Diary Manager Review

I work as a Diary Manager for two Deputy Directors. This involves managing their diaries, arranging meetings, booking travel and prioritising and replying to emails. I also cover secretariat duties including setting agendas and taking notes and minutes plus any other roles that can assist the Deputy Directors in their duties.

I have definitely learnt a lot so far. I am currently halfway through my apprenticeship. I have come across a lot of information that I once knew but had forgotten and this has served as a valuable recap. Particularly in areas regarding managing teams and individuals. I have also started to learn about other areas such as Managing Finance.

I find some areas more interesting than others which I suppose is normal. I really enjoy the feeling of submitting a module, especially when I get it back and I have passed! The workshops are also really good, it's lovely to meet other people on the same course and share experiences with them.

It is brilliant! I have a monthly meeting with my apprenticeship coach and every quarter he also invites my manager so that he knows what the expectations are. We have regular workshops and access to the CMI website plus lots of videos and task sheets to support us in writing the dissertations.

My employer has been really supportive. I have been granted a day offline every week to work on this as is the ask of the apprenticeship. I have also been allowed extra time to attend meetings on other days where necessary. My employer is also looking for opportunities for me to practice skills I have learnt.

The training provider have been absolutely excellent. The workshops are like a breath of fresh air, so well laid out and the trainer is just unique! She is witty, energetic and massively knowledgeable. My coach is always on hand to answer queries or refer them on if he doesn't know the answers.

I feel that the skills I am learning and in some cases relearning are useful. I often find myself relating a situation that I am in or am hearing about to something I have learnt on my course. Obviously some areas are more relevant than others, depending on your job role.

This is a difficult time to be asked this question. With the current restrictions caused by the Coronavirus there are absolutely no opportunities to get involved in any social activities or sports events. However ordinarily there are groups set up to join and take part in trips to London, netball matches etc.

Yes

It is a brilliant place to work. The basic pay is perhaps not the best available but the flexible working hours, opportunity to work from home using a laptop and mobile phone, generous pension scheme and annual leave holiday allowance all contribute to making it an extremely strong package overall.

The vacancies are always advertised on Civil Service Jobs, which is a government website. They are competency based and best approached using the STAR model. If invited for an interview it is really important to understand the workings of this as it is definitely the best way to be successful!