Work Based Experience Report: Sainsbury's Sales Executive Internship

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report details a student's work-based learning experience at Sainsbury's.

Work Based Experience

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
Task 1..........................................................................................................................................................2
P1.1- Research and Evaluate Suitable Organizations that Could Provide Industry Experience...............2
P 1.2 Negotiates with work and academic supervisors a proposal for the work experience.....................3
P1.3- Recognize the business constraints on the work experience...........................................................4
Task 2..........................................................................................................................................................6
P2.1- Agree and prioritise the tasks and responsibilities involved in the work experience......................6
P2.2- Produce a plan for the work experience.........................................................................................6
P2.3 Analyse the benefits of the proposed activities to the business and the learner...............................8
Task 3........................................................................................................................................................10
P3.1 Fulfil specified requirements of placement conforming to all related codes of practice................10
P3.2 Produces systematic records of challenges work experience undertaken.......................................10
P3.3 Revision of the Initial Plan............................................................................................................12
P3.4 Make suggestions for improvement and review these with the supervisor....................................13
Task 4........................................................................................................................................................15
P4.1 Monitor progress against original proposal...................................................................................15
P4.2 Evaluate the quality of own performance......................................................................................15
P4.3. analyse the learning which has taken place during the work experience using suitable reflections
...............................................................................................................................................................16
P4.4 make recommendations on how the experience could have been enhanced..................................17
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................19
References.................................................................................................................................................20
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Introduction
Work based experience is an emerging topic while discussing about the change in young college
graduates from college to work. It includes dual vocational training and education, work
placements and apprenticeships which are having strong and resilient benefits as students are
able to get real experience of workplaces before joining the corporate world or workforce.
To achieve the desired career goals at workplace, work based learning programs are crucial in
the present era. With the help of these programs, the organizations are able to offer the
organizational and working skills to develop the career path of individual and young learners.
This report discusses about a work based learning program of Sainsbury, second largest chain of
supermarkets in United Kingdom. The organizations which can provide industry experiences are
elaborated on the basis of research. A proposal containing my work based planning and
negotiation processes are also discussed. The benefits of the work based experience activities are
defined for both, the learners as well as for the organization. The need to maintain systematic
records has also been defined along with the revision of initial plans. On the basis of revision, the
suggestions have been provided. This work is prepared o the basis of discussing the experience
as a sales executive of Sainsbury.
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Task 1
P1.1- Research and Evaluate Suitable Organizations that Could Provide Industry
Experience
To get the suitable and helpful work based learning experience, I need to select the adequate
organization which can help in accomplishing the targeted results. The factors which are related
to selection of the organizations can be described as follows:
Assessment of the training details: On the basis of clear understanding of the training details
provided by the organizations, the selection for the working based programs becomes easy. To
provide the training, Sainsbury expects that the trainees are required to have information about
their personal learning needs. It also provides a professional instructor who can guide me to
achieve the objectives. Apart from Sainsbury, Tesco, ASDA and other competitive organizations
also tend to provide internship and placement facilities (Van-Veggel, 2017).
Assessment of Guidance: Adequate and timely guidance is the main requirement of an
internship program. With the help of training guidelines and appropriate modules, the instructors
at Sainsbury provides overview about the performance of the trainees and guide them
accordingly.
Opportunities for learning: The learning experiences are required to be evaluated for the
selection of right organization for work based experiences. The learning programs arranged by
Sainsbury are full with new opportunities to the learners which can help in flourishing the
abilities and skills of the learners. By selecting this organization, I may get different type of
opportunities to show my skills and enhance the same.
Organizational Culture: The organizational culture is one of the most important aspect to be
considered at the time for selecting an organization for gaining work based experience. The
supportive and motivating culture of Sainsbury has impacted my decision on the selection. Apart
from Sainsbury, Tesco is also known for its supportive environment towards the employees
(Helyer, 2015).
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P 1.2 Negotiates with work and academic supervisors a proposal for the work experience
Proposal for Work based Experienced in Sainsbury
Projected date of start: 2/6/2019
Projected date of end: 30/6/2019
Projected Days in a week: 3
Projected Hours in a day: 3
Total number of hours: 36
Objective
 Development of working abilities of team
 Development of customer services skills
 Development of professional skills required by the organizations
Responsibilities and Duties
 Providing standard level skills or customer services
 Cooperate with other workers and team members
 Calculation of payment with appropriate technological skills
 Providing responsible results and presentations
Learning Objectives
 Gain a better understanding which can be beneficial in career and upcoming working
filed.
