Sales Apprentice Review
at Softcat
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Marketing
London
Review Submitted: April 2021
Overall Rating
5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
5/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
An overview of my job role would include speaking with customer each day and trying to get them to use Softcat and purchase through us over other providers. We are the second largest IT provider so there is so much competition. It could be cold calls or emails and customer demos and specialist calls to intro our capabilities etc.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I love my programme, the company treat us so well which compliments the success and amazing organisation of the overall apprentice scheme, from the on boarding and learning process to doing my job and being implemented onto the sales floor. There is nothing to not like and all the apprentices echo what I say here. I look forward to work each day as Softcat have created that.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I have developed my overall confidence and speaking with others such as strangers due to the cold calling and talking techniques. I have also made loads of new friends to help develop my career and networking with other vendors we work with and now I use them daily to try and expand my customer base.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
The organisation of the whole scheme is impecible, I was speaking to another friend who was starting a degree apprenticeship elsewhere and Softcat are so much better and onboarding and training and making you feel at home from day one. They already sent through a welcome package and the training virtually was exceptional from people who had spent log hours arranging it all.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I receive as much support as possible, it could be as small as getting on a call with my manager to go through something or the apprentice coordinators as this was all made clear to us from the beginning, to reach out if we need anything at all. I have received all the tech needed for working from home and they go the extra mile to make sure anyone is good at any point and checking on wellbeing etc. I can explain how unreal the support is.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Remit, our training provider are catered to us as they know the company inside out before starting to help make everything easier for us to understand such as vendors we work with and internal processes. Softcat also pay for another external company to help with sales techniques which I have found to be so helpful for myself.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
It makes me perform better as it is fully catered towards us as sales people and works so well with our job role. It could be learning more about security in the It industry and training or improving presenting techniques and it all incorporates together to make us better sales apprentices.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
At work there are so many things you can join, there are different channels internally such as the BAME network, LGBTQ, Green, culture team to make sure everyone is enjoying working for Softcat. There are also virtual events all the time such as online coffee meetings in the day to get to know others around the business and beer chats on Fridays after work. Football 5 a side is something else the company pay for each week and I have played and got to know other new people.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Softcat to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Because they treat you how anyone in the world would want to be treated and the support and events and inclusion is great. As an apprentice and being young I thought I would be treated different but I am treated the same as everyone and really love it and cant wait to be in the office!
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Softcat?
I would say just be yourself as Softcat can tell who fits their culture or not, as everyone is happy to help whenever and about whatever. I would be professional but show glimpses about yourself and show your personal goals and hobbies etc as we are all just people and Softcat don't look at anyone different.
