Capability Development Review

by Boots

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5
  • The Role
    3.7
  • The Company
    3.7
  • The Culture
    3.9

    The Role

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

    • I have loved my placement year, it has been full of learning, growth and a lot of fun. You are given a real role where you have responsbilities and have the opportunity to have an impact in the business. I have learned more than I expected and have a desire to come back to Boots onto their Grad Scheme due to the positive, friendly culture the business has.

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

    • You are treated like any other individual in the company, where your opinion is valued and you are able to have a great input into work. As a year in industry you may be expected to help with team support which isn't always the best, but you are valued for the work you do that enables your team to work more efficiently.

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

    • Boots Year in Industry has a great support network, you get really close with the other students as well as having development sessions together throughout the year. The programme has been set up well and you are pushed to focus on yourself and your development while you are here.

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

    • Fairly busy, it completely depends on what role you are in and your atiitute towards work. When I first started my role things were very quiet so I went and found work for myself as I was very curious about the business and really wanted to learn more.

    3/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • As a year in industry at Boots you get the unique opportunity to liase with senior executives and this exposure led to me being given high profile pieces of work

    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 have gained a variety of skills that has helped my professionalism. As well as this my role has given me hands on experience for Project Management (relevant to my degree) and key transferable skills I will be able to use in my studies and in future roles.

    4/5

    The Company

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

    • The atmosphere is amazing, the Boots site in Nottingham is like a minature village with lots of different buildings with exciting stuff going on everywhere. Inside the main office it is lively, happy and friendly. The whole office is open planned, even senior execuatives don't have offices so you are often sitting in meetings next to some very important people! With thousands of employees under one building there is always something going on. Product sales, cake sales, pavilion events (where you get free products!) so there is always something to look forward to.

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

    • The placement is well organised in terms of the Year in Industry programme as the learning and development has been so helpful and has supported me greatly throughout my year. However, on a team level (which is organised based on your manager and not the programme) my team were unprepared for me and as a result I did struggle to settle in at the start.

    3/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • The firm invested lots of time and energy into my development. There is a great learning and development department within Boots that offer great training days such as negotiation training, impact and influence and many more. These enabled me to perform better in my day job as well as increase my personal development ready for the future.

    4/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Subsidised/Company Gym

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop
    5/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • The graduate scheme is getting more competitive because Boots offer such great support in terms of your personal development and career prospects after the 2 year programme. Having been on the year in industry I can go straight to assessment center for the grad scheme. However, if not successful there is the opportunity to find roles within Boots and grad schemes are not the only option avaliable.

    3/5

    The Culture

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

    • The placement students have been amazing, I even live with a few of them which has made the experience even more fun. Most placement students live in the heart of Nottingham so it's very easy to go out and socalise together with lots of great places to go.

    3/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • The cost of living was good as the salary is quite competitive at Boots compared to other placement. Rent in the city center can be around £400 if you want a nice flat. Nottingham has some great student areas if you are looking to save some money throughout the year, however even the fancy places aren't expensive.

    4/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Really good, there is always lots going on in Nottingham and there are plenty of bars to check out while you are here.

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

    • This may depend on what kind of team you are in, some teams love doing activites outside of work and others don't. If it's something that appeals to you, you'll easily be able to find groups of people that meet regually and get together outside of work.

    5/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

East Midlands

June 2016

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