Profiles
"I knew if I joined Tesco there was scope to take my career in whichever direction I wanted."
Hannah
Technology
Leadership
Programme
Russell
Distribution
BSc Retail Management, Loughborough University
Joined Tesco September 2003
The graduate programme in Distribution is designed so that you get lots of responsibility quickly. While I was working in the depot at Hinckley, I managed the Goods In department over Christmas and Easter. I also managed Goods Out in the run up to Mother's Day. These are very busy periods for the depot, and as a team manager there was a lot of pressure to ensure that the departments ran smoothly to deliver good service to our shops.
Over three years I've worked in a variety of business areas, which has been driven by the structure of the graduate programme. I'd strongly recommend the distribution programme, as you experience all these areas of the business.
The graduate programme is designed to develop your skills so by the end of the 18 months you're ready to be a Shift Manager. It exposes you to different situations that will enable you to develop the skills to do this.
During my time in Distribution I've had lots of support from my team. The way the programme is structured gave me the support I needed. For example, any issues that I had were discussed at my weekly and four weekly reviews. I also found that speaking to the other graduates was useful. The biggest challenge was going from getting up at 8.30am for a lecture to 4.15am for a morning shift - it was a big shock to the system! I also had the opportunity to complete a project role in the office as part of my programme - while this was a great challenge, it was also a massive culture change from the environment of the distribution site.
In terms of development, the programme is really good in stretching you. But I'd say that people have to drive their own development if they want to excel.