Commercial School Leaver- Trading Review

My current role is within the trading team. My main responsibility working in trading is to spot changes or trends in the market that are affecting sales within my resorts, then come up with a strategy of what actions we need to take, which are mostly price changes. In my time on the scheme I have traded a range of Short & Mid haul resorts, including; Bulgaria, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, Canaries & Mainland Spain. So I have been able to gain a lot of knowledge of different resort areas. Within Trading, we have a lot of contact with the overseas teams, including purchasing, to ensure we have enough rooms within hotels, or to get some support from hoteliers to improve our sales.

I think the biggest skills I have developed on my time on the scheme are communication & presenting. You communicate with a lot of different people every day, ranging from your manager to the overseas teams, including purchasing. You also get the chance to go to careers fairs and school to present to students about the SL scheme & TUI, which is a great development opportunity.

I've really enjoyed the scheme so far, it's a great opportunity. Each day is always different, so you get a lot of variety. Being on the scheme you get the opportunity to go on secondments, so you get a better understanding of the different roles across the commercial department. Working within trading, you get a lot of targets, so it can get quite competitive, but it creates a good atmosphere. The company culture is great, it's quite a relaxed and everyone's friendly.

When on the scheme, you are treated as any other member of the team, but you are given more opportunities to see other sides of the business. Managers are very supportive and recognise the work you do. Within Trading there are always 'Trader of the Week' or the 'trading recognition award' to recognise the hard work you do. Within the commercial team there are also quarterly awards, which you can nominate a colleague or a team for.

The scheme is well structured. When you start you get an induction, which covers to basics you need to do your day to day job, as well as an overview of the other teams/departments you will be working with. After the initial induction, there's some flexibility to take some control over your personal development and training, as if there's anything you didn't quite understand, or want to learn more about, you can arrange additional sessions with other members of the team, who are always happy to help. You also get a lot of support from management & the School Leaver team. When you start, you get assigned a mentor, who is a general manager from another team. This gives you a great opportunity to get advice, and discuss things outside your usual day to day role. You also get assigned a 'buddy', who is someone that has already been through the scheme, so you get a lot of support & advice from someone that's been where you are. During the scheme, you get a framework to work towards completing over the two years, so you have something to always be working towards.

The majority of training is on-going, so you don't have a specific training provider. But, that's actually a good thing, as you can go to a lot of different people for support & training who have different skill sets. Managers are also always there for support & guidance if you ever have any issues, as well as your buddy & mentors.

You get a lot of support from the management team. You get regular 121's with your line manager, where you discuss your personal development, how you're performing against your framework & objectives, as well as any issues/concerns you may have.

As I currently live at home, my salary covers all my costs, as well as leaving some savings & disposable income.

There is always something going on outside of work. Every year, the commercial department has a summer party & Christmas party, as well as running quiz nights etc.. Within teams the are always events being organised. Within the last year I've been to Ascot twice, Foot golf, Cocktail making, an afternoon out at a ping pong bar & we're currently arranging a dodge ball tournament and an evening at an 'Escape the Room challenge'.

Yes

TUI really is a great place to work. It's a very people orientated business and they respect and value every employee. The environment is great and there are a lot of different opportunities to develop within the company.

During the application process don't just give top line answers, explain and include examples, as it will make you stand out more. For interviews: Know what you wrote on your CV and application, and have good examples of when you showed certain skills. Research the company beforehand & know what sets us apart from other tour operators.