General Management Internship Review

John Lewis is a very welcoming company to join, I was made to feel extremely welcome immediately which made the whole experience seem a lot less daunting. Although you have to work very long days, you will always be asked whether you want to do a certain activity in order for you to get the most out of your time there. This means that you can tailor your internship to activities and sections which you enjoy.

I found the partnership a very welcoming atmosphere, from feeling accepted into meetings to taking a lunch break. There was always someone around that could help me if I felt uncertain about anything, and I made some friends of which I am still in contact with.

I was shadowing a section manager who was extremely supportive and reassuring, as well as any other partner was always willing to answer any question that may help you.

There were some days where if the store was quiet then I would feel like I had nothing helpful to do because I couldn't yet navigate all the systems to serve customers and there was very little management work to do. However once I had decided on my project and was more aware of what there was to do in branch it was easier to find a task to do in order to keep my days filled with constructive activity.

You are given what seems like a lot of responsibility straight away in terms of liasing with partners and putting yourself in very public positions. However once I was settled in I was comfortable with any task that I was asked to do

While completing the internship you must be comfortable with talking to a large audience and be confident in asking whenever you are unsure of something. By the end of the internship I think that my confidence in entering a new place has grown, as well as experiencing management theories in practice. It also made me appreciate the relationships between different branches and head office.

The office atmosphere is constantly changing as very few people are sat in there all day, as managers have to be present on the shop floor. There was a vibrant atmosphere within the room and it was comfortable to work in.

I think that head office could have given Chester(the branch where I completed my placement) more information on what to expect and what was expected from myself during my time. Although Chester were very good at creating a weekly rota of activities there was still a very vague aspect concerning whether my project had any criteria I needed to fill or whether it was completely independent.

Any aspect that was given to a manager was given too myself. I took part in 3 training sessions while I was there that enabled me to help further in store. Once again everyone was very accommodating to 'showing me the ropes' and I had at least one meeting with each manager with them talking me through their responsibilities and past experiences.

I really like the partnership, however I think that at this stage working a branch would be too retail specific and require a lot of relocating in a short period in order to try and progress along a career path. However I would consider head office as it is where most decisions are made and then passed on too the stores.

Nearly all partners live locally and therefore has many opportunities to socialise together, which makes them a very close branch. John Lewis also provide many opportunities such as quizzes, themed nights and charity events.

I live in the Cheshire area and therefore did not have to relocate, so I am used too the living costs surrounding myself. The cost of socialising varies depending on where you are going.

In Chester itself there is a vibrant night life, as well as the close surrounding towns of Manchester and Liverpool

John Lewis offer many different activities such as the previously mentioned charity events and social nights.