 Having effective skills and effective knowledge for the progress at future workplaces.
 Providing benefits to the organization in an effective manner.
Seeking for professional and personal growth with the help of work based experiences in
important for getting success in professional life. There are a number of processes which can be
taken into consideration for sending a proposal to an organization for such purpose:
Facilitate required information: I have presented a plan to the management of the organization
providing necessary details related to me. Such details include my academic qualification, career
goals and desired future jib. It can help the organization to develop their learning planning.
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Needs of learning: After identification of the academic qualification and desired goals, the
management of the Sainsbury needs to know about my learning needs which are required to
achieve the mentioned career goals. The management would be able to formulate the appropriate
training activities on the basis of analyses of learning needs (Sharbatoghlie et al., 2011).
Benefits to the organization: The productivity of the organization increases at the time of
providing training to the learners and management can also get skilled employees without
incurring any extra cost in hiring process.
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P1.3- Recognize the business constraints on the work experience
Some of the big level organizations like Sainsbury arrange work based learning experience
programs and internships to recruit or employ experienced employees as their workforce. The
organization focuses on developing the necessary knowledge and skills to train the learners and
make them familiar with the working environment of the organization. Thus, it results in
providing benefits to both, the organization as well as to the trainees (Paloniemi, 2006). Apart
from the benefits, there are also some factors which have great impact on the business of the
organization which can be defined as follows:
Additional Cost: Providing training to the employees needs to incur extra cost by the
organization. Such additional cost is treated as constraints for the respective organization.
Facilitating sufficient skills and information related to the working scenario is also important for
providing better working experiences. It also adds costs to the organization. Along with this, the
measurement and consideration of safety and health related aspects also needs time and cost
involvement by the organization.
Time Management: As executives and trainees of the organization are engaged in providing
training to the learners, the issue arises related to time management as organizational works are
being interrupted (Nicholls, 2017).
Maintenance of Standards of the Organization: Most of the learners and trainees are not
known about the practices, codes and different standards of the organization. Thus, it becomes
difficult to the organization to teach and train the learners about the same.
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Task 2
P2.1- Agree and prioritize the tasks and responsibilities involved in the work experience
To get success in the working environment and professional life, it is required to prioritize the
responsibilities and tasks allotted or assigned by the instructor. By prioritizing the work, I can
possess the capabilities to get success and to become a professional and successful sales
executive (Baldwin, 2016).
Deadlines: It is required to the employees to meet deadlines to become a responsible employee
and professional. On the basis of deadlines, I need to organize my tasks to maintain the workflow
so as to meet targets within the given timeframe. I have learned the process and importance of
prioritize the work on the basis of understanding the importance of deadlines. In the process of
prioritize the tasks, I need to find out the deadlines of the tasks and then to arrange them so that
no deadlines can be missed. I can also improve the quality of my performance on the basis of
having skills for identification and prioritizing the tasks.
Setting goals: An individual can assess the required skills and needs to get the goals of the
allotted tasks on the basis of setting appropriate objectives. The tasks which needs high level of
efforts and greater skills are considered as high priority tasks and completion of such tasks
always results in proving enhanced work based experience. To find out the significance of every
single assigned task I need to set the goals over the accomplishment of each task (Huang et al.,
2015).
Identification of pros and cons: It is required to know and to measure pros and cons related to
each and every task to achieve the objectives. The tasks of highest priority may impact the
success of the organization in both positive as well as in negative manner. On the basis of
measurement the priority and importance of task I am able to get the pros and cons and their
impact on the organizational context.
Time Scale: Setting the time frame to be allotted to the each division of task is required to
accomplish the assigned accountabilities in accomplishment of work (Li et al., 2016).
