Team Manager Review

My time with Gist has been challenging, rewarding, character building and above all else very enjoyable. The individuals I have met, the challenges I have conquered and the skills I have acquired are second to none and I would without a doubt thoroughly recommend undertaking a placement year with Gist.

Gist as a business acknowledges that its key to success is its people. The individuals you meet are warm friendly and more than happy to assist you as and when you need guiding in the right direction. The workmanship and team spirit at Gist is hard to come by and I have definitely felt valued by every single one of my colleagues.

Gist employs placement students and graduates each year so the calibre of supervision and guidance is essential to not only your success but also the businesses. Many of the senior managers have been on the scheme themselves so being able to draw on their experience is great. I can not fault the supervision I was given.

Logistics and supply chain is a very fast paced sector to work within. No two days are the same and you are always kept on your toes. There is always something that requires attention or a decision to be made. This was definitely an environment I found myself thriving within.

As a manager for Gist you are responsible for sometimes up to 75 people each day. The responsibility I was given has surpassed my expectations whilst also helping me develop into the confident manager I am today. On weekends I would find myself the most senior person within the depot so I really was running the show!

One of the main reasons I wanted to carry out a placement year was to put all the theory learned during my first two years at University into practice and I have certainly done this. I will now take back with me to Uni and beyond new skills developed and I look forward to implementing these in my final year.

The depot I worked within was great and the atmosphere was generally usually a positive. However, like any business, you have good days and bad days which determines the general atmosphere of the work environment. With that being said, the atmosphere is what you as an individual decide to make it!

Overall the set up and planning was brilliant. I had a 2 week induction period at the start where I met the team and learnt the basics of the job. One thing I found was that Gist invests heavily in its IPs and Grads so the training sessions and organised socials throughout the year were a pleasant surprise.

Gist prides itself on its people and invests heavily in its placement students and graduates. I have been on several training sessions and organised socials which were great. Throughout my year that has always been opportunities to explore other areas of the business, whether that be at a different site or a day out at one of Gist's customers store. Overall I feel as though Gist has invested a great deal in me, a lot more than I originally thought!

If you want to progress quickly and the company thinks you're the right person for a more senior role then they will waste no time in getting you in that role. You may have to do a bit of moving around the country to achieve this but with this comes great rewards.

The short answer is, yes. There were many organised social events with other IPs and Graduates throughout the year. As well as social evenings with the colleagues you work with.

I was lucky enough to live at home whilst I carried out my placement year. However, it really depends where you're based... areas in the south will always be more expensive than areas up north!

There were many big local towns/cities that all had their own Universities so as you would expect, pretty good!

Yes, you have to put yourself forward in some respects but the opportunities are definitely there.