Retail Business Placement Participant Review

The level of responsibility and trust placed upon me in my placement was exceptional. This gave me a real opportunity to discover what I was capable of. There were times when the responsibilities turned into stress, however, overall the job was very rewarding. I got an incredible opportunity to manage people, costs and sales first hand.

The management team were very supportive of me and I participated in all management meetings. My opinion was valued and taken into consideration. I was given freedom to manage projects, but I was confident that my mentor was always there to respond to my concerns and to ensure I stayed on the right track.

You get out of it what you put into it, the more you ask, the more you'll know, so utilise the experts. The support was always there, however I was expected to have initiative and manage my own development. Spoon-feeding does not take place at M&S, but they will support you through your learning.

There is no time to get bored in Retail. Every day was different and every day was full of new things to be done. Managing Sales, People and Costs in a department is most certainly a full-time job.

I was made responsible for a General Merchandise department and a Food Department for approximately six months each. I also provided cover for Commercial Managers whilst they were on holidays, which consisted of looking after larger departments on my own. There were also various events that I managed during the year, including a Loyalty Event.

I developed managerial skills, communication skills, people skills, presentation skills and many more, these will stay with me for life. I have also gained a better understanding of the world of business and this will be valuable no matter what I do.

There was a general professional environment, with fun in all the right places.

There was an element of the placement that was pre-organised, like certain courses and a general outline. But there were also certain aspects that allowed for flexibility, e.g. I could organise mini attachments to certain areas of the organisation if I felt that I wanted to know more about them.

They invested into a lot of courses and also a lot of time and support from Commercial Managers.

I have been invited back to their graduate scheme once I finish university

It depends how energetic you are, after a 40 hour week I was pretty exhausted so I tended to relax during my time off.