Procurement Apprentice Review

On a daily basis I deal with a range of tasks. These include New Supplier forms, Procurement engagement forms, Contract approval forms etc. All of these forms ensure Procurement can do what is required. Another job I do is deal with suppliers and try to build a good working relationship as well as get quotes from them to send on to the internal stakeholder for events etc. I also work a lot with DocuSign, this is used to get any contracts signed both internally and externally. I also do a lot of work at the minute with the Professional Services team within Procurement. This has helped me gain a lot more experience and I have a lot more responsibility as I am the point of contact for Stakeholders and suppliers.

I have worked in Procurement before in my previous company but at Sage it is very different and I have learnt a variety of new skills and I have gained experiences in different software's and parts of Procurement which has been very useful. Since working at Sage I think my communication skills have improved as it is a global company it's always on the go and it is very important to keep everyone in the loop.

I enjoy my job a lot, Sage is a great place to work with a huge variety of people which I always enjoy as I am a sociable person. My team are always helpful and supportive when I need it and are always keen to involve me in their work.

I think overall it is very organised as my apprenticeship provider is based in York so I have to travel down there but everything Is always organised and I cant fault the teaching. I think the induction week at Sage needs to be looked at in more detail as I think a week is a long time and I didn't find all of it 100% useful. I felt like the induction week was mostly aimed for all the new Customer services apprentices, so for the ones who weren't in CS it was a bit irrelevant. I would've preferred to receive a week of in depth training so I was ready to get straight into it the next week.

I think Sage is a very supportive company to work for and they do really care about their staff. My manager and team are always there to offer help and support when I need it as well. I receive regular one to one's with my manager and we update each other regularly on my work and progress.

I have a day every 2 weeks in a classroom environment with a tutor which is very helpful. We use this day to go through the exam material. I also get a day every 2 weeks for the week I am not in the classroom to do self study. So I get 1 day per week to go over my notes, text books etc to prepare for my exams. The provider for my apprenticeship is always very helpful as well if I have had any issues they have resolved them for me quickly.

The qualification I am doing is Level 4 in CIPS. This is very helpful as it is all about Procurement so I'm doing work that is relevant to my course and I am constantly learning new things that I can use in my role. CIPS is also a great qualification to have in Procurement.

At Sage there are so many opportunities for us to get involved in. We have the Sage foundation which allows us to take 5 volunteer days a year to help make a difference in the local community. Sage also have an onsite gym, they are very eager to ensure that staff are happy and healthy.

Yes

Sage is a global company and it is really interesting working with all the different people in different countries etc. It is a very friendly and sociable environment to work and there is a constant buzz. I really like the fact that Sage offer the 5 volunteer days as well as I like the idea of giving back to the local community.

As an apprentice I would definitely recommend coming to the Apprentice open evening as it is a real eye opener especially if you aren't 100% sure what department suits you best. It also gives you a feel for the company, people and building on a whole. The interview process was more like a group session which was fun but different for me as I have never done a group interview before. Before your interview I would definitely do your research on Sage and their products etc.