Brand Development and Product Innovation Review

I can honestly say that my industrial placement with Waitrose surpassed my expectations. Having already worked for the Partnership for three years previously, I went into my placement with a pre-conceived idea as to what I thought it might involve. I can confidently say however, the knowledge I gained about the food retail industry and my own abilities well exceeded what I thought was possible.

With industrial placement roles I often believe students can feel as if they are simply assistant to a role for 12 months. That was certainly not the case at Waitorse. My team and all of the colleagues I worked with throughout my placement always made me feel valued and that I was contributing to the overall success of the business. There was a genuine investment of their time in me in order to deliver the best results I could and the trust and belief that developed was inspiring.

The element of co-ownership which is fundamental to the Partnership business model certainly stood out throughout my placement. Both my team and the recruitment department offered continued support from day one until the completion of my placement. In addition the focus that was placed on my own personal development by my manager and the training team was second to none. Th opportunity to gain support and guidance on any aspect of my employment was always on hand.

I personally thrive in a fast paced working environment and it is fair to say that the daily workload always brought new challenges and time pressures. That being said, the Waitrose placement gave me the opportunity to manage my time effectively. This meant that I often found myself working hard on a daily basis but that it was a result of my approach to work and desire to make the most of every opportunity.

Whilst I believe it is crucial for students to expect to develop their knowledge whilst on placement, as a full time employee for me it was essential to be in a position to add real value. I felt I was given a genuine amount of responsibility and that the opportunity and expectation to make an ongoing positive contribution was present throughout my placement.

I am currently studying Food Marketing and Business Economics at the University of Reading. I can honestly say that my placement could not have been better aligned to my degree and all of the knowledge I gained has already become incredibly useful during in my studies. The training and skills I developed have also certainly come in use during presentations and assisted with my knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other systems. Finally, my placement has confirmed for me that my future lies within the food retail industry and that I am passionate about working for an employer that is aligned to my own personal values as well as delivering market leading results.

Good. There was a mixed age group and there was always a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere with a wealth of knowledge to support it.

For me personally the set up during the 12 months was great. There were unexpected changes at times however I felt that for me these gave the opportunity to develop knew skills and learning.

There was an endless investment of time into the placement students at Waitrose. The feeling that our personal development and the importance of our contribution to the company was paramount throughout.

Waitrose does only offer one graduate scheme which for me with my previous experience is well aligned to my future career ambitions. However that being said, their is also the opportunity to apply to the John Lewis graduate schemes which do differ slightly.

Yes. The social side of the industrial placement certainly did no disappoint. There were regular events and a large group of placement students which resulted in many opportunities to socialise and have fun outside of work .

Waitrose Head Office in based in Bracknell however I lived in Reading and commuted in each day. For me this was both convenient and cost effective and meant there was always an opportunity to go shopping on the weekend and travel to other parts of the country with ease. In terms of rent I was paying £360 a month plus bills which, for student accommodation isn't bad in my opinion.

Good. Reading has several nightclubs which offer nights out everyday of the week. That being said most of our nights out were kept to the weekends simply due to work commitment.

Waitrose and the John Lewis Partnership has a wealth of clubs and societies ranging from running to sailing as well as discounted gym membership and other sports facilities. Despite only being on placement for 12 months there was more than enough time to get involved with as many clubs and societies as you wanted to.