Operations Management Student Review

Warehouse: Section Leader Each day you will be placed in charge of a specific section, whether that is Sorter, Intake, pick or Out load. You will then ensure that your team achieve optimal results for the day and hit targets. Transport: Front Desk Operating the front desk encompasses the organising runs and making decisions on units and trailers that are used. As well as this you are a planner ensuring the future is set up for success.

I have absolutely both gained new skills and built upon skills i already had. One that i feel is very important is people skills. Having previously worked in a small store with around 30 employees i thought my people skills were good but being in an environment (A warehouse with over 200 employees) is a massive change and if you embrace this, it can have life changing impacts. I feel much more confident public speaking through briefing large groups of colleagues throughout the day.

Yes, i was given lots of responsibility, within my first week i was able to competently take charge of the out loading section of the warehouse. ensuring all stock was loaded safely and correctly, providing the best possible service to stores. Taking on this responsibility was very important for me early on in my placement year as i wanted to really understand the operation and prove to myself that i can lead a team of employees to success.

The induction that our cohort had was great, it really got me interested in the business as a whole and speaking to the directors made me feel wanted within the company. I left with motivation to return to my site and continue to to strive for success. However after this point i felt that there was a slight lack of direction throughout the rest of the year. I almost expected a roadmap as to what my year might look like and when i would be changing over the the transport team, etc. But i felt this was something i had to push for myself.

The company culture was great, i really enjoyed working with every team member at gist. There is a real feeling that everyone wants to do their best both for the depot and for fellow colleagues. This is shown by the amount of long serving staff, talking to those around the business i found there was a large proportion of people that had been there 20 plus years. Which is a testament to Gist in itself.

I loved my Placement year at Gist, I met lots of great people that i have stayed in contact with since finishing and returning to University. It gave me an insight into logistics and a new industry as a whole which i am grateful for. Coming from working in a store environment i understood the end of supply chain and it was interesting to see the processes that lead up to that point of stock arriving at store.

Yes

I would recommend gist to anyone. Some advice that i would give is to ensure you understand the roles that you will be undertaking before you start. As i think there was a clear difference in the job description that i applied for and the practical work / role i undertook for the year. I would also prepare yourself for lots of people management, with such large amounts of employees, you will meet lots of different people and knowing how to engage with different people is an essential skill. One that this past year has helped me with. Finally i would say enjoy it as it is a great place to work!