Apprentice warehouse operative Review

I am an apprentice warehouse operative training to be a team manager. my daily tasks include picking goods for our seven secondary depots. Our main customer is Marks and Spencer's but we do work for Tesco, Aldi, Waitrose and others. I also load and unloads vehicles making sure they are loaded correctly and on time. I have to maintain good communication with my colleagues so that I Know what I have to pick or which lorry I have to load. There is a trunking coordinator who tells the loader what to load and where they must load it. sometimes we have to speak to our customers if they have any queries. If I am a runner, I must tell the pickers what to pick and in what order, otherwise a lorry could go out late because I haven't relayed the correct information. I am due to go on a risk assessment course in the coming weeks. I do something different everyday, even if I'm loading vehicles a couple of days in a row there is no day the same.

I have gained a Level 2 City and Guilds qualification in logistics during my first year and I am about to start a level 3 qualification in management. I have completed a fire marshal course where I will be in charge of people's safety if there is a fire emergency. I will also take part in a risk assessment course where I will learn the correct way to risk assess and look out for risks carrying out everyday tasks. I have improved my communication skills because there are people of a number of different nationalities where I work and so I have had to adapt to that. I have also improved my confidence massively, this is through talking to people and asking for help when I needed it. It definitely helped that the people I am working with are all very friendly and approachable but if I hadn't asked anyone to help I wouldn't have learnt as much. I had to complete an IT training course which helped improve my excel knowledge. I have learnt how to prioritise certain tasks, this sis especially important in logistics because it is a very fast moving sector.

I enjoy my work because everyday is different, even if I am completing the same task for a couple for days, the scenarios will change. I am learning everyday and still learning after being here for over a year and a half. the progression rate is also very good, if you want to progress and your managers know that, then you shouldn't have too many problems. The team I work with is very approachable and the warehouse has a very nice atmosphere. as long as you do your job correctly and to a high standard then it is nice and relaxed. on my induction I was told that it was a nice place to work and I was not disappointed. it got me looking up different policies that I didn't know about and so I now have an understanding of policies which will undoubtedly help me in certain situations in the future.

I am having regular meetings with my line manager and also site manager so I feel valued because it makes it look as though they are interested in my progress and are making sure that I am not getting left behind. I have been awarded with the employee of the month scheme which is pleasing because it means my efforts are being recognised by the managers.

The programme I have recently completed was very organised with a clear structure. I was given a booklet to fill out and was allowed to ask for any additional support that I needed. if I didn't know something that related to the course I could ask my vocational assessor or any manager at work. I had meetings every month with the training provider who would come to my p[lace of work and we would go though the work that I was set and then be tasked with the next topic to learn.

My tutor provided a lot of support, form replying to emails almost straight away to providing me with as many resources as possible to help me get through the course. I could contact my tutor 24/7 and would receive a response the same day and normally within a couple of hours. my tutor was always happy to help me with any queries I had. I enjoyed learning about certain aspects of the logistics sector that I hadn't previously considered.

The managers were only too happy to help me with my course, they would ask me how it was going and if there was any additional support that I needed. it also helped that there was an ex apprentice who was then a manager who helped me through the course and could help me with any questions I had. I could ask any of the managers any time for support and they would help me as much as possible.

My living costs are covered by my salary, however I am not living alone. my travel costs are very cheap as I cycle to work however if I did have to drive the costs would be covered by my salary. for an apprentice scheme the salary is very reasonable and they offer a wide selection of schemes to help you if you are struggling, this included child care schemes.

I have been away with the company on a number of occasions. this included a three night stay away in Basingstoke where I had my induction to the company. We also had a mentor meeting which Is a senior manager from another site who is there to help us with any queries we had but weren't comfortable talking about it in our own place of work. I came into this apprenticeship scheme straight after I completed my A-Levels.

Yes

I would recommend Gist to a friend because it is a very good company to work for. This is shown through the level of support you receive when you first start. You are given a lot of training so that you aren't left in the dark about what you have to do. Everyone is very approachable and so it wasn't daunting coming into a new group of peers.

When you apply with your CV talk to anyone who has had experience reading them. it can help you so much because if your CV doesn't stand out then you wont go any further. you need to be remembered when people read it so make sure you take your time with it. Again, you should practise take up as many opportunities as you can with your school. With assessment days you need to stand out but not for the wrong reasons. you need to ask relevant questions and keep being involved in any group activities. if you have to complete and presentations, try and think of a moment when it didn't go well and then how you rectified it.