Lidl graduate jobs

Retail is an industry I have always had an interest in and through part time jobs in various retail outlets I had developed a passion for delivering good customer service. Reading about the Lidl management placement scheme, I was excited about the responsibilities, challenges and salary the placement offered, and that the experience would provide me with the opportunity to develop my interest and passion for retail further.

I applied by sending my CV to Lidl UK ’s head office in London. Within three weeks I had a reply with an invite to attend a presentation and quick interview. The presentation provided an insight into the operations of Lidl and the structure of the placement. This was followed with a five-minute interview and numeracy test. A few weeks later I received a letter asking me to attend a second interview. I had an interview with the regional director for the South West, before I was offered my place with Lidl.

Since becoming a student I had shopped at Lidl a few times to cut down on expenditure. Before my placement year I was a little wary of the quality of some of the products Lidl offered, and before applying for my place I did wonder how much resources Lidl invest into their employees, and that maybe I would finish my placement year being a trained shelf stacker. Reading more into the placement scheme and getting really involved in the operations of Lidl during my years work placement, the opinions I held before hand have changed completely.

From the very beginning of my placement I was thrown into the driving seat and I love the hands on approach Lidl takes. Within my first three weeks of my placement during my basic training period in store, I became the safe key holder during my shifts, where I was responsible for setting up the tills, banking, cashing up and running end of day. The most challenging part of my placement came within the first three months, where I was running my own shifts during the Christmas period, the busiest time of the year. Being in charge of a Lidl store was a major responsibility and very daunting to start with.

When I had reached deputy store management level in store, I went to the regional distribution centre in Weston-Super-Mare, where I spent two months in the selection department of the warehouse. It was quite a different culture compared to store and I wasn’t sure whether I was going to enjoy it as much to start with. However once I got into it I really enjoyed my time here and by the end of my first month I was ready to run my own shifts, where I was supervising between 15 to 30 people, making sure stores were receiving the stock they required. From my time in selection I decided to stay in the warehouse and I spent the rest of my time in the transport department. There is an awful lot of information to take in on transport and I have found the procedures in this department the most challenging to get my head round, however one of my best moments was when I managed to route all the ordered stock out to all the stores within the south west region.

I have experienced so many different roles throughout my placement, not one day has been the same. One of my most enjoyable moments would be representing Lidl to students at Southampton University, where we promoted the opening of a new store. From the very start of the placement you are put into the driving seat and for me this was the best way to learn. It has not been easy, being responsible for managing a store and running your own shifts is challenging and I found that more often than not I would work overtime in order to complete the workload. However the experience I have gained has been well worth it. Having real life management experience I have developed far beyond I imagined I would from my placement year. It has been noted how I have grown more confident and developed core skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving and assertiveness. The skills I have developed will be invaluable for the future, where I intend to further my career in retail and Lidl will be my first choice to provide me with such an opportunity.