Profiles
"The opportunity to work for one of the world's largest and most successful retailers
was too good
to miss."
Phil
Tesco.com
Programme
Hannah
Technology Leadership Programme
Studied Mathematics at UCL
Joined Tesco in 2009
Tesco is massive. Aside from the supermarket business, there are opportunities in banking, telecoms, online and more. I knew if I joined Tesco there was scope to take my career in whatever direction I wanted to in the future. What really drew me to the Technology Leadership Programme was a placement in Bangalore, India – nothing else I applied for offered anything that compared to that.
During the graduate programme, you move around a number of different roles which helps you find an area of IT that really interests you. I've worked in supply chain, retail and online and have recently moved into the International Team in Tesco.com as a Project Manager for the online business in The Czech Republic. It's an exciting and fast-paced team and which really suits me. Everyone can find a role that suits them at Tesco because there are so many opportunities in so many different areas of the business.
My current role involves co-ordinating the efforts of Tesco staff and contractors in the UK, India and in The Czech Republic to deliver both the Web and the Back End systems needed to run a Grocery Home Shopping Business. Tesco are building the platform from scratch and continually upgrading the functionality with the aim of using the solution in all our international businesses so it's a very challenging role, but I love it!
Tesco run a lot of in-house courses. I've learnt most of my technical skills through my colleagues in the office. But I've also obtained my Lean Six Sigma Green Belt here – which is a recognised qualification in business management strategy.
If you're thinking about whether or not to apply, I would encourage you to do it. I won't lie - the assessment day was pretty tough. There were the usual group activities, individual tests and interviews. The most important thing to remember is to be yourself. The 'personality fit' is really important and if you don't show yours, they can't learn to love you.