Retail Management Placement Student Review

I can honestly say that my placement year has been really enjoyable. I have been able to challenge and push myself out of my comfort zone whilst learning so much. As a student I didn't really know which area of the business to go into and the rotational aspect of the Lidl placement scheme was perfect for me! I have learnt so much throughout my year and it has given me an insight into Lidl as a business, but also the industry.

I always felt valued by my colleagues. From the start of the placement to the very end you are supported by everyone. I had a regional training consultant who supported me and regularly contacted me. I also felt extremely welcomed in each new department that I worked in which definitely made me feel more comfortable. The training and development I was given was amazing.

I was given a lot of support by management and my supervisor. However, within Lidl you have to take control of your own experience. This has been a great learning experience for me as I was able to gain confidence and be assertive when in different departments. I was given constant support and guidance from my mentor who pushed me to develop myself further and really get the most out of my year here.

During my time in sales I was extremely busy. Working in store is very fast paced and allowed me to develop myself from a customer assistant to a shift manager within 3 months. As you rotate into different departments you adapt to this fast pace and it gets much easier to manage. I was given a lot of responsibility in certain departments such as Supply Chain and Training and Development and therefore I was very busy. I feel that this enabled me to learn more about each department and the business as a whole.

As a placement student in Lidl you are given a lot of responsibility. One thing that I learnt throughout the year is that if you want to develop and grow, you have to be in charge of that and push for it. I was given huge amounts of responsibility in Supply Chain as I had to cover a full time role during the pandemic. In other departments such as Sales and HR I was given projects and challenges to work towards gaining more responsibility. One of my favourite aspects of this placement was that I was able to take responsibility and control of what impact I made to each department.

I believe that everything that I have learnt throughout my year here at Lidl will stick with me throughout my final year and even life beyond that. I have grown so much this past year, and developed skills that will be beneficial in all situations.

Everyone here at Lidl is so friendly. From the start in September I felt so welcomed and truly a part of the 'Lidl Family'. I always felt comfortable in each department I experienced. The culture at Lidl is absolutely amazing! Everybody is so hard-working here it is so inspiring.

The placement scheme is organised excellently. Before I had even started I was shown a timeline of how my year will go, specifying exact dates of when I'm in different departments, training days and even catch ups with my mentors. The Regional Training Consultants organised the placement year so well and I have really been able to get exposure to many different departments within the business. Even though it was all organised for me in advance, the plan for the year was also very flexible and allowed me to spend more/less time in departments and allowed me to have more opportunities.

Ever since I started my placement there was a huge focus on my training and development. I was supported so well throughout my placement and was able to really develop myself with the company's support. Overall, I felt that Lidl had invested a lot of time and resources in me and I am so grateful for that. Without this constant support and mentoring I don't think I would've learnt as much about the business, but also myself as a person.

Having completed the placement, the graduate scheme follows a similar structure. The graduate scheme gives you an opportunity to build on your knowledge and experience and allows you to specialise in one of three areas within the business.

Everybody at the Regional Distribution Centre was so friendly and welcoming. During the year I became close friends with the graduates and they became a great support system and friends that I can rely on. It has been lovely to get to know them more and develop a friendship that I now can't see myself without! The company also assigns you a buddy when you start your placement incase you need any support or ask advice.

I lived at home during my placement year so there was little/no cost involved except petrol costs.

Nightlife in Birmingham is great, however half of my year occurred during the pandemic so nightlife wasn't really experienced.

I would say there was a few opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, however, as mentioned before the coronavirus pandemic took over half of my year here and therefore activities like this couldn't happen!