James Plimmer – Apprenticeship Interview

1. Which apprenticeship are you completing?

Sales Executive Level 4 Apprenticeship

2. Why did you enroll onto this apprenticeship?

I enrolled in this apprenticeship as it gave me access to a very comprehensive training programme directed at Sales Professionals that will enhance the way I work and develop my sales skills.The course offered me the ability to work towards industry recognized qualifications and the opportunity to learn new skills and best practices.

3. How are you benefitting from being on the apprenticeship?

Although I have been working in customer facing roles for nearly 35 years, the course really interested me as it covered topics I knew would help me to reacquire and examine knowledge I have learnt throughout my career, and how to re-evaluate this experience in a new structured way that will benefit my day-to-day work.

4. How are you using the knowledge, skills and behaviours obtained through your apprenticeship in your current role?

This is the really interesting part for me, together with the great interactive courses that the trainers deliver, the workbooks that then tie into the subject matter you have learnt are a really great way to embed the knowledge into memory. I like to do a lot of research for the workbooks which improves my industry and company knowledge, with this I am able to apply what I have learnt into my day-to-day role not only with my customers but also colleagues.

5. What has been your key achievement so far?

The skills I have learnt around ‘Time Management’ and how to plan your time in a structured way using short, medium and long term goals have really helped me to achieve a different perspective in how I work. I have always struggled to maintain discipline and focus so the course content and tutoring have helped me to adopt and adapt these best practices for my own benefit, not only in my working like but also in my personal life.

6. What is the best thing about your apprenticeship?

I enjoy the collaboration with like-minded professionals who bring differing perspectives to the conversation, which allows for greater understanding and learning based on other people’s experiences. I also like the way the apprenticeship program is structured and the content, the workbooks can be challenging and make you look at situations in different ways as well as learning new skills and understanding the behavioral aspects of selling.

7. How do you feel the apprenticeship will help with future career development?

The successful completion of the apprenticeship and attaining the following degree qualification will enable me to enhance my career with my current employer. I would like to expand into business development and, together with being a member of an accredited professional body such as the ‘Institute of Professional Sales’, this will help me to develop in new areas and gain additional experience that will help me in developing my career.

The successful completion of my apprenticeship and subsequent degree qualification will enable me to enhance my career with my current employer and expand my current role into new areas. Ultimately it will help me to develop my career even further.

8. What 1 piece of advice would you give someone considering enrolling onto an apprenticeship?

Dedication, the course has challenging aspects to it, so you need to be dedicated to complete all of the necessary elements to complete the course.