Trainee Commercial Manager Review
by Marks & Spencer
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
4.7
-
The Company
4.7
-
The Culture
3.9
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
The variety of the job means that even if you're not enjoying one aspect, you can quickly move onto something completely different.
M&S as a company has a great atmosphere and everyone that i met over the year were really friendly and welcoming.
Training as part of the management team, you are involved with everything right from the start and learn everything from the managers around you.
There is always something to do when you work in retail, so don't worry about getting bored! Obviously over Christmas you are much busier and so are expected to do more, but generally the pace of the job was perfect for someone who doesn't want to be sitting at a desk all day... someone who wants to be up and about doing things.
You're thrown straight in at the deep end...managers badge and everything! You do everything that the commercial managers do and are expected to take responsibility almost from day one.
The training, both in store and externally can't be faulted. The training courses, that average out at about one a month, are done regionally so it's a great opportunity to meet people doing the same training in stores near by. Training in stores is very much learn-as-you-go and you're told from the beginning that it's your training and your responsibilty. It's important to be proactive, ask questions, get involved and you'll soon pick things up.
The Company
There was quite a lot of turnover in the time that i was at M&S, so the atmosphere was constantly changing depending on the people. In general, everyone is there to do the same job and so everyone supports eachother.
Really well organised, clear training shchemes that were flexible enough to accomodate individuals.
In your first year you get to go on two 2/3 day Leadership courses which are solely focused on you and what you can do to become a more sucessful manager. These courses were extreemly useful in recognising skills in yourself and others and being able to adapt to different management styles.
Subsidised Canteen
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Can't wait to get back!
The Culture
As I was in a large store, with 5 other trainees the social life was realy good, as we got on really well. (Some stores only take on one trainee though)
More expensive than i was used to, coming straight from uni... but liveable on the wage that i got.
Bristol is amazing, especially for live music and great places for food.
Over the year there was one management night out and one whole store party. Both were great nights, but there wasn't a lot of socialising.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Retail
Wales
October 2008
