Senior Partnership Manager Review

I meet with Senior Leaders in schools, this is Primary and Secondary schools. In the main I am an Account Manager for Multi Academy Trusts. I to support them to use Pearson Qualifications, resources and services. To improve lives through learning. This includes support for subjects including Maths, English, BTECs, Special Educational needs, for example Speech & Language support.

My new skills include being much more confident in presenting, also looking at the business as a whole, not just the part I work for. I have developed my understanding of what makes for operational success. My report writing for my role has improved greatly and I am now much more concise.

My employer (Pearson Education) ensures I have time each week to study. From talking to students working for other companies, this is not always the case. The content of my course is interesting and relevant to my role. I also enjoy meeting people from other departments of the business to gain knowledge for my studies.

The programme is easy to follow, the content is challenging. There is an online platform with all the information you need for your studies and assignments, plus online tutorials. However, I wish there was more interaction with fellow students, as the Open University is based on remote learning, it can sometimes feel isolated. I do though enjoy the flexibility this offers.

Pearson gives a great deal of support. I am supported by my manager, the apprentice team, I have two mentors. My employer believes it is imperative that I take the time to study and the teams involve help to make sure this happens. If I am struggling to manage study in my allocated work time there is always someone who can assist me to ensure I take the time.

The Open University support is very different to attending a brick college/university. I have found I have had to reach out for support, it is not readily available and because the course is based on remote learning, you very rarely (even in normal times) get to meet tutors face to face. You need to be organised and self motivated. I like that the study is flexible, you have to put the time in though, because the assignments still have to be in on time.

The content of the course matches the relevance of my role. I work in sales, so doing a business course fits in really well. Looking at parts of the business you would not normally have knowledge of, broadens your outlook and means I am in contact with many colleagues I would ordinally not have conversations with.

There are sports activities, as in online yoga, Pilates and Zumba classes. In addition to this there are cycling and gardening clubs. You can also join a mindfulness course. Interaction with colleagues is encouraged. In normal times we do have some face to face work meetings with time to socialising. Pearson also offers reductions in the cost of gym membership.

Yes

The support from Pearson for studying far exceeds my expectations. I always have someone I can reach out to for support. There are regular meetings with colleagues who are also studying, this could be on the same course, but also for different courses too. Pearson offer free services, for example, free online GP appointments, confidential mental health first aiders, discounts for many retailers, generous holidays, good pension scheme.

Pearson is a huge company, it is hard to understand all the different departments. When applying for the role, research the company well. If I were a new starter I would ask for a mentor in a different team to help navigate the size of the company, also to widen the network so you always have someone to turn to for support.