My time in Agriculture – Helen Bellew

What a fantastic Year!

With only 8 weeks of my agricultural placement remaining it is hard to believe where the time has gone. It has been a fantastic experience in terms of broadening my understanding of the relationship Waitrose has with suppliers and producers as well as gaining a greater insight into livestock production systems.

The diversity of my placement has made it continuously dynamic and exciting with each day being very different. Trips out of the office are regular occasions with farms to visit and project meetings to attend. I have been lucky to work within an amazing team who have really helped me to make the most of my placement. I have engaged with numerous agricultural projects to drive on farm efficiency as well as interacting with the commercial team by joining meetings on promotions, pricing and new project development.

With a years experience under my belt I feel more competent going into my final year of university. My confidence has grown and my general business and management understanding will put me in a great position when furthering my career after graduating.

 Top tips for those of you that are about to start the placement journey:

1. Make the most of every day! Every meeting, project or outing you go on will give you a wealth of knowledge.
2. Be adaptable and engage with different parts of the business. Even if you didn’t imagine it would be part of your placement just enjoy your opportunity to get involved with different teams.
3. Interact with all the other placement students so you can discus progress and have a familiar face around the office.
4. Don’t be afraid to throw ideas on to the table at meetings, being new eyes to the business and projects your comments will be very valuable.
5. Be yourself and enjoy it!