Customer Service Apprentice Review

I have gone into the Training Administration side of Customer Service. This involves alot of project work and assisting with back line processes that enable trainers to be able to deliver their sessions to customers at the high level that Sage requires. Project work can vary wildly and is very involved, manageable and important.

Yes. My ability with Microsoft products such as excel, word and powerpoint etc has drastically increased. Learning about share drives, phone work and good project management techniques alongside how a SaaS company operates has been incredibly informative. I have also taken various courses within the apprenticeship, to develop further skills.

I haven't had a bad day at work yet and I've been here 8 months. The role is thoroughly enjoyable and the workplace culture is one of the most uplifting and inclusive that I've ever heard of and the most that I've experienced. The work itself is a good mixture between repetitive tasks and ones that are always changing, leaving a familiarity and excitement both.

I had two weeks of induction and have had constant training on any new process that I come across while on role. I have had plenty of time to keep up with the qualification side of the apprenticeship and there has been constant support from the various managers within the training function.

As much as I require. There has not been any point while in role that I have felt like I am doing a process while unsupported. A culture of curiosity and question asking is well developed and the moment anyone, not just myself, is unsure of a situation, they can ask.

The support from the training provider is only once every two weeks. While contactable over emails, alot of the work comes down to personal drive and general self-motivation to see the qualification completed. The training provider is organised, but much more support will be found amongst peers and the company.

So far the two main parts of the qualification that have assisted with my role is the project management section and the IT unit. Both areas however I had already begun to learn in on the role before learning of it through the qualification. It helped, but not as much as it could have if it had been done at the start of the apprenticeship.

Yes, there are innumerable. Anything from a choir to the gym that is in the building to the meet-up events that are organised by different functions within the business. These are often held in Newcastle itself when not in the building leaving them accessible to most within the Headquarters of the business.

Yes

Sage is a good company to get in with early due to its structure, organisation and willingness to take on and develop new talent. Such an environment enables those who come into the business to develop their skills, get paid for it, and begin to forge a professional image for themselves.

Be yourself and ask questions back when you have the opportunity. Try to have a conversation with someone from the business beforehand, like when on an open day, and from that conversation develop the knowledge to ask questions that they would never expect in the interview such as call queue times around PYE compared to normal e.g.