Work Experience Review

On a day-to-day basis at Superdrug I was given a few different conversations and talks about different areas of the shop such as how to work on the tills or customer services or the perfume area within the shop. After I was given a briefing for the day by my supervisor or an employee I would be left to my own devises and given responsibility for where I was working for the day.

I had previously worked in a shop part-time so I knew how to work on a till and deal with customers however each business runs differently so I would say I expanded on these skills and learnt the differences each business has and the attitude they have towards their staff and customers within their core values and business structure. Apart from this I have only had the experience or working with Superdrug instead of learning skills with them.

I quite enjoyed my programme as it kept me busy during my time off school and it was a great and useful experience for me to have. The employees I worked with were really friendly and I would definitely consider going back for either another experience (if I am still at school at this point) or for a full or part-time job on a weekend depending on my schooling/exams etc.

I felt fairly well valued by the company, however because I was not a ‘proper’ employee in the store I don’t think I was valued as much as other employees/supervisors by Superdrug. They looked after me and ensured my experience was fulfilling and enjoyable however I felt as though they just saw me (as the probably should have) as a temporary thing.

I think that my programme/experience was fairly well organised. Apparently the team in the store had a briefing before I arrived that I would be coming for the work experience and to offer me any help I need during my time with them. I was placed in different parts of the store often and by the outlook of my placement/experience I thought that this was probably well-thought out and planned prior to my visit.

My training provider during my experience was various people/employees within the store. I was given an overview of the store which was given by my employer/store manager and then smaller tasks within my placement such as checking stock, helping customers and working on the tills were helped by employees in the store who were looking after me on specific days.

My fellow employees were the main support system during my experience at Superdrug. They were all really helpful and kind and if I made a mistake they understood and ensured I could correct it. They all supported me 100% and the team as a whole were really motivating and although some members of staff seemed less thrilled during my time there, they all welcomed me and spoke to me as a team member.

I was not paid for my experience however looking at the prospects within Superdrug I think that the salary/advantages of working there seem fairly good. I have looked online and been told by employees that the pay is fair for the work and is probably on par for the type of work compared to other competitive shops of the same industry in the local area.

I think there are some opportunities outside of work at Superdrug. I know that the team try to organise an evening out once a month to improve work relations as well as getting to know each other on a more personal level too. In the staff room at Superdrug there’s a notice board with local events going on in the town and people can put up posters for charity events they are taking part in too.

Yes

I enjoyed my time there and in my local store the staff were friendly and helped me whenever they could during my work experience in the store. It kept me busy during a period where I was not at school and I was not currently studying for exams and decided to have some work experience and try build up my CV before I apply for a full-time job.

When applying I would ask in-store for any work experience opportunities and show enthusiasm and prepare a few answers to questions they may ask you such as ‘why Superdrug?’ and ‘what do you want to get out of the work experience?’ etc. I would also suggest to get to know the store and the business a bit more before applying and use your knowledge to your advantage.