Marketing Assistant Review

Whilst I was on the apprenticeship programme, I worked in the Dealer Setup Team where I performed due diligence checks on vehicle dealerships to ensure that they had the correct licence(s) for them to work with First Response Finance Limited. Since completing the apprenticeship programme I have moved departments. I now work as a Marketing Assistant, focusing on the traditional side of Marketing; designing and creating artwork that advertises the business. This includes point of sale merchandise for vehicle dealerships, magazine advertisements, and quarterly campaigns (to name a few). My job role requires me to build and maintain relationships with the Sales teams at First Response Finance Limited, the vehicle dealerships that the business works in association with, and third-party companies such as printing specialists.

In July 2019, I graduated from university with a BA (Honours) in Management and Leadership. Since graduating, I have also attended external training courses to develop my skills in my current job role. For example, I attended an Adobe Illustrator course. In regards to my personal and/or professional skills, since I have worked at First Response Finance Limited I have been able to develop my 'people skills' by having the opportunity to work in a permanent team (which is working towards a mutual goal), as well as work with people outside of my team.

Whilst I was on the apprenticeship programme, work and university were kept separate for the majority of the time, although I was required to attend university at certain points of each year to be taught the content for each module - this would be during my usual working week. Due to my programme being set out this way it meant that I was able to focus on my job role (at the time) during working hours, and then work on any university assignments outside of my working hours. By doing this I was able to be grow in my career at a much faster pace than if part of my working week was taken up by working on university assignments. Although work and university were separate from each other, I did have Mentors at work who were able to support me with my university work, during my working week, as and when needed.

As mentioned, work and university were kept separate for the majority of the time during the apprenticeship programme. This meant that my induction week at work, along with the training I received for my job role (at the time), was similar to the support given to new employees who would not be taking part in the apprenticeship programme. Within my first few weeks of working at First Response Finance Limited, before starting university, time was put in for me to discuss with the Mentors at work what to expect from the apprenticeship programme - this was really helpful to have as it gave me an idea of what type of support I would be given over the following three years, and who to go to for help.

During the apprenticeship programme, I was given as much support as I needed by my Mentors - they were always really helpful and ensured that they put in time with me to make sure that I was on track with my university assignments, even when I hadn't asked for help. Alongside the support from my Mentors, my Manager(s) were also eager to help - they took a genuine interest in my university work and ensured that I did not have too much on at work, particularly during my final year on the apprenticeship programme. I would have monthly 1-2-1 meetings with my Manager(s) to discuss how I was getting on in my job role, and how I was finding university/apprenticeship programme.

With me being on an apprenticeship programme that entailed me going to university every other month, I came into contact with numerous Lecturers (one or two for each module). Each lecturer gave out their contact details (email address) at the beginning of each lecture - there were never any issues regarding them not responding to emails; they were always happy to support me and offer guidance with any issues or queries that I had.

The majority if university assignments would ask a question(s) and encourage any answers given to be related to a company; I would always use First Response Finance Limited as a 'case study'. By doing this I was able to learn continuously about different departments within the business, and spend time with people who I would not usually need to talk to - this helped me build relationships with people company-wide. During my first year at university, one of the assignments I was given focused on marketing tactics; because of this I asked to spend some time with the Marketing department at First Response Finance Limited so I could learn more about what they do and the impact it has on the business. After spending time with the team, I decided that I wanted to spend even more time with the Marketing department and get involved with the projects that they had going on - three years later I am working full-time in the Marketing department as a Marketing Assistant.

Each year First Response Finance Limited hold a company conference where everyone in the company comes together for an update on what is happening in the business - this usually happens around Christmas time so the event turns into a Christmas party during the evening. However, this year the organisers decided to turn the event into a well-being day; there were yoga classes, gong baths, cooking classes, art classes etc. that all focused on healthy living. The event was really successful, and each member of staff got a gift at the end of the day (a First Response Finance Limited water bottle). As well as this, First Response Finance Limited give each team in the company a £25 per person budget (each quarter) to arrange a team building activity - it is up to each team to decide what they want to do, but the majority of teams choose to go for a team meal or arrange an activity (go karting, paintballing, escape room). In terms of other extra-curricular activities, during my time at First Response Finance Limited there have been numerous events and activities organised by staff members, both off their own back and on behalf of the company. For example, charity fundraising events (Three Peaks Challenge, bike ride to Amsterdam etc.), running club, and 5-a-side football.

Yes

By doing the apprenticeship programme supplied by First Response Finance Limited, I have been able to grow in an environment that encourages continual learning and offers support at every stage of a person's career (and apprenticeship programme) - this has been great for my development as I started at the company as a 19 year old who didn't have work experience outside of retail (let alone know anything about vehicle finance), and I have been able to grow into a person that thoroughly enjoys their job role and looks forward to seeing how their career develops even further at the company.

I would definitely advise people applying for the apprenticeship programme at First Response Finance Limited to just be yourself - there are multiple stages to the application process (assessment day, interviews etc.) which means that it would be difficult to put on a 'front' throughout each of these stages and for it to not be noticed. First Response Finance Limited appreciate people being open and honest so just be yourself!