Online Operations Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship at Tesco. I initially applied for Marketing, however got deferred to Online when all the interview spots for Marketing had been filled. I wasn’t sure what to expect prior to joining, as the job description provided on the website was very brief. However I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues. I believe I was extremely lucky to be put in such a welcoming and supportive team, where everyone were friendly, open and supportive. I was included in every aspect and always invited to social events they were all getting involved in. My line manager in particular was very helpful.

I was definitely given a lot of support, help and guidance throughout my time at Tesco. I worked closely with a few people in my team, which was really helpful, especially in areas I had no prior experience in e.g. excel. I feel that I should’ve been given more personal advice earlier on in the process however.

I was fairly busy everyday. My project took up a lot of my time throughout each day as it required a lot of data analysis and my learning of excel also ate up a large amount of time during the first couple of weeks. I was also involved in creating packs for weekly meetings which kept me busy too.

I was definitely given some form of responsibility. I don’t feel that any task I delivered in required me to take on a lot of responsibility. But having an individual project, which especially mine, allowed you to experience having some form of responsibility. I think the grad scheme would be good to develop this skill.

I have not returned to my final year of university as of yet. Therefore I have not been able to flex these skills. However I have learnt and developed many skills (presentation, technical, credibility) throughout my time here, which I definitely plan to work on and develop when I return to my studies.

The atmosphere was really nice in the online function. Everyone is so friendly and open, they’re happy to have a chat whenever. However when some people are under a lot of pressure and busy with projects etc, as expected, they’re just wanting to focus on their work. However online has a nice culture.

I don’t think the internship communication is very good; in fact I think it’s pretty poor. Prior to joining Tesco, we had no communication from those in HQ and it was incredibly difficult to get hold of them, especially with no contact number and people took sometimes weeks to respond to emails.

The company definitely invested in me. My director was very open and chatty with me, asking me on a daily basis how things are and checking in with me, as did everyone in my team and the Head of my team. People in other teams took time out to catch up with you and ask how you’re finding things.

I am very interested in the graduate scheme and hope to be invited back for next year’s Online grad scheme, which I will be told a few days after leaving Tesco if I’m welcomed back for next year. The grad scheme has a rotational aspect which is very appealing.

The interns society organised events and social activities for all interns and grads to participate in. Some of these were really fun as we were able to catch up with some interns we hadn’t seen in a while and allowed us to relax from work. They were all paid for too!

Rent in Hatfield was quite expensive compared to some other areas. However the closer you got to London, the more expensive rent fees cost. Tesco unfortunately didn’t help with people who had to relocate and this was difficult to find somewhere for just a period of ten weeks. Could’ve been better.

Plenty of pubs in the Welwyn area, however no clubs near work. If you went a bit further into Hertford for example, there’s a few more options there in terms of bars and clubs. However the best option is to catch a train into London, where there are plenty of options.

People in online liked to go for drinks after work on a weekly basis, which was nice to socialise with your work friends, and people who are in different teams that you don’t get to see often if you don’t work with them. Plenty of activities to get involved with in the function.