Store Apprentice Review

I am currently a Store Apprentice and I currently take on the same tasks as a Store Assistant, which means I am on tills for most of my time in store but I also spend a lot of time on the shop floor completing other tasks such as; Putting stock out which includes rotating stock, carding which is removing any unneeded card on the shop floor in order to keep the store in a clean state. Other tasks include dealing with customers enquiries, cleaning etc.

Yes, I think i have improved a lot of different skills since starting work here at Aldi. I think i have improved on my overall attitude and confidence as well as my communication skills have seriously improved and this is because I am dealing with customers for a lot of my time in store as I am always talking to new people on the tills. I learnt other new skills such as using a pump truck, using a baling machine and other equipment within the store.

Aldi is a brilliant place to work, everyone I have met through working in the store have been very friendly and welcoming ever since I started working in the shop. Whenever I have needed help with anything, my team/colleagues have always been there to help me get through it. The first few weeks are very difficult because you have to work very hard, but you get rewarded with a very good hourly pay and within about a month of working there, everything becomes like second nature to you.

I feel very valued, as long as I am working to my very best, I get praise from my superiors which is always something that is very good to hear from them. I think that there's always room for improvement here and although we can stress our opinion and problems to staff i feel as though we aren't ever asked if we need the help or any support. I do get given worthwhile tasks to do etc. so in this sense i do feel valued and use my full potential here at Aldi but there is always room for improvement

I think I could have got a bit more training when I first started, the manager gave me quick idea of how the place works, by me shadowing him for an hour or so and he gave me a quick idea on how to work the tills, but I think I could have got a bit more because at times I have felt like I had no idea what to do in some situations. I think that the introduction and initial starting week was slacking a bit but after a couple of days i managed to get the hang of different jobs i was doing so it wasn't like it was very hard work i was getting intoduced to.

My training provider does very well, she helps me with any work that she has set me and she is always making sure I am ok when in our meetings and is always asking if the job is going well and if I am enjoying it or not. I think that our trainers and employers could perhaps ask if we need more help and support from the company and get more feedback from us but on the other hand i know that if we have any problems i can always go straight to them anyway.

My manager/assistant managers/deputies are all very helpful in store, they are always informing me of what I need to do next and are always checking to make sure I am doing a good job and if I am doing well, I get praise but If I'm not working hard enough, they will give me time to finish a certain task, which pushes me to work harder. As mentioned above though i think that our general work force and employer could come to the apprentices and ask if there's any improvements that could be made or if we need any extra help or support etc.

I still live at home with my mum, so the pay works out well for me as I don't have many outgoing costs but even though I am an apprentice, it doesn't feel good knowing the people who are doing the exact same job as me (Store Assistants), are getting an extra £2 an hour compared to me. But on the other hand my training is being paid for and i am getting new working experience for my CV if i do leave and hopefully if i end up with a full time job i can go onto the full wage eventually anyway.

Yes, the team I work with have little get-togethers every now and again, for events such as birthdays, leaving parties and Christmas drinks, which is good for me to get to know my colleagues outside of workplace. The employer/Aldi itself does not put on many opportunities for us, however, we occasionally have events mentioned to us where Aldi is supporting them or supporting a specific charity we could fundraise for. We have had a bake sale inside the store which was quite nice.

Yes

It's a brilliant store and a very friendly environment, it offers a good pay for people applying for the store assistant job and offers many opportunities to further your career. I would recommend it to a lot of people as i know it's a good starting block and way into the working world for people just leaving school and perhaps not knowing what to do for example as work or whether they want to go to university. I think an apprenticeship is always good as your training is paid for whilst you are working and being paid yourself.

I'd tell them that they need to always be working hard and always be prepared to give 100% to the store and then in turn they will be rewarded by the store with perhaps discounts and special offers for staff etc. The Aldi store I work in is really friendly and i've not come across anyone who i don't like or couldn't be friends with and I'm sure it's like this in most Aldi stores too. Ensure you are aware of Aldi as a company and overall convince them why you would fit in within the Aldi team.