Tesco Summer Intern - Food Commercial Review

by Tesco plc

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
    4.3
  • The Company
    3.9
  • The Culture
    2.5

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I really enjoyed my time at Tesco, it was a really welcoming and easy going atmosphere which was ideal as someone who was entering the commercial/business sector for the first time. The role was quite challenging but very rewarding. I was given quite a large project which involved working with a wide range of teams within Tesco and their suppliers.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • As I was given a set project for my time at Tesco, you really do become an expert in that field during your time in the company. Therefore I was highly valued by my other colleagues and seen as another equal team member rather than an intern at the bottom of the food chain! They made a strong effort to include me in all social events and team events.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • I felt very well supported by my managers during my time at Tesco. The team is quite large with various levels of management in the team, which created a good support network for me. It meant that not only was my direct manager looking out for me, but everyone else in the team at a higher level was also very supportive and helpful.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Due to being assigned my own project for my time at Tesco, I was almost entirely in change of my own schedule. I know I work best when busiest, so always scheduled meetings with as many people as possible that either related to my project, or just held a position in the company which was of interest to me. You are completely in charge of how busy you are, which is quite refreshing.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I ran my project completely alone after a few weeks into my placement, so work load-wise, a lot of responsibility was given to me. Of course, my team and managers were there, easy to contact and always very willing to help me out when I needed it, but it was on me to organise the majority of meetings after the first few weeks.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I came into the role with a strong science and medical background. I was very focused on this area and career path before arriving at Tesco, but this placement has given me a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of the retail and food sector exponentially. Although quite a few of the skills seem very specialist, they are also highly transferable. It has given me an opportunity to develop skills and training that I otherwise would not have gained if I remained in my comfort zone of scientific research.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The office had a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. It was relatively easy to settle in as it is quite a relaxed feel. Everyone works very hard and has extremely important roles, but they are still always happy to sit and have a catch up with you over coffee to make you feel more welcome.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Overall it seems very well organised now I have almost completed my time here, however to begin with there definitely were some discrepancies between the set up from the Internship Team, and my actual work team. To begin I did feel quite lost and unsure what I was doing/what my role was because my team expected HR to have told me and visa versa.

    3/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • Although I didn't attend any development courses directly, I feel as if my development and training has been very well supported. I have been invited to a number of different meetings and events to shadow to get an idea of the whole business, and people always took time out to show me how to do complex tasks.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    National Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Working from home

    5/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • The next step graduate scheme seems like a very appealing next step on from the summer internship. It seems that a lot of work has gone into ensuring that the internship and graduate scheme flow through to each other well. It also seems like there is a wide variety of different areas to go into, even though the internship was focused on just one area.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • Within the smaller group of interns in my department, we did make quite a bit of effort to meet up at lunch etc. However, wider than this it was quite difficult as people are living in a wide range of places. There didn't seem like much time to get to know the other interns in the initial introductions.

    3/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Living costs were higher than expected but not extortionate, for living in a house share. However, I stayed in Welwyn GC so travel expenses were extremely low to non existent. Socialising was quite difficult as Welwyn is a very quite area socially, so you either stay at HO which is very cheap, or go into London.

    4/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • I staying in Welwyn GC as it was easiest for travel purposes. However, socially there wasn't much to do. A couple of us went to the pub or dinner a handful of times, but apart from that you have to head into London really, which is easy enough but quite a faff.

    1/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Within my team, a couple of sport competitions and social events were held during my time at Tesco, which was really nice as it was a good opportunity to meet more of my team and become a bit more confident around my team. However it did depend on your team a lot.

    3/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Consumer Products/FMCG, Purchasing and Supply, Retail

London

August 2018


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