Olivia’s apprenticeship and beyond
Where it all started
I was finishing college and wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to go down. I knew university wasn’t for me, so I started looking around for jobs and other opportunities. My friend, who already worked for Beyond Housing, mentioned the apprenticeship programme to me and I thought it sounded like the best way to learn new skills and get paid too – so I applied and got invited to an ‘open day’, which was really fun and interactive.
Getting a foot in the door
As expected, I was pretty nervous on my first day but the whole department made me feel really welcome. Straight away I was given a mentor who supported me with all my customer service training before I began on the phone – I was really grateful for this as there can be some complex questions! After just a few weeks I felt like part of the team and knew that I had made the right choice to start an apprenticeship. It was great way to learn about all the different areas of the business and helped me decide where I wanted to take my career with Beyond Housing!
The apprenticeship
I began my apprenticeship in 2016 and found all of it really rewarding. I enjoyed the job role in customer services, I’d gained a whole new skill set and was putting it into practice everyday. I also made new friends and my confidence improved. Overall, the experience had shown me what it was like in the real world and my NVQ mentor was always really supportive.
Opportunity knocks
Since my apprenticeship 7 years ago, I’ve progressed into a few different roles within the company. Thanks to my knowledge from working in the customer service team, I was able to secure a job in the Independent Living team after my apprenticeship ended, and then I moved to work in the housing department. Some of my previous roles include, Housing Administrator, Housing Officer and Housing Needs Advisor and now I have been promoted to Housing Administration Team Leader.
Beyond…
Being the Team Leader for the housing administration team, across both Scarborough and Redcar sites, was a big step up from my previous role, but I have been coached and supported through this transition. For each internal job role I applied for there was an interview process, which can be a bit scary and daunting. But thanks to the grounding, knowledge and confidence gained from my customer services apprenticeship and progression within the housing team; coupled with the support and coaching I had received from my mentors and managers, I have been successful with each new role.
Recommendation
I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship with Beyond Housing. It’s been seven years since I started my journey with the company, and I’ve worked hard and now landed a job that I truly enjoy. Applying for the apprenticeship programme was one of the best things I ever did, I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t take the leap. If you are thinking about applying for an apprenticeship, my advice would be – just go for it!
