Day In The Life Of An Apprentice: BSS

Hi there! I’m Megan. And for the past two years, I’ve been loving life as a Management Apprentice for BSS.

BSS is a builders merchant and the UK’s largest heating and plumbing specialist – selling boilers, valves and pipes nationwide.

As the company is part of Travis Perkins, we get involved in other areas of the business too, like the supply chains, covering all aspects from design to use.

So where do I fit into this?

One of the perks of my job is that I get to experience lots of different departments including hire and sales, and the warehouse. I’ve worked at five branches already and spent time at more.

Even though my responsibilities change each day, this is what my average day looks like:

7:00 – I arrive at the branch and open the trade counter, serving customers as they turn up. I take their order, get it dispatched and stick around for a chat (although my small talk needs a bit of work first thing in the morning). 

8:00 – Depending on how busy the counter is, I don’t usually get to my desk until 8:00 am. I log on, check my emails, then action anything that’s important. Once I’ve finished, I check my calendar to see if I have any calls that day (I tend to have a few virtual meetings a week about my apprenticeship, diversity and inclusion initiatives or a project that I’m involved in). 

9:00 – I finish my apprenticeship work (all my learning for the apprenticeship is done at the office). Each morning, I’ll allocate some time to complete the tasks, then record my on-the-job training which all goes towards my apprenticeship. I have already completed my Level 2 and I enjoyed it so much that I am now doing my Level 3. 

11:00 – I’ll help out with sales, answering the phone and emails (keying on orders) and support my colleagues on the trade counter. 

1:00 – Lunch time! 

2:00 – Occasionally, I’ll cover sales while people are having lunch. So more keying and covering the trade counter.

3:00 – Around 3:00pm, I’ll look over reports for the branch. This involves approving invoices, checking sales figures and verifying the margin on keyed sales. I’ll negotiate prices with suppliers and check their pricing methods with the team. 

4:00 – The day is done. Time to go home!

That’s my normal day, but sometimes it changes and I’ll have meetings, conferences or events to go to as well. What I love about my job is just how unique each day is!