"I feel very proud of what I'm doing" Valentina, Shift Manager

Valentina’s working life began in logistics, but she didn’t really enjoy her job. By chance, she happened to live quite near to a Lidl store so decided to apply - and has been here ever since.

Where were you working or what were you studying before you joined Lidl?

I studied for a degree and worked in info tech Logistics for a while, but I realised it was not the job for me, so I made the switch to retail and I've been working for Lidl since 2018. My house was very near to a new Lidl store and I was looking for a job, so I applied. And here I am!

What does your current role involve?

I help manage the team running the shift and also have my own duties. these include checking expiry dates and prices, checking that our deliveries are correct, managing the safe and making sure that the cash balance at each till is correct at the end of the day.

We work towards targets which I work with the team to achieve, and we always work to improve productivity, which is challenging.

Any achievements you're particularly proud of?

I think I’ve learned a lot in this job. As a professional, I'm very committed to my role and enjoy getting positive feedback from my manager. Because I’m not in my home country, everything is doubly difficult because of the language and culture differences. Here in England, I learned a different approach to working with people and customers. I feel very proud of what I'm doing.

What sort of people would enjoy doing your job?

As a Shift Manager, you need to be like a role model for your team. You need to be effective, you need to be efficient, and you need to trust your colleagues. I enjoy my work. I'm not one to complain about day-to-day challenges, like late deliveries or sickness in the team. I try to be positive all the time because I think if you come to work with a smile and not let things get to you, everything will be fine. ‘I can do it today. WE can do it today’ – that’s my motto.

Is there anything that surprised you about working with Lidl, anything you didn't expect?

Not really, because I've got experience of retail. We do have different customers, and the people I work with all have different backgrounds and mindsets, which makes it very interesting because everyone has a different approach.

And what’s your work life balance like?

I've got a lot of things I like doing outside of work, and it helps that I live close to my store. My work life balance means I have time for my hobbies like painting. I like oil painting, and yoga as well.

Finally, what words would you use to describe Lidl?

Growing. Professional. Committed. Team.