Business Placement Commercial Manager Review

I really enjoyed my placement year with M&S

From the moment I started I was welcomed and made to feel part of the team

You work on the same development plan as those on the Graduate Scheme. You complete 3 main placements throughout your year in Foods, GM and Finance and Operations. This exposes you to all the elements of M&S retail. Throughout my time I felt supported by other managers, however make sure that you arrange regular catch up's. M&S loves give feedback, and this can be quite overwhelming to begin with. However you quickly learn to that this is to aid your development.

Depending on what stage you were at in the program you could be ranging from busy to extremely busy. One of the biggest things that I felt was missed out in the training is time management. In some of the stores I worked in a 12 hour day was the norm, which personally I felt was crazy, but this was the management culture and at times you could feel pressurised into staying later than you needed to.

Depending on how you get on you can be given a considerable amount of responsibility. I worked really hard and was given temporary relief roles in other stores where I was in charge of entire parts of the operation. Personally I really enjoyed this and thrived when given these kinds of opportunities. I always felt that I had enough support though and always had an experienced manager that I could talk to for support.

I learned a great deal of skills throughout my year and genuinely felt that I have grown and matured considerably. Everything that you do is based around the M&S business competencies, which can be applied to any profession.

I was quite lucky and was based out of a store where other Grads and BPPs were. This meant that I always had someone to relate and to talk things over with. In terms of atmosphere, there was quite a large management team in the store I was based in, some of them tended to be quite cliquey and it took a considerable amount of time to build up a rapport with some of them.

I felt that the year was well structurted and the courses and workshops that you go on really help your development. However at times things could be very last minute and often if you were moving stores you were given very little notice. Also the communication and support from the HRBPs that we were based with could have been stronger and at times they were difficult to get hold of.

M&S really spends a considerable amount of time and money investing in you. Not just from the workshops that you go on but also in terms of working with managers in stores. However they do expect it back from you and alongside the training you complete you certainly have to put in a hard graft.

Depending on how you get on throughout your year you are offered a job upon Graduation. As you have already completed the Graduate training year you complete an 8 week refresher and then are appointed into a role. I was part time offered a job at the end of Placement year and also received an offer to return when I graduate.

As I was based with others on the BPP/Graduate program I had others to keep in touch with. In terms of nights out etc, you are generally working quite long hours so I only went on a few nights out with colleagues throughout the year.

I already lived in the city where the Placement was based so didn't have to move. However I knew of others who had to move to a completely different part of the country. You are given an opportunity to give regional preferences and they try to allocate you as close as possible.

Again I already lived in the city that I was based in.

In terms of social opportunities, the store organised nights out and social events throughout the year.