Retail Placement Scheme Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the placement year, there were parts I enjoyed more than others which I took as a positive as the placement scheme allows for you to find what department and roles you most enjoy which is helpful when looking at future employment. There was a variety of roles and responsibilities that challenged me throughout the year making it very enjoyable.

I felt very valued by my colleagues, with the rotation program of the scheme I was consistently meeting and working with new individuals and teams of people. This was challenging however due to the friendliness, team-orientated working environment and focus on teaching I felt extremely valued throughout my time on the placement.

I was consistently given guidance from my managers, I had various training programs for different departments as well as training mentors and regional training consultants who we could call on any time. I had regular catch ups with my mentors and could go to them with any issues that occurred.

My levels of busy differed throughout the placement depending on which department I was in. During my time in store I was extremely busy taking on the responsibilities of running the store and managing the store team. Whereas in other departments training and learning was based around shadowing individuals which meant I was less busy with my individual work load.

Again this differed throughout the placement year depending on which department or area I was working in. During my time in store and other departments I had a large amount of responsibility; running the store, locking up the store on closes, managing the team etc. In other departments I helped around the office and shadowed which meant I had less responsibilities and my time was focused more on gaining an understanding.

The skills I’ve learnt will heavily help me in university next year where I can apply my experiences to the theory I will learn. I’ve also learnt so many skills that will help me in future employment. I’ve learnt a lot about myself and know what my strengths and weaknesses are I also know what I enjoy and what type of role is most suited to me.

The general atmosphere was different across departments, some were very fast-paced and focused. Others were more laid-back and relaxed depending on the work load. The atmosphere across the company is fast-paced and heavily focused on results and meeting targets. It is therefore a motivating place to work with mostly serious vibes however everyone is very friendly and chatty especially during break times.

There have been highs and lows of the placement. I’ve been overall very happy with my training plan however I’m aware that from region to region our placement programs can differ quite greatly and I think more consistency may help with the organisation of the placement. But the overall organisation of my training plan was great, with different departments planned in throughout the year I always knew where I was working next.

The company heavily invested in my training throughout the year, the training plan highlighted this from the start. I’ve rotated around a variety of departments throughout the year gaining an understanding of the company as a whole. Training and learning has been at the forefront of my placement year and gaining an understanding of Lidl was key.

Very appealing, the graduate scheme is a really exciting prospect for the future along with other roles I’ve experienced during my time on placement. Future employment has been something I’ve discussed with various individuals I’ve worked with in the company and will be interested to see what opportunities arise after I have completed my degree.

We had several meetings with the placement students from across the UK. We were able to discuss our experiences, share stories and give advice to each other. We were able to get to know each other during team discussions and meals. It was good to have a big group of us to contact and share experiences with.