Deputy Store Manager Review

I have just finished my apprenticeship and now a deputy store manager in training. This involves me running the store when the store manager is absent and ensuring a smooth running of the store using my initiative and staff available. This includes ordering, price card audits, running the stock take, cashing colleagues tills up amongst other things.

I have acquired 2 customer service qualifications at both level 2 and 3. It has also improved my managerial skills as well as personal traits I have worked on which include communication between me and store assistants. Going to managers meetings to acquire more knowledge about Aldi as a company and using current knowledge to make the store better.

I absolutely love it. Over the past 3 years the other managers have watched me progress and transform into one of their own and someone they can rely on to do managerial tasks also. I have had the pleasure of training a large number of other staff on various different tasks. In turn, making the workplace a great atmosphere for the team. At first, I did underestimate the idea of working in retail but the management really helped mold me into a great manager myself.

I receive a lot of praise by the other managers due to my quick grasp of the different tasks which have to be performed. They also want to train me up to be an Assistant Store Manager/Store manager so that has really given me a goal to drive towards. I also feel valued by the staff below me through giving successful training to others and seeing them learn and develop their skills.

It was a very clear programme to follow. There were strict deadlines for coursework to ensure I was going to finish the apprenticeship within the acquired time frame. I had a lot of support from my learning provider as well as the managers who were eager to find out how well I was doing on the coursework and the tests which I had achieved 85-100% on each one. This really meant the managers supported me with all tasks I was set on the programme. There were a number of learning workshops which help aid my performance with the coursework and I got to meet the apprentices from the other stores.

I received a lot of support from the training provider. My learning assistant who provided the training also went out of her way to meet up on her days off even when she had a really busy schedule to finalize the coursework paperwork. She had a really positive attitude towards the programme and I was also updated on how the other apprentices were doing as well.

I received a great deal of support from my employers at my store as I was the only apprentice out of 9 we had in total over the course of 3 years to complete the whole 3 year apprenticeship. Due to this, they were able to focus their efforts on me to train me up and they were always interested in the coursework I was doing.

Although the first year salary is £5/hour is good for apprenticeship standards, the second year is £6.73/hour and the third year is £7.63/hour. It was demotivating the fact that store assistants were getting paid more than me when I was running the store and carrying out managers tasks. However I knew this was because I get two good qualifications out of the apprenticeship which I can use in a multitude of places if I do decide to leave. The fact that I got two qualifications equals out the low pay over 3 years. Having a mortgage and bills to pay for to support my disabled mother and sister, it didn't really leave me with much money for socializing or anything else for that matter. Up until September of this year, it will be a case of just constant work and that's it. No extra money to spend on personal things but that will change in a couple months when I sign the Deputy Store Manager contract.

There are a lot of events in terms of managers' meetings, management meetings to socialize with the head office and managers from other stores, and we will be having a managers vs store assistants football match soon also. When I wasn't working, I was balancing job searching as well as holding up a Youtube channel posting guitar videos however these have beome much less frequent due to work commitments.

Yes

There are many chances to progress in the company. If you can see out the whole apprenticeship and show a lot of motivation to be driven, the manager training will be a mandatory part of the apprenticeship!

Show enthusiasm and commitment to the company and they will definitely support you with the apprenticeship and will more than likely want you on their management team if you see the apprenticeship out with success. Do revision on the companies history as well! This will really set you aside from other applicants. Show motivation and never be afraid to ask questions in order to increase your knowledge. Dress smart for the interview as well as in store to show your proud knowing that one day you will be wearing that managers' shirt and tie!