To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we are revisiting and checking in with our employees who completed their apprenticeships with us at Comms365. We have also introduced new apprentices to the company! We talk to them about their experiences below.
In the first of our three-part series, we have spoken to Toby; who completed his Customer Service Apprenticeship a couple of years ago, Josh; our Customer Service Apprentice, Eloise; who completed her Digital Marketing Apprenticeship last year, and Georgia; our Digital Marketing Apprentice.
Toby, Customer Service Apprenticeship
1. What apprenticeship course did you
complete?
I completed a Level 3 Customer Service Apprenticeship.
2. Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
I wanted to continue with my learning to be able to enhance my skills, but didn’t think university was for me. An apprenticeship allowed me to gain skills and workplace knowledge as well as continuing with my education.
3. Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
I would recommend an apprenticeship to others, definitely. Especially those who were in my position and were not sure that university life would suit them. An apprenticeship offers the ability to earn and learn simultaneously.
4. How has Comms365 supported you throughout your apprenticeship?
During the course of my apprenticeship, Comms365 were very supportive, with continued assistance from my Manager where required.
Doing the apprenticeship at Comms365 allowed me to get involved in various parts of the business as well as experience different job roles allowing me to broaden my industry knowledge as well as my education.
5. Is there anything you found challenging about the apprenticeship?
I suppose the most challenging thing about the apprenticeship is finding the time to complete work. I quickly found out that in order to get what I want out of my apprenticeship I need to make the time available and work hard. Luckily, Comms365 were very understanding and allowed me to have time to complete my work.
6. What has been your favourite thing about doing the apprenticeship?
My favourite part of the apprenticeship was that it got me heavily involved with all aspects of the business.
Each day was different Some days I would be on the phone to customers making sure their needs were fulfilled and that everything had gone as expected. Others would involve me working alongside the sales team and being involved in the close discussions to prepare me for my customers.
7. Since we last spoke in 2019, how have you developed at Comms365? Is there anything you are particularly proud of?
Since 2019 I’ve come along way. I‘ve developed a lot in my Sales role with the help of my colleagues to enable me to be in a position where I can work with my customers and support them on their needs.
I am now in a position where I am responsible for some of the company’s largest accounts and heavily involved in the roll out of our new “IoT CaaS” solution.
Josh, Customer Service Apprenticeship
1. What apprenticeship course are you doing?
The apprenticeship course I am doing is Level 3 Customer Service.
2. How long have you been doing your apprenticeship for?
I’ve been doing my apprenticeship for over one year now.
3. Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
I chose to do an apprenticeship as it’s the best way to learn about the products we sell and gain knowledge of the business, learning on the job and gaining a recognised qualification.
4. Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
I would recommend an apprenticeship to others as it’s the best way to track your progress within a business and having a qualification on your CV is always a positive. Learning and studying on the job gives you time to fully understand the products and services the company provide.
5. How has Comms365 supported you throughout your apprenticeship?
Comms365 have helped me to get everything set up to get started, I’ve also been shadowing my mentor, who completed the same apprenticeship as me and has given me an overview of what to expect from the course, and my manager has given me relevant documents to go through before my tutor comes to visit me.
6. Is there anything you have found challenging about the apprenticeship?
Lockdown across the U.K. certainly made things a bit more challenging as I’m not getting the hands on experience in the workplace.
7. What has been your favourite thing about doing the apprenticeship?
I would say my favourite thing about my apprenticeship is exploring how many different aspects there are to customer service and how each part effects business.
8. Since we last spoke in 2019, how have you developed at Comms365? Is there anything you are particularly proud of?
I have definitely picked up a lot since last time, learning from mistakes and ensuring I maintain a standard from myself. I’ve also grown more confident about the products we sell.
Eloise, Digital Marketing Apprenticeship
1. How long did you do your apprenticeship for?
My apprenticeship lasted 18 months in total.
2. Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
Originally I was working in childcare but it wasn’t the career path I wanted to go down in the end so an apprenticeship gave me the option of being able to learn and work at the same time which was perfect.
3. Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
100%! Especially if, like me, you started out on one career path but felt like it wasn’t the one for you, an apprenticeship makes it so easy to change that around. You learn about your job whilst also doing the work so you have the opportunity to practice what you’ve learnt.
4. How has Comms365 supported you throughout your apprenticeship?
Comms365 provided me with a work mentor throughout my apprenticeship to help and support me. I knew that I could always go to her if there was ever anything I didn’t understand or struggled with and she helped to teach me about how everything worked in the company. Everyone else in the company have also been really friendly and welcoming ever since I started here.
5. Is there anything you found challenging about the apprenticeship?
I think the only time I really struggled was towards the end of my apprenticeship when I was beginning to hand in completed work, my college tutor left for a new job. This meant there was a short period of time in limbo but it was soon resolved without too much hassle and I still completed my apprenticeship in time.
6. What has been your favourite thing about doing the apprenticeship?
I think just learning about the various areas in marketing. Before this apprenticeship, I never realised how much was actually involved with marketing so it definitely gives you new perspectives. I also met some great people on my course that I still keep in contact with.
7. Since we last spoke in 2019, how have you developed at Comms365? Is there anything you are particularly proud of?
Since 2019 a lot has changed! I completed my apprenticeship and received a Distinction grade, I was also promoted to a new position within the company and I’m now mentoring our new digital marketing apprentice. I’ve put new marketing strategies into place, such as creating a company Instagram account, and focusing on email marketing ideas. Very proud of how much I have progressed in the last year alone, and grateful for all the opportunities Comms365 have given me to do this.
Georgia, Digital Marketing Apprentice
1. How long have you been doing your apprenticeship for?
4 months.
2. Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
After graduating university with a degree in Creative Writing, I was struggling to find a career that I enjoyed due to my lack of experience, so I started thinking about apprenticeships and knew that one in digital marketing would be for me.
3. Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
Yes, I was worried that I was too old to be an apprentice, but it is the best thing I have done as I’ve gained that experience whilst getting paid and everyone gave me such a warm welcome.
4. How has Comms365 supported you throughout your apprenticeship?
Everyone at Comms365 is supportive and help each other. No question is too silly and I’m slowly learning more, given more responsibility and being more independent as time goes on.
5. Is there anything you found challenging about the apprenticeship?
Due to COVID-19, I was only in the office for a month before working from home. I’m really glad I had that time in the office in the beginning to get to know the environment and a few of my colleagues but working from home, as I’m still learning, sometimes can be challenging and I still haven’t met everyone yet. However, my managers have been so supportive, explaining things in the simplest way and checking in regularly with video calls and meetings. Hopefully we will all be in the office soon!
6. What has been your favourite thing about doing the apprenticeship?
So far, I’ve really enjoyed taking control of our social media platforms. I schedule in a lot of the posts weekly now and I even took control of our Instagram for December and did a Digital Advent Calendar. Putting the content together for it was really fun and I was so happy that my managers trusted me with that responsibility so early on.
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