Store manager Review

I have just begun a store manager secondment which involves being the sole responsibility and point of contact for the store. I am responsible for approximately 15 members of staff including 3 members of management in particular for the training, wages and ensuring the store is kept safe and compliant for both colleagues and customers.

I would not necessarily say I’ve learnt any new skills however I have definitely developed existing skills. I get a lot of time to reflect on my day to day activities and I am always finding ways in which I can improve my methods and approaches to different situations.

At first I found the programme very slow however since completing my first assignment I have found it a lot more interesting and really enjoy completing pieces of work as it helps to develop my learning and often look at situations I may not have looked at before completing the work.

The programme at first seemed very poorly structured. We were set our first assignment with very little guidance and support however more recently with regular one to one visits from tutors the structure seems to make a lot more sense and so I enjoy the programme a lot more than I did to begin with.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. We are given supplementary hours each week in order to complete any outstanding tasks. My line manager has also been very supporting throughout the process so far and I am very comfortable going to him if I am struggling with a particular piece of work.

The training provider provides a reasonable amount of support whilst working towards the qualification. I have attended numerous group sessions, I have had several one to ones with my tutor and I am always able to email or call should I need help with any of the tasks that have been assigned.

I wouldn’t necessarily say the qualification helps me perform any better in my role as of yet however as touched on previously I believe it helps me to reflect on my own approaches in certain situations and maybe handle these in a different way I may have done previously.

There are not really any extra curricular activities for me to get involved in at work that I am aware of however I have known there to be professional networking events or something along those lines held now and again which you may attend if you wish. But I have never attended.

Yes

Co-op is a great place to work and really values its employees as well as it’s members. Co-op are very involved within the local community which is excellent and also offer a number of different career pathways for anyone looking to pursue a career within the retail sector. I wouldn’t want to work for anyone else.

I would say go for it. Since beginning with the Co-op I have learnt an awful lot and the opportunities provided to me have been endless. I have a great work life balance and enjoy my time at work which I believe is very important considering you are there so much.