Merchandising and Buying Industrial Placement Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my Placement in Merchandising and Buying at TJX Europe. I was given so many different opportunities that provided an abundance of invaluable experiences. I was also given a lot of responsibility in my role which allowed me to contribute to key decisions being made. I also enjoyed meeting so many different people around the organisation who were really friendly and welcoming.

I felt my colleagues did value me in the team as I contributed to key decisions being made and my opinion was always listened to. I was given a lot of responsibility and therefore felt valued even further as I was trusted to make decisions which affected my department's performance.

I was given so much support during my Placement. I had regular meetings with my Manager to discuss feedback, progress and areas for improvement; these meetings were also useful for discussing areas I was finding more difficult. In addition, I had a Placement supervisor who regularly organised meetings with all the Placement students to discuss how we were getting on and to share our experiences. During these meetings, individuals from around the business were frequently invited to provide advice on how to get the most out of our Placements, how to be successful and to share their experiences.

I was always busy during my Placement and had tasks to get on with each day. For example, in Merchandising I was responsible for a department and part of my role involved deciding which combination of products were distributed to stores each week based on sales trends (with the support of my Manager). I therefore had real responsibility which ensured I was kept busy.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my Placement which made me feel like I was really contributing to my department and team. As a result, I learnt such a lot and was able to communicate with many different people to support my role, for example Buyers, Distribution, Logistics and Vendors.

My Placement is and will continue to really help my final year at University, as well as my future career, as I now have a real understanding of the retail environment and therefore can apply my learnings and practical experiences to my studies. My Placement also developed many different skills which will support my final year too, for example communication and team working skills.

The atmosphere was great and everyone was really friendly. I was made to feel welcome instantly and quickly settled into my team. There were frequently activities to get involved with, in particular during Comic Relief and at Christmas, which made the atmosphere really fun and a great place to go to work each day.

My Placement was very well organised. I was enrolled in a training programme with Graduates and Placement students at the start of my Placement which was structured and ensured I was prepared to carry out my role. In addition, activities were organised throughout the year for Graduates and Placements as a collective to develop us in our roles.

I received a lot of training during my first three months on Placement, alongside other Placement students and Graduates, and engaged in activities during the year which aimed to develop us further. This ensured we had the skill set and knowledge to carry out our job roles, and we were continuously being developed to improve.

I was offered the opportunity to return to TJX Europe on the Graduate Scheme after completing my Placement which I accepted. I am really looking forward to returning when I finish University.

Yes, there were frequently social events organised each week, especially after work on a Friday when everyone tends to go to the local pub.

I did not live in the local area and commuted from home therefore I am unsure what the cost of living was. To socialise, it is not too expensive.

The nightlife was good; there are many different restaurants to choose from, bars and night clubs, therefore there's always somewhere to go.

Yes there were social events organised, open to all.