School Leaver Programme- Commercial Review

My role is a national account manager, working within the Mondelez seasonal business. The role involves the management of sales and relationship with one of the top 4 grocery retailers. Day to day the role is varied with a balance of interacting externally with the customers, whilst working with the marketing and planning teams internally in order to build a strong plan with the customer. Responsibilities include; negotiating, preparing sales reports, building & maintaining relationships with customers and hitting sales targets.

The varied nature of the role means you are exposed to lots of different environments therefore learn multiple skills on the job. I have been able to learn skills such as negotiation, selling skills, develop self-awareness, listening and presentation skills.

Overall I enjoy the programme it has given me a great deal of experiences at a very early stage in my career, there is a good mix of on the job learning and academic learning. The overall office environment is quite energetic & working on some great brands creates an enjoyable place to work.

There is clear emphasis placed on individuals within the programme to develop you as a 'future leader' and on reflection this is reflected in the opportunities that Mondelez offer. The fact that you are looking to build a career experience whilst doing a degree is both highly valued and supported my Mondelez.

As I was within the first intake the initial organisation could have been improved in terms of preparing you as an individual ahead of going into a full time working environment. However the virtual learning which took place over the degree element of the course was very well structured as was the initial induction which gave a great overview of the business which we were joining.

There a regular training sessions set up both for the school leaver programme as a group specifically, within the company for on the job learning and with external training providers.

Overall both my managers and team are very supportive of the course and trying to balance work & university. Although it can be difficult at times when work is busy, when required flexibility is shown to help ensure we are performing both professionally and academically.

Overall, the package is strong and compares either in line of favourably vs. other schemes in the market. Whilst working in London is more expensive the company looks to take this into account and looks to support financially if necessary.

This is dependent on the function that your work within but overall there are many opportunities available if you want to get involved. There are groups such as the young professionals network which regularly run events.

Yes

Overall the scheme is a great way to fast track your career gaining great experience whilst coming out with a fully funded BSC degree. There are some great brands to work on and the office environment is positive towards developing early careers and rewarding you with stretching experiences.

Be clear on why you want to join the business and the personal qualities which you believe you can add, do your research on how the business operates and the brands that it has. Try and demonstrate through your previous experience at work or in an academic environment how you are suited to working in a fast paced, fast changing industry and working environment.