National Sales Administrator Review

My role consists of answering the phones to all customer queries or complaints- we are pretty much a central hub. We take customers orders and process them whilst liaising with branches in order to get deliveries out. We manage our designers schedules and also call them in the mornings and evenings to ensure they are home safe.

Potentially the most important thing I have learnt is the ability to multitask. For example, being able to take a phone call whilst dealing with an email problem. You develop your ability to think outside the box every day by trying to find new solutions to old problems. Also Maths and English skills are used and developed every day.

My apprenticeship is very enjoyable- I am lucky to receive a large deal of support from my coach. He is always quick to respond and give me confirmation for tasks in which I am unsure. I love to learn and I love the wide variety of ways in which you can evidence your work.

Its very well structured. At the start of the programme you have a first day of learning (FDOL) in which they go through the programme ad outline the modules etc. We also have a individual learning plan (ILP) which keeps you on track by providing dates in which we will need to proceed.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. They allocate me approx 1.5 hours a day for my apprenticeship, whilst also offering me the flexibility needed to be able to attend any meetings that may further my learning. In fact, my employer pushes our team to apply for apprenticeships and develop their careers in this way.

A lot of support- we have a coach for our programme. As our cohort is less than ten people, he is always free to provide us with 1- to 1 support and meetings. We also have an escalation process in the case that we do fall behind and require more support.

It definitely helps me day to day as I learn more about my company, and about important wider issues. It also teaches me better time management and diary management which is not a skill that I had good understanding of before. We are also offered Maths and English support which could help many people in their day to day jobs.

Yes- we offer events such as Inspire. This is an event that happens every year where we showcase new developments, and use it as a chance to network with other people in the company. I would like to see more of these events, especially to mix people across the Travis Perkins PLC though.

Yes

It gives you a lot of opportunity to develop both in your job and within your apprenticeship. The wage is decent for my age, and we are offered flexibility when we can choose to work up to 2 days a week from home. It is a friendly environment where people are happy to support.

I would tell them to ensure that they are a social person if going for my job position, as you do not stop talking all day. I would also advise them to ensure they have a good work/life balance as our job is so busy that it can be hard to take a step back sometimes.