Kelly’s 1st anniversary in the business is fast approaching. In a look back over the past year, Kelly looks at her apprenticeship experience…

When someone asked me what do I like best about my job, I always answer it in the same way….

Everyday I seem to learn something new.

I’ve now got just one month left until my apprenticeship finishes, so I thought it would be a good idea to look back at all the things that have happened and what I have learnt since starting here at Principal.

As I’ve said many times, I have been thrown into the deep end since day one, and more often than not seem to have ventured outside my comfort zone!

Attending networking events, business events, industry round tables and meeting different people left right and center. I don’t think I have ever met and shook as many peoples hands as I have done this year.

However I’ve learnt that being prepared to embrace new experience,  as much as it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, it is actually a good thing.

If I didn’t go to these places and meet all these different people I wouldn’t have got the “Principal experience” because meeting people, making connections and building relationships is what the business is all about.

Auto Enrolment is important.

I know Chris talks about it a lot, and a major part of this is helping businesses know what’s going on and what its all about.

Since I started it has been one of Chris’s main focuses so therefore I have kind of had to work and learn about it as I go, and well, 11 months down the line I can say I’ve had the opportunity to work with businesses and help them comply with regulations.

For those of you who don’t know, Auto Enrolment (especially with larger businesses) involves a lot of data cleansing on spreadsheets, and lucky me got picked to do this, which got me the name of ‘Spreadsheet Queen’ in the office.

In business, you can’t just focus on what you’re good at.

I have mentioned this previously, but it is something I have had to do myself.

Rather than spending all my time working on the computer on cleansing and fixing data, as well as doing research I’ve also had to focus on the things that needed improving and in this case for me it was answering the phone.

11 months down the line I have improved majorly, I’ve gone from never making/receiving calls to feeling confident enough to picking up the phone whenever I need to. For me this is a huge achievement in itself.

Overall after everything I’ve learnt about the business, the industry and myself, the one thing that stands out in this apprenticeship is the opportunities that I have been given. I’m sure I have mentioned them all before but its something that I feel has made my apprenticeship different to others.

I’m sure half the things I mentioned people probably won’t think are a big deal but to an 18 year old on her first year of work it’s been pretty exciting.

I have been able to go up to the top of the Gherkin and Canary Wharf, attending events Chris has been asked to speak at, and seen the amazing views over London. I’ve been able to write a little bit for an article about apprenticeships for Money Marketing and I’ve also enjoyed writing blogs for the business website about the experiences that I have had.

I’ve also been nominated, after entering the Havering Business Awards, as a finalist in the Apprentice of the Year category. The awards night is when I will find out the results on my
1 year anniversary! Wish me luck!

Finally, and most importantly, this apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to meet and work with some great people and it has all added up to helping me progress in my career.