Industrial Placement Review

I thoroughly enjoyed working for the company, its a fast paced organisation meaning you're always busy so the days dont drag. As well as this, all the staff that I have met are friendly and accepting and every day is different so it's not a chore to get up in the mornings, instead you actually enjoy going to work and find yourself attached to the stores and projects you're involved in.

Everyone within the business understands what an Industrial Placement student is, the role it entails and the fact that it can lead onto an Area Manager position, as a result I felt as if I wasn't seen as a child coming out of university instead I was accepted in every department and area of the business I spent time in, where they actually value my work and what I had to say.

Whilst in store I saw my Store Manager most days and Area Manager a few times a week also, they were always there if I had any problems or needed advice. Other levels of management are also there if a problem was to escalate. We always set personal targets and areas of improvement, providing me with support and guidance to become a better individual with a wide variety of skills.

Aldi operates in an efficient manner, as a result in store you're always busy and there is always something to do next, if not youre doing something wrong and the management team will need to asssess how many staff you currently have in. During your time in head office it can be easy to take your foot of the pedal but to get the most out of the placement its essential that you keep on pushing yourself in all areas.

There was a great deal of responsibility during my store time. From placing store orders to managing a team of 30 indivudals to effectively running a multi million pound business. I believe there arent many if any placements out there that provides the same amount of responsbility that Aldi does.

With Aldi you're given a lot of responsbility from the very begining, as a result you develop many skills on your own instead of relying on a manager to baby feed them to you. As a result I will be able to take these skills with me to other stages of my life such as university, life after university and my personal life.

The company as a whole is very professional with a strict culture. When based in store the atmosphere is very hard working and productive atmosphere expecting indivudals to work hard but be rewarded for this. The atmosphere in the office is a lot more relaxed and calm but still expects hard work.

There was a clear structure put in place for my placement year, highlighting what department I will be spending time in, for how long and who I will be reporting to. During your store time you will be placed in a store with experience in training and developing individuals as well as a proven Area Manager allowing you to get the most out of the placement and yourself.

During my time with Aldi I've heard many times that Industrial Placement students are the future of the organisation and it understands that time and effort must be put into you as individuals to provide you with the training needed to develop the skills that they want. However there is an emphasis on driving your own training and development, so if you're not willing to push for your training and ask to be shown things, you're not going to learn.

Aldi is currently showing rapid growth within the UK market, presenting multiple job vacancies across the company.

This isn't a social placement, encouraged to stay professional and not socialise out of work with colleagues, however there are two placement student meetings held in a hotel in Manchester for two days where all placement students across the region met up and could share experiences. On top of this during the Christmas period and towards the end of your placement all of the placement students go for a meal with the directors.

I was based in the area closest to home and I lived with my parents for the year so costs were at a minimum.

Wirral, Liverpool, Manchester and Chester are all linked to the Wirral with train lines and around an hours journey, all of which have a good night life

There were no out of work activities within my region, however other placement students in other regions highlighted that they did. There were two national placement student meetings in the year where all placement students met up to share experiences.