Area Manager Review

There's a lot that goes into the role of an Aldi AM starting from the supervision of daily tasks the area should be doing to the higher overall look of the area, such as maintaining high availability of products for customers, and a good inventory for all stores. The role requires the individual to have a strong and diligent character with a range of attributes such as excellent time management. Your work life must be absolutely structed but also very flexible. The ideal week looks like 2 days holding End Of Week meetings with store managers on the stores performance, 2 days completing second visit checks such as cash audits, and interviews, and the final day would be other business requirements such as days out with your Director, or Area manager meetings.

Absolutely. I've developed massively throughout this year of my placement with a range of skills such as my time management, proactiveness, and prioritisation. I've learnt how to conduct interviews, how to analyse a range of business reports and problem solve using the gathered information. I've also learnt how to successfully complete a professional project and present to high stakeholders such as directors. Majority of the skills I now have are what I've gained rather than what I've developed. They're skills that're essential to succeed in a corporate work place.

I was given a lot more responsibility that I could have predicted. At first it was a lot to handle and a very big jump from the a university lifestyle that has little to no responsibility, but I've been able to grow due to the heavy pressure. Some of my responsibilities were opening and running the daily operations of a store as a manager, completing briefs and final presentations of projects to directors, and taking on additional responsibilities such as covering an area of stores

I received a great amount of support in my career throughout the year in the Swindon team all through from my mentor, to my co workers (other area managers). I have also received some support from my university as they assigned a mentor to check in on my progress throughout the year. The biggest help was my mentor which has done a great job of moulding me into an individual that's ready to step out into the professional working world.

The company culture is great. There're times of lesser formality where we have Area Manager retreat days, and times of higher formality where we gather at an Area Manager meeting to discuss the success of the business as a region and plan strategies of what we're going to do going forward for better success.

I have absolutely loved my year at Aldi Swindon, from the start at of my store time training, to the numerous store operations projects I've successfully completed. I can confidently say that I would never have developed and grown as much I have this year if I had chosen any of the other offers I was given, and I would be absolutely glad to do it all over again.

Yes

This is an absolutely fantastic placement, but definitely isn't for everyone, as Aldi look for a specific high calibre of individuals. Even if the placement ends up not being for you there's is still a lot you can learn and take away into what ever venture of life you may walk into.