RateMyPlacement
Completing the role of a store assistant manager. Then moving to train as an Area Manager, who runs approximately 4 Aldi stores
My role has changed dramatically throughout the past year of working at Aldi. I was a fully trained member of staff in regards to working in the store, being able to run one of the stores as an acting Store Manager for 2 weeks. Out with store however, I have been shadowing various Area Managers, learning what it takes to manage an area of 3-5 stores and usually over 100 employees.
For the first half of the placement you are based in store and as such it initially involves learning how the store runs day to dad eventually becoming and assistant store manager within a store and managing there store to the highest standard. The second half of the placement is office based so you will embark on numerous project which the company will then use to improve these KPI areas, such as inventory and wastage.
The year consists of 6 months based in Stores where you learn how to use all the equipment and get to a stage where you are managing the team and store. As well as 6 months based in Head Office, where you are working on projects for the company on a day-to-day basis.
Tasks: - Ensure that scheduled code has run correctly and provide reporting support to business where needed. - Project meetings. - Streamlining and maintenance of reports to keep them up to date with business needs. - E-learning Interactions: - SQL development assistance from colleagues. - Project management discussions. Responsibilities: - Support over the reports I developed. - Covering colleagues on leave. - Assisting team mates who are over-loaded. Projects: - Large scale hardware upgrades to ALDI's reporting infrastructure. - Small/medium scale reports that various departments of the business have requested. - Excel support to areas of the business lacking developer know-how.
Completely depends on the stage of the year, this could be shelf stacking in stores. Contacting suppliers who are dropping off at the RDC or could be having a performance management conversation. No one day is the same.
To assist the store manager in achieving the highest possible sales in their store, whilst ensuring an efficient and co operative working environment, excellent customer service, consistent price change, strong due diligence and accurate accounts.
Project management support of various IT projects, ranging from global business transformation to innovation projects
The first six months involved training throughout the various positions within store. This started with learning the ropes as a store assistant, culminating with time spent as an Assistant store manager developing your own leadership style. The final six months included head office time and the task of business critical project work.
Starts off in store for 6 months then you move to Regional Head Office to carry out project work as well as following your mentor around on their day to day activities
My day-to-day role varied immensely. During my time in store I would be running the shift, cashing up and ensuring all daily checks were done. My time in head office I would be visiting stores conducting audits or working for a Director on projects.
The role involves entering the business at the base level and through managing a store team, gradually gaining an idea of all the skills involved in becoming a full time area manager for Aldi. The second half of the business is more project based and you are responsible for investigating a potential business opportunity and presenting findings back to the operations directors.
Store time- Understanding the fundamentals of the business Head office- Carrying out projects to improve the businesses efficiency, given real responsibility throughout. Shadowing Area Managers- Exploring what the role of an AM involves, coach and develop you stores.
The role was very changeable and involved lots of different areas of the business. During my time shadowing/acting as an Area Manager, I would often visit 3/4 stores a day completing shop floor checks and having management discussions with the store manager. I also completed a lot of project work where I was tasked with training employees across the whole region on new initiatives that were being launched (Area Managers, Store Managers, Store Colleagues, Office Colleagues, etc.). No day was ever the same which made the role really exciting!
Area manager shadowing. Store time - training from store assistant up to assistant store manager. Grading during store time alongside training. Area cover - cover an area manager and their four stores. Project work - Christmas trading project, recruitment, warehouse capacity and MUP audit. SOD updates/days out - regular formal meetings where feedback and SMART goals are created for the next rotation.
The role involves learning all about store operations within the business, gaining excellent insight into the popular graduate Area Manager role. You first learn to manage and run a store whilst also shadowing your Area Manager mentor. In the second half of the year you get stuck into some exciting project work. Throughout the year you are given huge amounts of responsibility which is so rewarding and fulfilling.
Working in a store, driving sales and achieving KPIs as well as working on projects that impact the wider business.
Reporting, assisting on Aldi's Health and Fairly Traded policies, liaison with international CR teams
Store time can be extremely challenging. This largely depends on what store you are placed in as some stores have a reputation for being much harder than others. Overall the placement will certainly test your resilience. Despite this, it can also be enjoyable. There is great test variety meaning a 10 hour shift will feel more like 5. Days are not boring and you can often be asked to do exciting things such as spending time in head office in different departments.
My University placement at Aldi has been fantastic and I would highly recommend it to other students looking to apply. The placement has taught me a huge range of skills that I can now apply to both my final year studies and my future career. I have thoroughly enjoyed the levels of responsibility and exposure that Aldi have allowed me to embrace and I feel that they have led to great development both professionally and personally.
