Today’s graduates are more resilient than ever. Not only did they continue their studies during a global pandemic, but they’re now entering a completely different job market as a result.
For ambitious college graduates looking for a career in a dynamic and growing sector, Lidl’s Graduate Management Development Programme is now a top choice.
The 18-month programme consists of a series of modules designed to give participants hands-on experience in one of Ireland’s most exciting sectors.
However, excellent scope for progression is only part of the appeal. Participants also get a very competitive salary of €36,400 per annum, 20 days holiday and private medical insurance, as well as active sports and social clubs. Lidl has also recently introduced a remote working policy which enables office-based colleagues to work remotely up to two days each week.
To find out more, we caught up with two of the programme’s graduates as well as a member of Lidl’s talent management team.
Jillian Hughes, head of sales organisation
After completing her Master’s in Management Consultancy at the UCD Smurfit School, Hughes started the Graduate Management Development Programme in September 2016. She spent the first six months in-store doing operational training.
“It really is the only way to learn about a business,” she says. “You have to start from the ground up. We’re a retail company so you really have to love working in-store and driving customer satisfaction. That’s a key thing for coming into Lidl.”
One thing that surprised Hughes was the amount of responsibility that she was given.
“To put it into perspective, within three months you are leading a store with over 20 people,” she explains. “In college, you’re reading about leadership and management. When you come into Lidl, you put all those things into practice. It was an amazing experience to have at such an early stage.”
With the support of Lidl, Hughes has been able to grow and develop in her career.
I joined the company as a sales organisation graduate – five years later I am the head of that stream
“When I completed the graduate programme, I was very fortunate to get an area manager role,” she explains. “It was a massive opportunity. It helped me to step up my level of management and leadership.”
In the past year, Hughes was promoted to the head of sales organisation for Ireland and Northern Ireland. She believes this demonstrates Lidl’s dedication to staff development.
“I joined the company as a sales organisation graduate – five years later I am the head of that stream,” she says. “There are not many companies where you could progress that quickly and to this level.”
Advice for graduates: "Make sure it's the right fit for you. You need to be someone that likes working in a fast-paced environment and dealing with customers and people on a daily basis. If you are fortunate enough to get on the programme, the opportunities that you will get are genuinely endless."
Robert Beirne, logistics manager
Career progression is something that logistics manager Robert Beirne can attest to.
Beirne studied Business Science in Technology Management at the National College of Ireland. Before graduating in 2012, he set his sights on the Graduate Management Development Programme.
“I went to a careers day in my final year,” he remembers. “I had a great chat with a colleague there who told me the ins and outs of the course. That’s where the seed was planted.
“After that, I went to a careers day in the RDS and had a more in-depth conversation with another colleague. At that stage, I’d done a bit of research into the programme and knew a bit more about it and how dynamic it was. From there I was sold.”
For Beirne, speaking to past Lidl graduates was very encouraging.
“Something that is often talked about is the level of responsibility that is given to graduates, nothing is held back but you also get a high level of support all the way through.”
The opportunities are second to none
While on the programme, Beirne rolled out a number of cost-saving waste management projects to the sum of €250,000. As a result, he won Graduate of the Year at the 2016 Grad Ireland Awards.
Since then, he has been given a chance to work across different teams from operations to logistics. Today, he leads the transport team.
“It’s a fast-paced environment,” he explains. “I could be presenting figures to a regional director one day and helping a driver to load a truck the next day. It’s really dynamic, I love it.
“The opportunities are second to none. Being able to take a project from start to finish and stand back and see the results is fantastic. You don’t get that in many other places.”
Advice for graduates: "Do it! If you get to the later stages, do your homework on the company so you know what is expected. Speak to previous or current graduates and get the lowdown."
Eager to learn
Emma Nolan is a talent management specialist at Lidl, supporting graduates based on their learning needs and the needs of their department. Having been through the programme herself, joining on the HR stream in 2019, she’s in a great place to offer advice.
“We completely understand that our graduates don’t have all the answers when they arrive,” she explains. “We only ask that they’re eager to learn,” she says.
There are a number of streams into which graduates can be placed, including human resources, sales, marketing, supply chain and construction.
“All our graduates are also given a mentor. That’s someone who is at the very top of our business who takes a personal interest in their development and career and supports them throughout the programme and beyond. That shows our investment in our graduates,” Nolan says.
So, what is the Lidl team looking for in a graduate?
We want to help our graduates to become independent, flexible thinkers who can adapt to an ever-changing environment
“We’re looking for anyone that has achieved or expects to achieve a 2.1 degree. They must have a full clean driver’s license and a right to work in Ireland. Aside from those things, we’re really looking for graduates who are motivated, willing to learn and ready to take on a challenge.
“We want to help our graduates to become independent, flexible thinkers who can adapt to an ever-changing environment. People come away with hard skills related to their roles but they also gain softer skills like leadership, innovation and flexibility.”
Advice for graduates: "I would ask people to do their research. Obviously, we're looking for graduates who are the right fit for us but equally, we have to be the right fit for them."
To give yourself the best chance at a coveted Graduate Management Development Programme place, don’t forget the following steps:
- Make sure your CV has the ability to grab the reader's attention within the first 20 seconds
- Keep the layout clear, simple and short, preferably two pages
- Include a cover letter targeted to the position for which you are applying
- Keep sentences short and use bullet points to break up text
- When citing previous jobs, focus on key tasks achieved and skills developed
- Shout about your achievements - let the recruiter know the benefits of employing you
- Not include anything that might be considered a failure
- Check for errors.
The Lidl Graduate Programme closes for applications on October 31st, 2021. Find out more at jobs.lidl.ie