Buying Assistant Review

Every day is different for me and I have to be very reactive. I typically spend my time negotiating with suppliers, doing competitors reviews, looking for new product developments, keeping the income schedule up to date and looking after the trading account for my categories.

I have learnt so much during my apprenticeship, on both a personal and professional level. I have gained so much confidence and become an avid negotiator. I have also learnt a lot about business and the retail market. I understand the basic logistics of a business and what is necessary to operate efficiently and effectively.

I have days where I find my apprenticeship extremely challenging, working in a fast pace and highly demanding environment isn’t always easy. However overall I do enjoy my apprenticeship thoroughly and feel really grateful to have secured it. I’m also fortunate to work with some really great people whom make the bad days seem not so tough!

Working in a large organisation definitely has its challenges and organisation can sometimes slip. We often don’t get a lot of notice about things and have to react quite quickly. Overall, the majority of managers are pretty supportive and understanding when it comes to university work. However, this isn’t consistent across the business and is very much dependant on the individual.

I’m fortunate that in my current role my manager and team are very supportive and understanding, however I have experienced managers whom aren’t as supportive. It’s very varied and not a consistent approach. The level of support is very much open to managers discretion. The apprenticeship team are not highly involved on a personal level.

Again this is very manager dependant and does vary. When it comes to the time we’re given to complete apprenticeship work the business are not as generous as others businesses who also sponsor this degree. We’re expected to complete our uni work within our own time, which can be challenging when we’re also sometimes expected to put a lot of overtime into our day job.

I certainly notice that my degree is aiding the conversations I have with suppliers and overall has hugely built my confidence. The content I learn is very relevant to my day job and gives me a better understanding of the wider business.

There’s lots of things to get involved with that include yoga sessions, pilates, boots orchestra etc.

Yes

Boots is a great name to have on your CV and as an organisation they are good at trying to develop their staff. There’s a lot to get out from the company and overall the people who work here are great people to work with. Although it’s challenging at times, it’s shaped me into the person I am today in many days and has taught me resilience.

Do your research about Boots and what they offer, new initiatives and their corporate strategies. Preparation is key and I did lots of prep for my interview which I believe is the reason I secured the apprenticeship. Be confident but remember they are looking at your behaviour type, be kind and collaborative where possible. It’s not always what you know but how you act that they look at.