48 Week Placement Student. Review

The work at Lidl is challenging from day one. Responsibility is thrown at you and there are plenty of opportunities to develop a wide range of management skills.

Everyone I worked with was very interested in the placement scheme and respectful that I was a graduate. Many people I came across on the placement spoke extremely highly of previous placements and how they had progressed well in the company.

There was a newly appointed role on the placement called the regional training manager. They were responsible for looking after two placement students. We had regular contact with them and they were always available to help and advise me during the placement.

You need to work very hard on the placement. It is a retail placement and you won't be working a 9 to 5 job. However if you thrive on a challenge then the placement will be perfect for you. Don't expect to have it easy but at the same time there will never be too much work on.

On the placement I started off as a sales assistant working tills, putting stock out and even cleaning the toilets! After 12 weeks on store I had progressed to a deputy store manager and I was managing running shifts on a daily basis. By the end of the placement I managed my own store for a six week period.

The skills I learned will mostly help me after my degree. The management skills I have developed will be useful in any management job.

I rarely worked in an office. I worked out of stores. It was a working environment but there was plenty of opportunity to enjoy yourself and socialise outside of work.

The placement was explained to us on the first day. This was then followed throughout the placement. This included the completion of 4 different modules, two weeks in head office and three training projects across the 48 weeks.

The training of the placement students simply didn't have a cost. I spent over 50 nights in a hotel and this was never questioned. It was simply part of the necessary training needed.

All placement students have already become ambassadors with the company back in our universities. There will be chance to discuss jobs at the end of the placement.

All the placement students are friends on Facebook. We have all shared numbers and communicate daily.

Lived with parents. You get placed in a store near where you live to allowed this as an option.

I worked in my local town and so the nightlife was what I had been used to for a few years.

Placement students were invited to christmas and summer parties.