John Lewis industrial placement student Review
by John Lewis Partnership
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
3.8
-
The Company
3.2
-
The Culture
3.5
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
The John Lewis placement was definitely beneficial and I have no regrets in doing the scheme. Largely, I enjoyed my time there however there were challenging times as I am sure is the same with any role.
The senior management team gave regular feedback to how I could improve and positive behaviour was regularly rewarded and recognised.
Towards the beginning of my placement I felt like there was a real lack of support however as my placement went on I gained a stronger relationship with my learning advisor who encouraged stronger support from my management.
There were always tasks to keep me occupied and if you ever felt like you needed a project or something to work towards they would always give you something.
At John Lewis you were given a large amount of responsibility over a time you were comfortable with. By the end of my placement I was responsible for my own area of the branch which was great and gave me a lot of confidence.
I feel as though it was a great experience for me and has developed my managerial skills very early on in my career.
The Company
It was a good atmosphere between the managerial team however I think the partners struggled with me being in a managerial position at such a young age which I occasionally found difficult.
I feel as though the organisation could have been a lot better. Because I was the first placement student at my branch there were occasions where I felt they didn't know what to do with me and could have been prepped a lot more.
I had a fantastic learning coach who I met up with on a weekly basis. They also provided regular training sessions and I feel I was given the opportunity to develop a lot of skills whilst on placement.
Financial Bonus
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
I feel as though the graduate scheme has a lot to offer and would be a great route to go down if retail was the industry you would like to go in too. However, it is not something I have decided to progress with.
The Culture
There was regular staff events across the partnership as well as branch Christmas parties and regular retirement or goodbye parties.
My biggest expense was getting to work as i commuted about 30 miles each way but the cost of working in the area was relatively low.
I did not go out in the area so cannot say.
They have a lot of extra activities groups across a whole range of hobbies from running to photography.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Business Management, Marketing, Retail, Sales
East Midlands
November 2014
