Maude O'Sullivan, Area Manager, Aldi

What does your job involve?

As an area manager I'm responsible for the performance of three stores. I have personnel and leadership responsibilities for up to 60 staff. I'm responsible for ensuring that customers receive an excellent customer experience and that ambitious targets are met. I'm also responsible for ensuring adequate staffing levels in the store and the recruitment and development of staff.

What skills are important to be successful?

The skills you need to be successful as an area manager are planning, organisation and people skills. You need to be really driven and target focussed.

What do you love about your job?

I love the diversity of the role. It's very varied. I really enjoy working with different people in different teams to ensure ambitious targets are met. I get great satisfaction from helping people develop to their full potential. The role of an area manager is a challenging role but there's fantastic support from colleagues and your director.

How did you get your job?

I first became aware of the Aldi Graduate Manager Training Programme at a careers fair that I attended. I really enjoyed the fact that Aldi invested a full year of training into someone to create a successful area manager. I first applied online. I was successful at the online stage and was invited to attend a group assessment in the RDC in Mitchelstown. Being successful at that stage I was invited to another one on one interview with the managing director, Niall O'Connor. Thankfully, being successful at that stage I was invited to a final one on one interview with two regional directors.

What advice would you give a first year student?

There's a huge level of responsibility and diversity within the role as an Aldi area manager. If I was to give one piece of advice to a first year student it would be to develop your time management and organisational skills.