Industrial Placement Student Review

I found my year with Aldi challenging but very rewarding. Although there were bad days, as there are with any job, the good definitely outweighed the bad for me.

In store you are seen as one of the management team and treated so. Once you have been fully trained you become invaluable in store, running shifts closing/opening the store. I also felt valued in head office during the months I spent there, giving presentations to directors and seeing my suggestions being implemented. You are very much a valued person in every aspect of the business.

There was never a moment I felt I couldn't ask for help or support, if I needed it. If training in store wasn't going as planned you could first ask the manager and then the area manager to help you if it was needed.

No day is ever the same and you are incredibly busy. There's always a sense of purpose and you never feel bored or at a lose end.

The level of responsibility has been unlike anything I imagined. I have given presentations to directors and run a store, helped allocate stock to stores at the busiest periods such as Christmas and so much more.

My ability to manage my time and organise myself has greatly developed as a result of this year, which I will bring with me into my final year. Also, my analytical skills and personnel skills have greatly developed which will be a great benefit in my final year and beyond.

The atmosphere between different stores varied as it does from the head office. In general, however, it was very positive and friendly.

The initial training plan was followed very loosely and the communication about the changes could have been better. However, the actual training in store was very structured and organised.

The company has greatly developed me in terms of my confidence and personnel skills which is necessary if you want to manage a team of people effectively. I've also developed in my IT skills and ability to give presentations.

The future employment prospect is incredibly appealing. After a year with Aldi you gain a solid understanding of what the company is about and how it works, what's expected of you and the workload this entails.

We all lived nearby to the head office in our region which meant we could arrange meals out and drinks after work. During store time this was much harder due to everyone having different shifts but we still managed to socialise outside of work.

It was a very affordable year, living and socialising in the area I worked in. I managed to have fun and still save for final year.

The nightlife in the area I lived was very different to University nights out as there aren't many students about. This didn't really effect us after we found the places we liked to go and enjoyed a good night out.

Apart from the gym and joining a running club I didn't get involved in any other activities outside of work. I depended on the hours you were working as to what you could do with your evenings and days off.