Industrial Placement Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement with Aldi! The placement offers a great overview of how the business runs both within a store operation but also at a wider level when you spend time in head office! I feel I have learnt so many skills which I will be able to take back to university!

During my store time I felt extremely valued by the teams I worked with. They treated me like they would any other member of the team. This was greatly appreciated as for the first part of my placement I was living in a town where I didn't know anyone and was a few hours from home. I received a card to say thank you and goodbye when I left my stores which shows the respect and value the team treats you by.

The feedback system in which Aldi provide is amazing and it helps to develop you both professionally as well as personally. My mentor would always be on the end of the phone if I had any worries as well as giving me helpful and informative feedback which helped me develop throughout the placement!

In store time it was very busy and there was always something that needed to be done which made the days fly! In addition to this the panic buying experienced throughout really tested me to perform as this was busier than christmas! The office environment is slightly more relaxed and feels less busy however you still need to ensure you are focused and work hard during this time!

The responsibility given at Aldi is one that you won't experience with any other type of placement! Whilst in store I was allowed to both run the store for a period of time as well as completing orders and opening/closing whilst leading a team! In addition to this in my area manager weeks I was able to run interviews and also decide alongside my mentor who we would recruit! The responsibility can seem daunting however if you strive off of this then it is a great placement to really develop!

The volume of skills I can takeaway from this placement are amazing and exactly what I wanted from my placement year. In addition to those technical skills, I also learnt personal skills which help you to manage your teams daily. In addition to this being in a corporate environment for a few weeks at head office gave you the skills required to work at a professional level and being able to have meaningful conversations with directors.

In store time the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed and they came across very friendly. Most teams I experienced always were there for each other and helped one another out which made it a really nice environment to work in! Some days in stores should be more stressful due to the business of the store, such as Christmas! However overall the store atmosphere is a lot of fun! Office time has a different atmosphere and has a more corporate and professional feel to it. Unfortunately we weren't in head office too much due to pandemic however the teams were really helpful and always there if you needed anything throughout your project work!

The placement on a whole was really good and I thought what you covered and did really helped get a greater understanding of the business. I think you need to ensure you are flexible and don't mind moving around a bit as I was moved from one store to another which was around an hour away from the first. The plan also changed quite a lot however it depends if you're happy and able to adapt to changes if necessary. I think to improve the placement, I would spend slightly less time in stores and focus on the area manager role to help develop if you were to come back after graduating. I would also ensure the projects done covered the whole business through areas such as logistics and Property. Finally, when speaking to other IP's the placement varies by region so perhaps nationally aligning them would help going forward.

The company massively invest in you and make your time worthwhile as well as theirs. From the start they give you everything you need and the support is there for training. You have a personal mentor which is usually an experienced area manager and in stores you are trained up to store manager level which is a massive level of responsibility at such a young age. In addition if you perform well there's opportunity for you to come back, so Aldi ensure you are looked after but you need to be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort to do well.

If you perform well then there are definitely job offers available! I would love to be able to come back to Aldi and continue my employment with the company once i have finished university. I think the placement is a great way to understand if the job is the right one for you!

This is the main downfall for some people with this placement. Unlike other placements where IP's work within the same offices and have social parties, Aldi doesn't run this way. There are only around 30 placement students in the UK and you can be split across the country. In my region there were 4 of us and I was 2 hours from the nearest other IP. There are some occasions such as the christmas party where you are able to mix however it is not very often. You also work with the IP's in office time so this is the time of the placement where you have more of a connection with others.

For the first part of the placement I rented a flat and lived by myself. I wasn't socialising due to not knowing the area however it was affordable and Aldi pay a generous amount for the placement so you aren't struggling for money even with rents and bills. For the second part of the year, I worked and lived at home so the costs with minimal. If you are looking for a placement where you want to be able to go out every weekend then Aldi may not be the job for you as you often work weekends in store time and don't always have two consecutive days off. However, I think it is still doable and you are able too socialise if you want to. For example, I was three hours from my hometown and managed to go back and see my friends regually so it is what you make it!

I didn't go out much due to being in a different area however i was invited to Christmas parties and we had a good time! When I moved back home, I was able to go out much more so it really depends where you are based!

Aldi doesn't provide many social activities and I think this varies per region and personal preferences. In the regions I was in there was no organisation of any other activities. I know other have set up football teams etc though so it is possible if you wanted to and organised something!