredibly challenging but also very rewarding. If you are expecting to love every single day and never have really difficult moment then Aldi is probably not the placement for you. However, if you like a challenge and are motivated by difficulty then the Aldi placement is one that you will definitely enjoy.

For the first part of the placement you work in store as an Assistant Manager. You are not a spare part and you will be running your own shifts and managing employees, so you are an incredibly valued part of the store. For the second part you carry out projects in Head Office which often results in you offering proposals to Directors and can go on to make differences within the company, so your work here is also incredibly valued.

At the start of your placement you are assigned a Director who will offer you feedback, support and guidance. You are also assigned an Area Manager Mentor and in store you will have a Store Manager who will train you. All three of these can offer support and guidance throughout your placement year.

Incredibly busy, but if you’re applying to the Aldi placement you should be someone who likes to be busy, so it shouldn’t be a negative. The days pass so quickly because you are kept on your feet and doing something all the time - there is no clock-watching and waiting for your shift to finish.

Whilst working in store you are given all the same responsibilities as an Assistant Manager, which at the age of 20/21 is a lot. Amongst some of the biggest includes being responsible for opening a store in the morning, and managing the morning team so that the store is ready to open at 8am. In Head Office you still have responsibility, as the projects you are working on are real life projects that will make a difference to the company.

My confidence in my own abilities and decision-making has improved dramatically throughout the year. I am a more confident presenter and public speaker but also have more confidence in myself as a professional. I have learnt how to carry and conduct myself in a professional manner, and also how to lead and manage teams. Additionally, group projects in head office enable you to hone your ability to work as part of a team.

The office is a very professional working environment as you are working closely with directors on a day-to-day basis. However, that does not mean you are always on edge or never enjoy yourself. Once you have settled into the culture the office is a great place to go to work every day.

From the moment I signed my contract I was provided with a schedule of where I would be based, what I would be doing and who I would report to at all times throughout the whole year. Due to unforeseen circumstances by schedule had to change slightly, but any such changes were always communicated to me quickly and a solution provided efficiently.

Several people at Aldi who I have worked alongside, both Area Managers and Directors, have taken time out of ther day to give feedback on every detail about myself. This has covered not only my work or a particular presentation but also my personality, my body language etc etc. Them investing their time into giving this feedback has been very important in my own personal development within the company.

Future employment prospects within the organisation include being offered the chance to return on the Graduate Trainee Area Manager Scheme. Once in this scheme, further progression includes the opportunity to be invited to go on Secondment to work for Aldi in another country, and also the opportunity to be promoted to Director.

The amount you socialise with the other Placement Students is dependent on yourselves being proactive in arranging it.

I lived at my family home with no cost but the area around the job (Birmingham) is not expensive to socialise in.

Birmingham has lots of night life of you wanted to go out.

There was some charity fundraising events on offer.