Placement Year Review at Aldi

The Role

Role Description

Worked in store for four months undertaking the role of Assistant Manager. Tasks varied from replenishing stock and cleaning, to inventory control and daily store covers.
I then moved to the Regional Distribution Centre for ten months where I gained experience in all aspects of the business through the shadowing of colleagues and active participation.
For the last six months of my placement I was solely dedicated to project work. Projects were undertaken in areas such as customer service, store standards and merchandising.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I found my placement at Aldi extremely enjoyable and challenging. From day one I was made to feel part of the team who were all friendly and welcoming. I particularly enjoyed the levels of responsibility that were put on me during my time in store and head office. I feel the depth of retail knowledge and hands on experience I have gained has been invaluable for my future career.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I always felt a valued member of staff. All staff treated me in a welcoming and respectful manner, for which I am extremely grateful. No matter which store / department I worked in I always felt valued.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

My mentor was the Operations Director, as he has entered Aldi having firstly been on placement himself. This I felt was a very good idea as he could best relate to any issues I may encounter. At each stage of my placement I held regular 1 2 1 meetings with the current line manager at that time. These meetings were used to discuss performance and general issues. These meetings were held fortnightly. I found these meetings extremely useful as I could gage my performance, discuss burning issues and obtain further guidance. I felt comfortable with the amount of support on offer and I never felt unsupported throughout my time with Aldi.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was extremely busy, every day of my placement. Coming from a University lifestyle into a busy 48 hour minimum working week was extremely rewarding and I felt I thrived on the challenge. Looking back over the placement I thoroughly enjoyed the varied workload both in store and at head office and always gave 100% in order to maximise the experience.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

After the initial few weeks of the placement, I felt that the responsibility levels were extremely high – which I thoroughly enjoyed. I started as Assistant Manager level and within seven weeks I was running day covers at the store. This was just the start of the increasing levels of responsibility placed upon me. Following my time at the stores I spent the last six months of my placement working for the Regional Operations Director, project managing projects on his behalf. In certain cases these projects lead to company wide roll outs and significant investment for the Company. Not only did this assist my personal development but it also has future benefits for Aldi.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I am currently in my final year at University following my placement which ended September 2011. Although I haven’t put my new skills learnt into practical use I certainly feel that the theory taught in previous years has been brought to life by my placement experience. Also there are a considerable number of skills I have picked up that I am keen to practice in the future – just awaiting an opportunity. The last year’s placement has given me considerably more confidence in completing my year and it has also made me realise how enjoyable a career in retail management can be. I believe I have learnt new life skills whilst working at Aldi which will hold me in good stead for future employment.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I found the working atmosphere to be friendly and very professional. I felt the whole workforce from Directors through to store cahiers were all highly motivated people. I formed the opinion that all staff were striving to achieve, which I found to be a very exciting and stimulating atmosphere.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was hugely impressed with the organisation of my placement. From day one I was given a plan outlining my future time with Aldi. I remember looking at the plan and thinking – week eight running store on own – no way. Sure enough, week eight managing a store, making decisions – WOW. I found the plan to be extremely useful in helping me organise my time at Aldi. I felt everything was planned and organised extremely well and was even more impressed looking back, that the original plan was adhered to - with the exception of my extended placement time at Aldi.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The company invested in me hugely, from critiquing my appearance, style, body language etc to offering me the opportunity to formally communicate at all levels with my peers and seniors. Also having confidence in me to represent Aldi to outside bodies.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

• Company Car
• Company Parties/Events

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Aldi, the placement was originally planned to run from September ’10 to May ’11 (9 months) in reality it started early August ’10 and finished late September ’11 (14 months). I find the prospect of a future career at Aldi extremely appealing. I thrive on the busy challenging environment that exists within the company.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I was the only placement student so hence not a lot of socialising occurred with piers. However, I did enjoy the atmosphere within the office and on occasions gave up my free time to support company gatherings.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

As I was living at home throughout my placement I did not gain a true insight into the cost of living within the area however food prices were relatively cheap within the area.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The regional head office where I spent 9 months of my placement was only 25 minutes away from both Chester and Liverpool which are both lively cities with great night life.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Due to Aldi being within the retail sector it is quite difficult to fully commit to activities outside of the workplace especially when in store due to working hours changing on a weekly basis.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

I found the whole placement experience to be Fantastic. The hours are long particularly when you have to travel one hour each way to get to and from work. Therefore any future placement student must be willing to work hard over long hours. If they are, then they will obtain a fantastic insight into the running and management of a thriving and successful retail business. Looking back the knowledge and experience I have gained I honestly believe is second to none and I thank Aldi for the opportunity. To get the best out of the placement future students must be prepared to give all for the duration of the placement.

Review 3/6 for Aldi

Previous Next