Supply Chain Internship Review

The stores internship tested my leadership abilities, opened my eyes to a new way of looking at a managers role within the store and provided me with many new and different experiences. The store I was situated in was incredible, and the contact back to head office was constant and speedy - I never felt alone or unprepeared.

The store at Hall Road in Hull was friendly, welcoming and extremely adaptive. They had never had a management intern before but the other managers and the colleagues there adopted me as one of their own almost immediately. I have never worked at or shopped in a store that espouses Tesco's values as much as this one, I had an incredible time.

Whilst I felt supported and nurtured consistently by the other managers, more could have been done to ensure that the reviews and ABCDs were completed on time and more thoroughly. I felt that some of the team didn't understand the importance or necessity to complete them. Other than that, I was supported in every endeavour by every manager and, especially, the two Leads and store manager.

As someone who loves a challange and never likes to be sitting around, the stores internship presented me with a constant stream of stuff to do. The team constantly involved me with ongoing projects and gave me some of my own, but were always on hand to help out if I took too much on or was busy with other tasks.

It must've been really hard for the current grocery manager to step back and take his hands off the wheel, but he did so without objection, and was happy to offer advice and support when asked. I was given control of grocery and backdoor, taking on his full role, and relished the oppurtunity to show what I had learned.

Not just the management skills but also the organisation and leadership skills that I picked up and developed along this internship will stay with me throughout my academic career and also my professional one. The insights program especially will stay with me for a long time, in whatever field in which I choose to study or work.

Any store is stressful and demanding, but the colleagues and managers at mine made it fun and welcoming as well. We all ate lunch together and chipped in to help each other out, it was a friendly and exciting environment, one I'd be more than happy to return to again.

The placement itself was organised to an acceptible standard, but the travelling and communication were both often very last minute. I'm someone who loves structure and planning, so I found that side of the internship very difficult. The structure of the 10 weeks, however, was ideal and allowed for a great degree of growth.

The insightes program, the upskilling WebEx's and the general development conversations I had with my store manager all pointed toward a genuine interest in my personal training and development - from the store and its managers to the guys down at head office. What's more is that the development was consistent and personal.

Not only was my completion meeting a success, and I was endorsed for the graduate scheme for the following year, my Store Director also created a position for me within that team at that store, in order to foster and grow the passion that he had seen within me. An unexpected but much welcomed decision.

Obviously being so far away from the other interns meant I couldn't socialise with them, but I have gone out and socialised with many of the colleagues and managers from my store, who welcomed me not just as a colleague but also, in some instances, as a friend. Hull is very much like that, though.

London is always going to be more expensive than the rest of the country, but Tesco has subsidised canteens and a gym which is good which really helps. Tesco Head Office is also based in Welwyn Garden City which is slightly north of London so is a bit less expensive than living in the centre of London - I lived in a friend's flat in the centre of London and commuted every day so there was also the cost of transport to think about, but if you live in Welwyn you wouldn't have that. There are also things like Spoons everywhere so you don't have to spend loads of money socialising if you don't want to.

There are places to go in Welwyn but if you want to go to London its only a half an hour train journey and London has an amazing nightlife. I went out with the interns in London as I lived there and there are loads of places to choose from, but I know that other interns who lived around Welwyn went to the pub often too.

Due to the nature of shift work, getting involved in stuff outside work is never easy. My store does run a comprehensive community outreach program, doing activities liek volunteering at homeless shelters and the like, and I did participate in a charity walk across Hull, but other than that I didn't really have the time.