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P2.2- Produce a plan for the work experience
Plan for work based experience at Tesco
Job Designation: Sales Executive
Accountable Manager: Sales executive manager
Place: UK
Projected date of start: 3rd June 2019 Projected date of completion: 30th June 2016
Days in a week: 3 days
Hours in a day: 3 hours Total number of training hours: 36
hours
Aim:
Training for a regular job
Following the directions of the trainer
Treat with admiration the employees of the organization
Achieving proper expertise and awareness to provide good services
Areas of attention:
Team working
Meeting with new customers
Fulfilling the jib responsibilities
Learning objectives:
Team management
skills development
Learning the maintenance of organizational policies
Assistances to organization:
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Potential workforce helps in
 Increasing productivity to the organization
 Providing trained employees
 Cost effective hiring
With the help of clear and detailed learning plan, the learners can possess better knowledge and
information about the required performance by the organizational standards. The learners are
able to set objectives on the basis of proper work based plan. Clear plan helps in reflecting better
understanding of the needs of learning and also shows the areas which need improvements. My
instructor at Sainsbury guided me to set the objectives of the plan for achieving the identified
needs (Cunningham, 2016).
Internship: Internships are the utmost important and common features of the work based
learning programs which tend to improve the current skills of learners. With the help of
internship programs, the interns or individuals also have the chance to get placed within the same
organization. On the basis of internship programs, I am able to face the real working condition
with more confidence and motivation.
Knowledge of Subject: Subject knowledge and proper skills are required to achieve the targeted
results. My instructor always suggests me to have full and accurate information and knowledge
about the subject which ultimately helps me in improving necessary marketing skills like team
working, communication, dealing with customers (Qian and Clark, 2016)
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P2.3 Analyse the benefits of the proposed activities to the business and the learner
Work based learning experience programs are useful for both, for the organization as well as for
the individuals. It possesses great benefits for the trainees in the process of achieving desired
designation in future. In the organizational context, the events and functions conducted in work
based programs results in providing talents and adequate skills to the current and future
workforce of the organization.
Benefits to the organizations:
Pool of future talent: The organization can have better understanding about the pool of future
talent. Along with this, the assessment of performances delivers information about the leaning
capabilities of the learners required to achieve the goals of the organization. The instructors are
also able to modify their learning programs on the basis of capabilities and needs of learners
(Savery, 2015).
Productivity: Thee internship results in increasing the current productivity of an organization.
The learners an also be employed by the organization as their workforce on the basis of their
learning capabilities. This step is also cost effective as hiring cost of the company can be saved,
Along with this; no extra cost is required to be incurred to provide training to the employees as
they are already trained by the organization during their internship program.
Benefits to the learners:
Work experience: With the help of learning programs the learners like me may get chance to
acknowledge and experience the real working conditions within an organization. Such
experience can help the learners in getting desired jobs in future and fulfilling their job
responsibilities with more accuracy and responsibility. On the basis of experience of such
programs, I would get real life scenarios of a sales executive while performing his/her duties.
Professional Environment: The learners can have knowledge about the professional working
environment and can amend their professional behavior accordingly along with this; they also
get familiar of the skills required for working within different team members (Moon, 2013).
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Task 3
P3.1 Fulfil specified requirements of placement conforming to all related codes of practice.
Every industry has some requires quality and standards which are required to be followed by the
organization to maintain their professional relation with the employees. Sainsbury has achieved
the third largest position in the supermarket chains by formulation set of standards and rules on
the performance quality of the professionals. To achieve the goals of the learning program and to
become skilled and successful sales executive, I need to learn to work as per the given
guidelines, code of conducts and rules of Sainsbury communicated during the different training
sessions. On the basis of suggestion of the mentor of Sainsbury, I need to get appropriate
knowledge about the important t code of practices and performance standards as it would enable
me to develop my career goals. The understanding of code of practices would also help me to
gather information about the ethical requirements of the organization as well as of the industry
which are required to be followed while working as a sales executive. My instructor also
motivates me to improve my level and quality of performance by getting the requirements of the
customers, organization as well as of the industry. As per the code of conduct of Sainsbury, I
need to acknowledge the technical knowledge in the different working areas of service as the
company is also upgrading its working trends and applying different technologies to provide
maximum level of customer satisfaction. By proper inspection of the working areas and services
provided by Sainsbury, Sainsbury ensures the proper health and safety of the workers and try to
maintain the basic standards and hygiene of the customer services. It is important to me not only
having the theoretical knowledge of such standards, but also has knowledge about the process of
practical implications while working in an organization and providing customer services. The
management needs to check different working areas like electrical goods, fire exit, technical
machines ad their appliances and also to maintain the medical backup in case of any unwanted
event. As an employee of the organization, I need to have information and knowledge about such
rules, standards and policies so that I can help in occurring any type of unwanted event (Boud et
al., 2013)
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