Sales Assistant Review

I thoroughly enjoyed working at Boots as a Sales Assistant. I was immersed in a variety of different tasks and there was definitely a steep learning curve present. The amount of responsibility I was given from the beginning was also overwhelming, and this really helped with my personal and professional development. The training given in the first few days was very helpful as it helped me navigate my tasks throughout the placement.

The colleagues I worked with were incredibly helpful and made me feel very welcomed. Any time I required help or required clarification on a certain procedure they were always will to help and reexplain. My colleagues were also very good at providing me with tasks to do so I was always occupied and there was never a dull moment during my placement.

I had a very supportive team around me and my manager was always willing to help me or stay a few minutes after work to talk about how I was finding the job. They also provided me with extra resources I could use to learn more about a particular area which was really helpful.

Every morning, there would be a team meeting. My line manager would then advise me on the tasks I need to complete for each day or sometimes for the whole week. On most occasions I was fairly busy as there were many customers to serve and a lot of ad-hoc tasks which needed to be completed. On quieter days I was given extra work to do, to keep me busy.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement and definitely thrown into the deep end and out of my comfort zone, which I liked about working at Boots. My manager sat with me at the start of my placement to define clear objectives/goals of what I wanted to achieve. Through these goals I was given responsibility accordingly and learned new things almost everyday.

A lot of the skills gained from this placement are transferable skills which will definitely assist me in my degree and later on in life. For example, I had to meet tight deadlines and so I mastered the skill of prioritization and time management. I was communicating and interacting with customers on a daily basis, which is required in all work places, but will also help me communicate effectively when working within a team for projects at university.

The general atmosphere could be stressful at times, especially when the store was busier than usual. In some cases the customers could also get angry at the staff, which created a negative atmosphere. However, the atmosphere amongst the staff was positive despite any setbacks faced. On days like month end, sometimes the atmosphere amongst staff would be stressed as there was a higher workload.

The placement was well organised overall because on the first day I had a meeting with the manager who gave me an overview of what my placement would look like over the week and clearly identified my roles/ responsibilities. I was given a timetable as well with the rota, so I knew exactly what task I would be doing and when.

I was given four training sessions throughout the placement, which was spread out every 2 months. I also had access to e-learning training and had to complete quizzes and understand new information. In terms of development there was a steep learning curve, so I definitely feel Boots invested a lot of time into training and development.

Based on the positive performance review I received at the end of my placement, I was offered a full time job after I graduate. However, despite the many skills gained from this job, I do not wish to work there in future. Instead, I want to try working with a different organisation.

There was not much of a social scene because after people's shift ended, they just tended to go home. There was a Christmas party organised by the company, but not many opportunities to socialise other than that. On the occasions where the company exceeds its targets there is a celebratory party.

Cost of living was fairly low ~£10 for food and transport per day. A lot of the high street shops near by had cheap food/drinks.

The nightlife was not too buzzing although this was in London because it was in a residential area so it was much quieter than expected.

There are no activities to be involved in outside of work which was one downfall of this company.