Corporate Logistics Industrial Placement Review

The Placement has been an experience to remember and one that I highly recommend. I have really enjoyed the working environment at ALDI, the friendly atmosphere and approachable Teams that you engage with and work within.

There is definitely a strong sense of belonging when working with ALDI. when you get to the stage where you are adding value to the business you definitely feel valued by colleagues sharing your experience with different Teams and helping them overcome challenges. I am part of a very close knit Team and we value each other's support very highly taking the approach of 'if one of us fail we all fail'. Understandably as a result of this we are all very motivated, support each other and face challenges together.

I have received significant guidance throughout the placement. ALDI takes great care in their recruitment and development which is very evident from my experiences this year. I have worked under two different managers and have had two different mentors all offering a wealth of support and advice. That said, the whole management Team commit to your development as an industrial Placement Student and give advice throughout the year.

Very busy; I was told that I would be pushed very hard with the work I was given and the responsibility I would have and this is definitely the case. I find that my workload does vary week to week, sometimes I work 60/70 hours a week and sometimes I manage to stick to my 50 hours but you never really get a light week with minimal workload. this is definitely a positive as you are always busy and don't have a chance to get bored. Having to work over your hours isn't a problem as you are passionate about the work you are doing and want to do your job well. the extra work comes from your position being at management level but having limited experience; you will get better at managing your time as you progress through the placement.

You are working at management level on this placement and you are gradually given responsibility as you progress. The projects and work I have completed have gone to CEO level, often you deal with projects that cost well over 6 figures and impact the whole business. Ultimately you get out of the placement what you put in, the more you throw yourself into the work and show enthusiasm for further responsibility the more you are given.

I cannot express enough how important it is to complete a placement year. From a work ethic perspective, I know that going into third year of university I will be very productive. in terms of experience, I know exactly what I want to write my dissertation on now and have learnt so much about business that I can use in my assignments. Perhaps most importantly the people management skills will be the most useful, working within teams and managing group assignments will be a lot easier given the experience I now have.

A very friendly atmosphere where everyone is approachable and happy to help you with queries or simply get to know you. it is a very busy and quite loud environment which makes you feel very involved and motivated.

The placement is very organised with an extensive training period for the first two months; the training plans are very detailed. you then move onto projects which have been considered well in advance and developed as the business understands your strengths and weaknesses. Great care is taken by the business to plan your year and develop you as much as possible.

I have had additional training where necessary completing training in Customs Clearance and achieving level 2 qualification from the UK Customs Academy. the business will always ensure you receive training if it is needed. the main investment is time, given how busy everyone is your mentor and manager invest significant time into your development.

Very appealing, I have worked towards getting a job with ALDI post graduation all year. The opportunities are fantastic not just due to the salaries but because of the development, responsibility and experience you will gain.

There is a strong social scene with fellow placement students. As one of the 4 IP's based in Head Office we are very close, I work with one of the IP's on a day to day basis and so we get on very well. the wider IP group meet up every couple of months and talk over social media very frequently.

The cost of living is fantastic living near Birmingham. ALDI also pay very well so this is not an issue if you were to work for them.

The nightlife is very minimal where I live, you need to go into Birmingham to really socialise but this isn't far away and the trains are very close by.

There are not many extra-curricular activities to be honest, ALDI culture keeps work and social life quite separated which can be nice too.