Sales apprentice Review

As a sales apprentice my role is split into year long rotations for 3 years. The first is category development (Data analyst), then Field sales, finally Sales Revenue planning. I'm in my first year as a category development apprentice. Day to day I work on pulling data using our data provider Nielsen to build reports. These reports are used to measure performance, create pricing strategies, brand strategies and more. We then share these reports, insights, presentations and workshops to our various stakeholders in the business: finance, marketing, sales revenue planning etc, to help inform their decision making. We regularly collaborate with other functions which helps to give a more comprehensive understanding of the business.

Moving from school and a part time job into the corporate world has developed several different skills. I've learnt how to collaborate with different stakeholders, managing their expectations and working on projects together. This covers interpersonal skills and organisation. A new skill I've learnt is analysising data, how to develop thorough methodologies and recongise patterns to draw conclusions from raw data. The job has also helped to build resilience and independence as I'm given responsibility and have to deliver value add projects to the business, support and collaboration is always available however.

I really enjoy my programme, I especially enjoy work as it I like to work hands on and it is where I get the most development from compared to university. However, university has allowed me to make some good friends and I have had exciting modules such as Enterprise development, which is creating a business plan.

Thankfully my programme is really well structured both at work and university. As both my employer and training provider have handled degree apprentices for several years now giving them time to refine and optimise the processes using apprentice, lecturer, and manager feedback.

I receive a great deal of support from my employer with work and university. For university my employer has regular meetings with my tutor to track my academic progress, they are aware of my deadlines and are understanding of the workload during those heavy periods and offer study days to help alleviate the pressure. At work they give as much support as you want/need. If you want to take on more work and more responsibility they'll give it, if you're struggling they'll dial it back and offer more support. It is in your hands how much work you do to a certain extent. They also have buddy and mentor systems to offer relationships outside of your direct team to support you in your career and personal life if needed.

My training provider delivers beneficial lectures with great academics who help prepare me for my assignments. It also has great research tools to help with your assignments as well.

The link between training and work isn't always there due to the nature of the training. We discuss alot of theories that may not be practical in the real world and doesn't always correlate to what I'm seeing on the ground. However on the other hand they're are times when we're asked to take problems or processes from work and research into the academia behind these processes/problems. These really helps to bring work and training together.

Work regularly has team offsites where the team will go out for the day, work in the morning, followed normally by lunch and an activity. This sometimes can be two day events as well where we are put up in hotels. The office has a football team and several other clubs/activities.

Yes

The company has given me a opportunity I'm so grateful for, it offers great working culture, development, pay and perks.

Be yourself, research the company/industry and be aware of current trends. Show your competencies, agility, proactive, collaborative, and culture orientated