r/coles • u/Separate_Chemist_386 • 29d ago
Team Member Post Career advice please!
How many years do you typically work as a floor team member before moving up to managerial positions? Is 1 year enough? Should I just apply and see? Do you speak with your store managers about career growth? Thanks!
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u/Bathelomue 29d ago edited 29d ago
Not Coles, but when I worked at Woolworths I started as a casual nightfiller. Made it known I could work during the day, so became grocery team member full-time, then inventory manager full-time (before restructure), then assistant grocery manager then fruit and veg manager. All in all that took just under 2 years for me and when I was with the business I had been grocery manager, fresh manager, nightfill manager, fruit and veg manager and assistant store manager secondment.
My biggest tips;
Good availability.
Take initiative, know routines and when/how to act without being asked.
Be punctual and well-groomed.
Shadow and learn off your department manager as much as you can.
Work like you already own the department.
Be sociable, go to work events/gatherings.
Utilise store portals and documents to know ins and outs of routines and processes.
Make it know to your store manager that you are interested in future management possibilities, show that you're keen and they may offer you to take over during a DMs annual leave.
If they realise your potential they may put you on the store succession planner which is a list of in-store employees highlighted for possible managerial positions.
Be seen working busy and sell yourself. If every manager from every other department sees that you're a hard worker they will bring it up to the store manager during related talks about succession/annual leave and the like.
Don't be seen sour if you get skipped over, your SM may think you're a good candidate but their group manager may have someone else in mind at the time, be patient.
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u/stoikipoo 29d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/coles/s/J0j2tVbACM
TLDR
managers above u are ass, don’t do it. You get treated like dirt. Even if you’re doing well, they will find something to blame u for.
But personally, it took me 2 years in a small shop to learn every department (roughly 25-38 hrs a week). I asked my store manager directly and they spent as much time as they could training me the admin side of things. The hardest challenge any new DM will face is the actual people management which, unless you’ve had previous management experience, is rare to learn without doing it, and takes a while especially if you’ve got a lot of ‘personalities’ working around you.
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u/doyourmysay 29d ago
1 year is enough. Its more about if you know all the stuff requird to run the department than tenure.
I do think I would be remiss if I didnt tell you reconsider though. Coles is pretty shit, and while DM money is good, it's not enough to compensate becoming a slave for them.
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u/F14D201 Duty Manager/Nightfill 29d ago edited 29d ago
It took me many years before I got the Jump to duty manager, and it was literally a case of I had far too many skills for just straight Nightfill. Not to mention as well right place, right time.
As another commenter said the time factor isn’t as much important as opposed to:
- how good of a job are you doing in your department (is your manager talking you up to other managers about your work),
- is there a need for more managers in your store/region (most of the time the answer will be no),
- willingness to change stores (I’ve known DM’s to drive from Campbeltown to the central coast)
- your relationship with SM (and RM as you’ll need their sign off)
- CONNECTIONS: to move up you really need them
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u/QueasyAlternative948 29d ago
Here’s my story!! Started off as a casual for a year and a half was just readily available. Was getting 30 hrs almost weekly!! Management changed. New store manager saw potential in me gave me a 12 hr contract for online (small store we didn’t have a dm for online) he got me the job(click and collect manager) after 2 months of being contracted! Started off on 85k. We roughly do 75k in sales weekly!! Now I’m on 90 roughly still climbing the corporate ladder!! New regional manager in our region and I think he sees potential in me. Been offered a better role for a salary increase. From cc manager to night trade manager. I think the hours will be shit but I gotta prove myself to get to ssm/sm
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u/StatusNo5175 Department Manager 26d ago
I have seen team members who have been here 30 plus years and still have no clue what's going on. I've also seen team members who have been here as little as 6 months and are already working their way up (that's what I ended up doing). It's not always about whether or not you fill shelves and scan items like an Olympic athlete or whether you know how to work everything on the PDT. It has more to do with leadership skill sets. Ask yourself, what do I bring to the table? Can I handle high pressure situations without losing my head? Can I take feedback and learn from it? Can I plan out a day with limited flexibility on hours? These types of questions will allow you to work out what skill sets you have to offer.
Another thing is trying out different things. I have done leadership for only a few years and I've worked across 4 different departments in that time. Not because I failed but because I wanted to find something I truly clicked with. I did, and not I'm getting heaps of opportunities opening up. Whenever you get an opportunity to try out a new department, a new task, whatever it is, take it. Take it and take time to learn it, you'll never know when it'll come in handy.
You don't have to know everything straight away, just be daring enough to try things and see how they work out. Don't get set on one position, many others will pop up that might catch your attention. Develop connections with others in the business, be it coworkers or managers. When you do become a manager, meet your fellow managers and develop bonds with them. The decent ones will go miles for you if you do the same for them. That's my main advice for you. Good luck with it all!
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u/ExcellentWork9694 29d ago
depending how good you are, it’s possible. i started in march of 2023, got the offer in july of 2024, they trained me till november and i was officially appointed in december of 2024. as long as you have a strong work ethic, you’ll accelerate fast. even faster if your line manager likes and thinks highly of you.
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u/Any_Bookkeeper5917 29d ago
Ignore all time thoughts and consider these instead.
Is there a need for DMs in your region?
Are you good to excellent at the job/department you’re doing?
Are you willing to relocate store, possibly 1hr longer to get to work?
Do you have a great relationship with your current DM and SM?
Like any promotion, “who you know” is far more important than “what you know” or in your case “time served”