Brand and Product Developer 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
4.4
-
The Company
2.9
-
The Culture
4.1
- 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
I found the culture at Waitrose a bit of a shock when starting out. I was a bit slow getting used to the new environment. However, once I got used to that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I felt valued by my colleagues in most instances. The partnership is very good at being very welcoming. There is a general ethos that everyone is equal. Of course there are exceptions to this - when people have come from a different company they sometimes struggle to get used to the culture.
Guidance is always available. But the student needs to show initiative to ask for it. The manager is not going to know what the student is thinking.
This can be dependant on the placement. During the first quarter of my placement, I found I wasn't that busy. The managers need time to gather what tasks you will be good at. The student should use their initiative by demonstrating what they can offer the team. I personally carved out a couple of roles for myself over time. During the second half of my placement I was extremely busy.
I was given high levels of responsibility on the placement. Again, this will only come if the student uses his/her initiative and expresses their objectives of the placement from the start.
The skills I developed have helped me greatly in university and generally in life. These are mainly transferable skills, however I am sure that I will see the more specific skills I gained, become beneficial once I graduate.
The Company
The atmosphere in the office is very friendly. You can go to anyone for advice or help on anything.
The placement was organised satisfactorily overall.
I was given some training. I was given support when I expressed an interest in going to a conference which I believed to be valuable to my professional development, and training for systems was available should we have needed it.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Company Car
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
International Travel
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Above 25 days holiday
Working from home
Healthcare from home
Healthcare/Dental
Travel loan
The future employment prospects are good if you are prepared to work in-store for at least 1 or 2 years.
The Culture
Yes
Cost of living was more than reasonable in Reading providing you share with a minimum of 3 others. Food prices, gas and electricity were easily affordable too.
Nightlife was OK in Reading, but there was easy access to London (30 mins on train) if you wanted to go to London for a night out.
Yes. Lots.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Market Research, Marketing, Product Design
South East
November 2014
