Supply Assistant Review

I create 5-6 complex reports each day, I forecast what supply of stocks I think will be needed from each of my suppliers, I work with suppliers to come to agreements over stock and I work with the warehouse to ensure my suppliers have booked their stock in, in time. I feel that it is a lot of responsibility for an apprentice which is a bit of a double-edged sword.

I am still relatively early-on in my apprenticeship, but I have developed my resilience. I have received in-company training to help me get a bit more familiar with my day job but I will definitely need a few more months to actually start to feel comfortable I think. I also complete the apprenticeship programme with other apprentices across the business and complete my qualification outside of my work time, which is very demanding.

At the moment, I am finding it very stressful due to the amount that is expected of apprentices, especially when they first start. However, I hope as I learn more about my role I can begin to enjoy it. The main negative I have experienced so far is the feeling of an 'expectation' to work overtime unpaid.

There is so much going on that it feels difficult to say that it is organised. There is an apprenticeship programme, my day-to-day job, extra projects and tasks to complete and also my degree. I feel like the various training providers (e.g. staff trainers, my team, my uni mentors) are unaware of how much is expected of us in other areas of the role which is very stressful and demanding sometimes. Hopefully, over time, this will settle down a little. It's good that there is a lot of opportunities to get involved in things but it feels almost like there is TOO much.

I feel like there are good grounds of support such as the appointment of mentors/buddies/team introductions/handovers, but in reality, there is far too little time to actually feel supported. In principle, there is a good support network but in reality, it hasn't really materialised yet for me.

My training providers want the best for me but sometimes I feel like they don't have enough time to help with this. A lot of my assignments are marked later than promised which can make progressing forwards very difficult sometimes. I enjoy the collaborative experience on my University days and enjoy networking with apprentices from other businesses, which is a big positive for me.

So far, it has mainly helped me to learn about and research the business I work in. I am not sure how much it actually has been put into practice so far, but this might be something I start seeing a bit more in the future. So far my qualification and job role feel very segregated which is something I am keen to avoid.

There are lots of events to get involved in. We get to go to events when new brands/products are launched so that we can learn about them. I have also got involved volunteering for Children In Need which I really enjoyed and there are events to network as wider apprentice groups which I also like.

Yes

I would recommend, but I would also warn them about the more 'negative' aspects of being an apprentice at Boots, such as the expectation of overtime. I think it is a good opportunity but incredibly high-stress so isn't for everyone. It's a really big challenge if this is what you are looking for.

Put the hours into your application in order to do it justice. Be honest if you don't understand something and ask questions. Get involved in charity events. Understand that you can only do your best, and even if your team expect it of you, you aren't going to be perfect or understand the role immediately, and your team need to be patient and supportive.