Chartered Manager Degree Apprentice Review

Currently, I am a Sales Dealer Manager. This is a relatively new role off the back of recent changes the company has had within the sales department. This role consists of calling dealerships we work with and also prospecting new dealers with the aim of winning business. Additional responsibilities and projects are also underway and they are done alongside the role.

Over the course of the apprenticeship I have learned and developed a number of skills. Some of what were my biggest weaknesses I now consider to be some of my most valuable strengths. For example, I used to have very poor listening skills and would often interrupt others, over the course of the apprenticeship through feedback and self development these skills have been develop massively. I have also learnt more about selling and negotiation through my role and selling to dealerships.

To date, I have enjoyed the programme at work and university. I have always wanted to gain experience within a workplace at the same time as doing higher education so i can develop professionally as well as academically. The University blocks are often interesting and since covid has start to ease it has been great to have them again in person. Overall, I think the programme is well laid out and a great opportunity for young people starting their career. It is worth noting through covid the first few University sessions were tough as they had little time to prepare which resulted in quite a tedious learning output and a lack of physical teaching was more recorded notes etc which meant we couldnt ask questions in the moment. However, this did improve throughout the process.

The programme is well organised. The dates we are to attend University for all 3 years are set in stone from the beginning. However, i do think potentially it could be organised even better as at time I have felt we have had teaching spread over 3 days which in hindsight could have all fitted into one to be more efficient with the output of the sessions.

We receive a great deal of support from our employer. We have a designated University Mentor which helps us and provides feedback for our University assignments as well as any other needs we may have. We can book in sessions at any time when we need them and as often as we need them. They are always on hand to ensure we are supported and definitely go above and beyond to do so. Also from our Team Leaders we have monthly 121s so they can speak with us and address anything needed and are always on hand should we need further support.

We receive a great deal of support from our employer. We have a designated University Mentor which helps us and provides feedback for our University assignments as well as any other needs we may have. We can book in sessions at any time when we need them and as often as we need them. They are always on hand to ensure we are supported and definitely go above and beyond to do so.

There are aspects of the qualification which we are able to apply in work. The knowledge we gain in some areas is also useful to give us a wider business knowledge and allow us to think more critically of a situation. On the other hand, I do also think there are aspects which we learn at University which are not as applicable and are more for just the assignment but them have limited applicability in the workplace. The knowledge we do get is useful but in my opinion doesn't help me perform any better but can be useful in certain scenarios or projects.

Prior to covid their use to be a work football night which people could attend. In addition to this FRF pay for all teams to have a quarterly activity/evening out where they are given a budget which they can spend to do an activity of their choice. Recently, due to the company event being cancelled they gave every team a £100 per person and a day off work to go and do something for the day as a team.

Yes

First Response is a great company to work for and they really do take seriously looking after their employees. From an apprenticeship point of view it is a great opportunity to begin your career path and provides a great degree as well as a good few years of experience. It must be noted however, given the size of the company, opportunities for progression are limited as there aren't physically the roles their for all employees who would like to to progress anytime soon.

The tips I would give others applying to First Response Finance are the following: 1. Be yourself- don't try and be someone you are not, be yourself as this will allow the employers to see you for you and help to decide if you are a fit for them. 2. Research the organisation prior to an interview/assessment day. 3. Believe in yourself!