“It’s not just the apprentice who gets something out of it.”
LEGAL ADMIN APPRENTICE | CMS
This case study is from Sophie Mash, Legal Admin Apprentice at CMS.
What is your job title?
Team Secretary
How has the apprenticeship improved your life?
Overall, I would say the apprenticeship has connected me to my role at CMS a lot more. Before the apprenticeship, I thought I completely knew why I was in the role that I am and what its purpose was, but after completing the apprenticeship, I understand why I do the tasks that I do and their importance. It has opened my eyes to who I work/interact with and who my work has an impact on, not just me, but everyone that is connected to CMS. The apprenticeship has also taught me about the external factors when it comes to working for an organisation. Looking back now, I didn’t understand or have a lot of knowledge of how the company that I work for operates, for example, spending money, making money, stakeholders etc, but since completing the apprenticeship, I have a better understanding of how it all works. This makes me feel more confident and even more appreciated in my role. I believe that everything I have learnt from the apprenticeship will help/contribute to me moving up to the next role.
How will the apprenticeship training continue to impact on you in the future?
The apprenticeship training has contributed to many different factors of my life. It has helped me to become more disciplined with my work when needed, to set and work towards a goal (not just in the workplace!) and lastly, the training will have an impact on the future choices and decisions that I make in my role going forward.
How has the apprenticeship impacted on your organisation?
I think the apprenticeship is a great programme that CMS has to offer. I have not heard about other companies that offer a qualification like this so I think it’s great. I believe that it will give employees a lot of confidence in the organisation, showing that CMS cares about an individual’s career. I also think that it has impacted members of my team who aren’t on the apprenticeship, by asking them questions, asking them to give feedback on my project etc. I think this is really good, again showing that it’s not just the apprentice who gets something out of it.
How has Damar’s approach to training contributed to the impact of the apprenticeship on you and your organisation?
Throughout, Damar’s people, systems and processes have been great. I honestly don’t think I would have done as well if it wasn’t for this. When COVID-19 resulted in everyone working from home, I was really worried that I wasn’t going to do well or even finish the apprenticeship, but my trainer Steve and supervisor Koren were excellent and stood by me the whole way. For example, Steve would always check-in to see how I was doing, how I was feeling and Koren was always updating me with new information and guiding me through the process. I also really appreciated the calls that involved myself, Koren and Steve. Pearson were also great when it came to my EPA. I was sent all the information before both exams and considering I did both exams at home, everything was well organised and the process ran smoothly.
Why did you decide to do an apprenticeship?
I wanted to push myself and achieve something that will help me in the future, not realising that it was also going to help me now! I also know that these opportunities don’t come around often so I wanted to take it whilst I could!
What activities do you do in your day-to-day role?
- Diary management
- Sending emails, letters etc
- Creating word documents
- Creating presentation slides
- Minutes of meetings
- Assisting with pitch documents
- Filing of documents
- Using different tools such as CompareDocs and PdfDocs
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy being part of a dedicated team and working for a team that rely on me and who also appreciate my work. I enjoy helping others and working together to reach goals/solutions. I like engaging and communicating with different people, internal and external.
What are your future career plans?
I am not 100% sure what the future holds, but all I know is that I love learning new things every day and having a goal to work towards!