Apprentice Review

I currently work in Industrial and Logistics although I have been involved throughout the whole office, helping various departments with their day-to-day activities. I started off my apprenticeship learning about the different marketing techniques that are used by JLL to promote different properties which then progressed into me creating marketing brochures for industrial premises. From here I have developed my knowledge in property further, and have even been given my own instruction, meaning that I am currently responsible for a property and it is my job to market it, assist people with any queries and remain in constant contact with our client.

Before my apprenticeship, my knowledge in property was very broad (I blame this on schools not having a "property" syllabus, maybe I would have found my passion in property much sooner). I have gained numerous skills throughout my apprenticeship, one of the biggest would have to be time management. Completing an apprenticeship involves a lot of time management skills. Balancing full-time work, masses of college coursework, socializing with family and friends, walking the dog and even playing rugby on the weekends doesn’t come easy and some sacrifices have to be made. Throughout school I never really kept a diary which sometimes resulted in me missing deadlines, forgetting homework and sometimes even getting an unexpected test on arrival to class – woops! Nowadays, I fully understand the importance of keeping a diary. I am able to manage numerous aspects of my day, making the most of my time at work and managing to complete all the tasks I have set myself. I have also gained valuable communication skills from my time meeting clients, as well as developing my I.T knowledge from using various internet programs that are used by JLL. I also have technical knowledge about property and the construction process from my college course

I really enjoy my apprenticeship program and no two days are alike. I work with a small team of people in Industrial and Logistics who always assist me if I require any help. The apprenticeship thoroughly met my expectations and I fully enjoy my time at JLL. Everybody in the office involves me in everything that goes on here - I have even helped the Graduates with the organization of events such as the Christmas party.

I feel very valued by JLL and although I am only an apprentice, I am not looked upon as one. Working with people who encourage you to be the best you can be, and want nothing more than for you to succeed is very good feeling. I strongly believe that I have found a passion in property from my time as an apprentice at JLL and I hope that I am able to further develop my career within the property sector.

I would consider my program to be very organized. I am always given around one weeks notice before anything has to be completed. This is to ensure that I am always on top of things that have to be done in the office, and so that I have plenty of time to organize my work load. I attend college every Wednesday, and although I enjoy the work that I do and all the various aspects of surveying that I am studying, this can sometimes be difficult to keep up with. There is a lot of work that needs to be done for college, and trying to do this on weekends and evenings only is very challenging. Despite this, I always keep a diary so that I am able to plan my week and decide on what items of my college coursework need to be done on each day.

My college tutors are all supportive to each and every person in my class. They will make the effort to continue to go through any pieces of work that we don't quite understand until we are fully aware of what we need to do. The tutors are very good at what they do and so far, I have had all DISTINCTIONS in my college work. The teachers all motivate me to be the best that I can be and continue to work hard.

My Line Manager is very supportive on a day-to-day basis and is always willing to help me should I have any problems or issues with work.

As someone who is considered to be a young driver, running a car can be very expensive, especially with regards to insurance costs. However, JLL's salary fully allows me to meet my insurance demands every month (My mother's bank card is very happy about this). I have always been very good at spending money, in fact, I have mastered it. Working for JLL, I have found myself with money left over at the end of the month and have even started saving into an ISA to help me out in the future when buying my own property.

There are many opportunities outside of work. As a JLL apprentice, I have been asked to attend a lot of events outside of work, one of which being the Apprentice Network. This event gives me a chance to interact with other apprentices from across the United Kingdom and make friends with similar interests to myself. I also have the opportunity to attend other social events, such as Women in Property. This is a local event which is often held in Cardiff so that I am able to meet with other qualified surveyors and gain recognition in the property world.

Yes

When working for JLL, you have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals whilst gaining valuable skills and an understanding in the property sector. As well as this, attending college on a once a week basis allows you to gain a qualification that will provide you with the essential knowledge that will be beneficial in the future. Opportunities like this don’t come around often and I am so glad that I grasped it with both hands.

As with any new job, the interview process was very nerve-racking and I found myself struggling to answer some of the questions that I was given, although I did try my best. My initial interview consisted of a Skype video call with the recruitment team in London, where I then got invited to attend the Cardiff office for a face-to-face interview. Once I was onboard, I was given an induction and have been given numerous online training courses to help me gain more of an understanding with regards to my work. All of the JLL apprentices from London and the regional offices hold meetings every so often which are an opportunity to think of any improvements to the apprenticeship or raise any concerns that we may have. There are so many opportunities with a company like JLL and should I prove myself to be a valuable asset to this team, then I may be taken on full-time in the future. The only advice I would give to others applying for JLL is, should the opportunity come around, I would grasp it with both hands.