Vactrain 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

3/5
  • The Role
    4.0
  • The Company
    2.6
  • The Culture
    1.9

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • I was based in one department but I was also given the opportunity to meet different people from throughout the company and get an insight into other areas of the business. This made the placement more interesting.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • I felt like a valued member of the team.

    4/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • I was given plenty of support from my Department Manager as well as the Personnel Department.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • I was extremely busy. I was either working on the shop floor, off spending time in other departments and areas of the business or working on my project for senior management.

    5/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I was given as much reposnsibilty on the shop floor as any other sales assistant. The project I carried out for senior management gave me extra responsibilty as they were really interested in my findings and wanted to use them in the future.

    4/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • I want to work in a customer facing environment and this placement gave me great experience for that area.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • Since I wasnt based in an office, other than when I was working on my project, I was often in a customer facing environment, which is constantly changing and therefore never dull!

    4/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • Although they had not been running the placement scheme for that long, my time at John Lewis was planned and structured really well to help me get the most out of my placement.

    4/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • I was only at the company for a short time (7 weeks over the summer) and therefore not much was invested in my training and development at all.

    1/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Subsidised Canteen
    1/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • I know that the Graduate scheme at John Lewis is supposed to be really prestigious. Having done the Vactrain scheme, I was fast-tracked to the final interview stage of the Graduate scheme. This is often the case when you impress during your Vactrain placement apparently. If I wanted a career in Retail Management I would definitely want to work here in the future, however I have decided that other industries interest me more.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • I was the only placement student there so I can't really comment. The people in my team were all really nice though.

    1/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • My placement was located close enough for me to live at home with my parents.

    3/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • The nightlife in Watford is pretty good.

    4/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Apart from my leaving party, I didnt't get involved in any activities outside of work.

    1/5
    Report this review

Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Sales

Scotland

August 2007

View More Reviews