After having a short break from working at uni, I missed the routine, financial independence and having a part of my life separated from university. This is why I decided to go back to Tesco, where they had 4 job openings and 500 applications. I felt incredibly grateful to have been offered one of these jobs.My previous job with the retailer allowed me some experience, however the previous store was much bigger, and this role was a Tesco Express. This meant I learnt new skills such as lottery, reductions, review, price verification and so much more.

During this time I was balancing a part time job with my studies, this helped facilitate a better financial independence. Due to working on the weekends, I was taught how to work under pressure as these were very busy periods for the restaurant.

Being employed by Tesco as a seasonal temp during the coronavirus pandemic was the beginning of my interest and journey in retail and the supermarket industry. Ultimately this led me into the degree that I chose.After the Christmas chaos, my manager asked me if I would stay on until I left for university. During my time at Tesco I was proactive in asking to be trained in different areas as I enjoy variety. For example, asking for till training so I could help out at busy times. In addition, I asked for training on the electric cage mover so the team could work more efficiently during the evenings to ‘drag’ all the stock out for the night teams. This not only benefitted myself but also the company as I could work more efficiently.

I started working in this job when I was 16, on a really small wage. But at this stage of my life I was proud to have a job when many of my peers did not. I began to learn about responsibility and understanding a work environment.This job included many aspects, from a silver service wedding breakfast to preparing the drinks reception, laying out the room and eventually closing up after the wedding party had left for the night.