Trainee Buyer Review

I am a trainee buyer which involves analysing trade to see what product is performing well and why, fit products to ensure they fit accurately and are aesthetically as we would like them and help plan our ranges to deliver the right product to our customer.

I have definitely improved my presentation skills as this is a skill that is regularly utilised in the workplace, through presenting in meetings, junior trade and alongside other trainee buyers. There are plenty of training courses offered, internally and externally. These are good for developing within your job role and also on a personal level.

The atmosphere of the office is really enjoyable - I work closely with my team which I really enjoy as we all are there to help eachother. It is necessary for Buyers and Merchandisers to work closely. Regular catch-ups are planned into your diary to ensure you are building relationships and are on top of the workload.

Regular catch-ups can be put in to place with your manager to recieve recognition and appreciation. In regards to the company, appreciation is shared through emails.

The programme is structured really well, you get a lot from the course with the main bonus being learning two different job roles which are reliant on eachother. Training is planned for each of us, as well as internal training courses which are put on for any colleague if they wish to go. We are given study days for each year, to help balancing college work with full time work. This helps for completing assignments. Mentors/Buddies are set when you begin the course, so there is always someone to speak to that has been through the same course so will understand how you're feeling. The scheme is also set WL3 mentors for each year, who put fairly regular catch ups in the diary to see how everyone is getting on.

We attend college once a fornight, where our tutor will give us a lot of support with our college work. A lot of the work is individual work, so asking a lot of questions is often necessary. Our tutor allows us to email her at any time if we have any queries.

At the beginning there are a lot of support networks and regular meetings to check in to see how you're getting on. Further into the programme, the relationships are still there but it is dependent on the individual in terms of how much support they wish to recieve from each contact.

In comparison to other apprenticeships, the salary is very good. I live at home so I find it a lot easier to save and have enough money for living costs/bills. I know a few of my colleagues who are on the scheme that relocated/moved out struggle a bit more as they find it difficult to pay all the bills and save.

There are often activities that are advertised - they have recently started a few fitness classes at F&F. Tesco head office is alot larger - they have a lot of events and social activities to get involved in if one wishes too.

Yes

I find F&F head office a very friendly place to work, everyone is really approachable and the general feel of the office is welcoming. Tesco offer quite a lot of benefits when working for them which is often important for a lot of people when business are so competitive.

Make sure you are passionate for the job role you are applying for and have looked in to it in-depth or have researched what you will be needed to do on a daily basis. At the interview process, make sure you come along with your own personal ideas and show your individuality to stand out - rather than using generic answers.