Ethan’s Waitrose Diary
Hi, my name’s Ethan and last term I started my 5-week work experience at Waitrose. Whilst there, I learnt lots of new skills, which will help me to secure a job in the future.
Checking Work & Task Lists
My role at Waitrose
I had to do a variety of practical tasks throughout the placement, some of which were the following:
- Working stock – unloading stock off the crates onto shelves
- Facing forward – moving stock to the front of the shelves
- Till shadowing – watching a staff member using a till
- Layouts – rearranging the shelves
- Promo prep – preparing the shelves for the new promotional stock
I found the placement extremely beneficial.
Unpacking boxes, collapsing cardboard, using the cardboard compactor machine
What I enjoyed
I particularly enjoyed working with Waitrose colleagues Katie, Jenna, Kim, Nik, Maxine and Laura. The team were very supportive and took me under their wings.
The variety of jobs kept me busy throughout my placement. Waitrose was so accommodating to me and helped me feel more confident in myself when working there.
The break room atmosphere was really great too and I enjoyed speaking to the staff when I was in there with them. I was included in conversations and felt part of the team on and off the shop floor.
Emptying shelves, cleaning fridge, facing up
What I found difficult and how I handled it
When customers asked me difficult questions that I didn’t know the answer to – so I directed them to one of my colleagues
Some of the jobs could get too repetitive and dull sometimes for me – so I asked my manager to give me a different job to break up the day
Placing stock on shelves, checking stock space, rearranging layout
My Top Tips
Overall, I really liked my placement and would recommend it to others. Here are my top tips for working at Waitrose for other students that work or want to work there in the future:
- Don’t be afraid to speak up or ask your manager for advice when something is bothering you
- Take each task at your own pace, there’s no need to rush as it’s not a race
- Always remain self-aware and professional when on the shop floor
To Waitrose and the staff that worked there – thank you very much for the work experience, I really enjoyed my time with you and I had a great experience.
Store Tour, Checking Rota, Working with Colleagues