Mobile Repair Apprentice Review

I am a certified mobile repair technician, with accreditations from manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony, LG, Huawei and more. I work with both the hardware and software side of mobile phones, providing physical restoration and refurbishment to the hardware. Along with this, I also restore the software to full functionality.

I have learnt multiple skills; one of the most important is the ability to manage my own time. When working in a high-pressure environment that is target based, it is important to keep track of what you are doing and ensuring everything is happening at the right speed. I have also improved my social skills, along with attaining qualifications that are recognised independently.

I feel it is a mixed bag; in the beginning, I was fresh to the role and my enjoyment levels were a lot higher. Along with that, it was also a constant challenge to achieve my targets as I was less capable, so there was more stimulus in what I did. This has subsided as I have progressed within the role, and now I am regularly finding myself bored.

The academic side of the program is really good, with clear structure and progression. However, the work based side is mundane, and there is no real variety in what you do. Coming in and doing the same work day in, day out, becomes repetitive and tiring. This means that I am constantly looking forward to college sessions and disliking my work.

The support from my employer is enough to meet the minimum. If the college instructs them that I need to be doing something, they will pass the message on. However, there is no personality to it, and it feels like the workplace and college want separate things; Knowhow only really care about the work you do for them, so this gives the impression of just being cheap labour.

The college often strives to make sure that everyone is fully supported in what they do. When we submit assignments or do any form of marked work, feedback is thorough and my tutor ensures that everyone knows what they need to do or improve on. The constant feedback and progression is motivating and helps keep me interested.

There is a clear divide between these two; whilst I feel what I am learning in college is interesting and could be applied to real life situations, my workplace does not make use of these qualifications or skills; I am still performing the same job role and work that I was before I had attained any of these qualifications. This again gives the appearance of being cheap labour.

There are occasional activities that occur outside of work for colleagues to take place in. However, this has been somewhat unenjoyable for several reasons; the divide of being "The Apprentices" means that for a long time we were not looked at the same. In terms of the events that occur, they are usually charity events, physical challenges or social events.

Yes

The first reason is because of the pay; they offer very competitive apprenticeship wages which is appealing to almost everyone. Secondly, the qualifications you learn alongside the work are valued and useful and have strong transferability. Lastly, there is enough support for you to feel like your managers and colleagues care enough about you.

Please consider whether the job role you are thinking of applying for is something you can see yourself doing for a long time; If you feel like you might get bored or it won't continue to challenge you, it might be worth either applying for a different apprenticeship or a different company altogether.