Work experience student Review

During this role, I was assigned a mentor who taught me the ins and outs of working in retail. I was based in the changing rooms, interacting with staff and customers and making the customer's experience a pleasant one. I have gained exposure in providing good customer service and how to also deal with compalints. I think the work I have done is quite varied and i am glad that i was given the opportunity to do a range of jobs and learn different skills.

I have learnt valuable customer service skills that I did not previously have. I have not worked in a retail setting previously so this placement gave me the opportunity to gain such experience, as well as skills in working the company technology and tools. Overall I would say i have learnt quite a lot although i do think there was some room to improve existing skills still but i know this will mean getting help from other employees.

I enjoyed it very much. I especially enjoyed working with customers and the general public, as well as making friendships with the staff. I believe the placement is challenging, but this has given me a good view about what it is I want to do in the future. I would definitely consider coming back due to how much i enjoyed my placement and i would also recommend it to other people who i know of a similar age.

Marks and Spencer are a brilliant company to work for. Their treatment of staff is impeccable and they are well known for being a great company to be employed by. They appreciate the work I am doing and offer help whenever I needed it. I never felt left out of conversations or staff meetings, i felt like just another member of staff and i felt as though i was offered help where possible and the employees/supervisor ensured i definitely enjoyed my time there and it was worthwhile.

It is very well organised in my opinion. The staff know who I was from the start, they knew what department I was on and what my job role included. I feel that this programme is very well organised and a lot of time goes into it. If there were any minor problems with my placement or if i required help then i knew who to go too and i felt comfortable enough to ask for help too which was nice. Overall very well structured and organised and not much room for improvement.

I received lots of support. The staff are always there to offer help whenever needed. If it ever looks like I am stuffing or unsure, there is always someone around to help. I was made aware of the members of staff I could talk to if I ever had an issue. I think that there was always someone to talk to or ask for help if i had any problems at work. I felt comfortable in the environment i was in and doing the work i was given too.

As previously stated, the employer offers a lot of support. I am aware of support networks the company offers and I feel the company and my managers would go out of their way to offer support as and when I needed it. As also previously mentioned there was always someone to talk to or ask for help if i had any problems at work. I felt comfortable in the environment i was in and doing the work i was given too. Overall very happy with my support.

The package is appropriate for the work I do, I believe. I am on the rate that I would expect for the job I do. I am aware that there is scope for progression in the company in the future if that is the route I wanted to go. I ultimately didn't expect to be paid when i first decided i wanted to do some work experience however when looking into Marks & Spencer i was happily suprised with the pay. Although the pay isn't groundbreaking i think it is fair for the job.

There are social opportunities for the staff that I am aware of. These include things such as Christmas meals and socials. I wasn't with the team for too long so i didn't expect to be involved with lots of different opportunities although i was invited to a couple of events/nights out so this was really nice. I know on the notice board at work there are some posters for local community events which are obviously there to inform staff.

Yes

I have felt supported in this placement throughout and I believe this is a brilliant company to work for. The company treat their staff very well and appreciate the work the staff do for Marks and Spencer's. I think that for a job in a supermarket it is really good and definitely very supported and organised too. I think that if you were looking for a more in-depth job which goes into a more academic industry then M&S may not be right for you but it's definitely a great place to work.

Take every opportunity to develop that you can. Make the most of the staff offering help and try to learn as much as you can about the store and customer service in the time you are with the company. Ensure that when you apply you show willingness and you have a good few reasons why you want to join and maybe talk about what you hope to get out of the placement or job etc. If you are interviewed then dress smart and show how much you want to join.