I worked in Sainsbury's on a part-time basis while I was at college studying for my HND in human resources.
I started off on the checkouts at the supermarket chain and also worked on the cigarette counter. I was really lucky in that, after I had been with the store for a few years, we got a new personnel manager and a job as an administrator in the human resources department came up. I got the job and, as well as being an HR administrator, I was PA to the deputy store manager. Nevertheless, I was still able to do both jobs part-time.
It was rather like being on a work experience assignment - I was studying human resources, and I was getting paid for it as well. It was also a real eye-opener for me. Although I knew a lot of the staff on the shop floor, often I had to deal with people who were a lot senior to me and the first few months in the job were certainly a real challenge.
The job with Sainsbury's made me realise that HR was the field I wanted to work in so I went on to study for a degree in the discipline. When I finished my degree I went into a career in HR in the hospitality industry and I have always been lucky in the jobs I have had since.
