Placement Year Review at The Co-operative Group

The Role

Role Description

Working as a member of the support team who support the Regional Location Analysis department, whose job is to increase the portfolio of Co-operative Food Stores with profitable stores in good locations. Day to day duties included carrying out the initial assessment of new sites alongside data analysis and mapping/demographic requestes from the rest of the business, however there was a significant amount of varied project work as well.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Absoultely fantastic placement in a great business. I couldn't recommend it more- the experience has been invaluable for my future career.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was treated as a permanent member of the team from day one, rather than as a placement student, and recieved the same training as any new starter to the department would. By the end of the placement, I was recieving direct requests from other areas of the business and given confidential, high level projects to complete and report.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was assigned a mentor from the start of my placement, who was my direct go-to for support, and who remained in this role throughout the year, even when he moved on with a promotion. As well as this guidance, my line manager was always approachable and made time for regular 1-2-1 meetings in which my development was discussed in detail. For all other queries, we also had the undergraduate placement manager who gave support from outside our departments.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was rarely bored, or without a project, as alongside day to day tasks the whole team were assigned objectives and more chunky projects to be working on continuously thoughout the year. There was always something to do, but on balance I was rarely overwhelmed with the amount of work I was given and could always approach my manager if I felt I had too much on my plate.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I felt I was given as much responsibility as the other full time members of the support team, however with some things it was impossible for this to be the case due to the time constraint of a year.

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've learnt more in my placement year than I could ever have thought possible, and feel I've developed a huge number of transferrable skills which will help both in my final year and definitely in my future career.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Busy, dynamic office with enthusiastic and supportive people and a fast paced atmosphere.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Great from within the department, and very well through the undergraduate placement scheme. I feel it will only get better as the scheme becomes more mature- we were only the second year of official placement students on the scheme.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was sent on a training course in my second week to learn how to use a software package, and regularly attended conferences and meetings I expressed an interest in. There was always an opportunity to put forward a business case if I felt I needed more training in a specific area.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• National Travel
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I hope to come back to the Co-operative Group on their graduate scheme- this year has given me an insight into the scheme and it's structure. As a placement student we are fast tracked through to the assessment centre of the graduate application process.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

There were many opportunities for a busy social scene- we were included in any graduate social events and the Co-operative has a busy, popular sports and social club.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Manchester is a lot cheaper than London! A standard 2 bed flat is about £625-£650 a month.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Manchester has plenty of clubs and bars!

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Co-op encourage volunteering, there are lots of sporting events and tournaments, always an opportunity to get involved in something!

Review 5/6 for The Co-operative Group

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