Sam Ogilvie has recently completed his Marketing Assistant Apprenticeship with SSAIB through Oxford Professional Education and tells us what it’s been like to study for the apprenticeship.
What was your background before starting your apprenticeship?
I left school after my GCSE’s and went straight into full time work here at SSAIB at age 16. I have had a number of different roles while working here and I am still here now, 8 years later, but have only recently got into the marketing side of the organisation.
Why did you decide to sign up to the apprenticeship?
As mentioned above, I have actually enjoyed my time relating to marketing so far. Because of my interest in it, I was motivated to gain some qualifications which could help me better myself and give me further career opportunities later down the line. After doing some research with my employer, we seen both The CIM and Oxford PEG were well recommended and recognised highly so we chose to go with this apprenticeship.
How are you finding the apprenticeship?
This apprenticeship has been very helpful. It has enabled me to learn about different marketing topics/techniques which I have then been able to apply to my job role. I enjoyed my experience throughout with my tutor who was always friendly and helpful. I now know far more about marketing then what I did at the beginning of the course.
How did the apprenticeship support your daily work?
Throughout the apprenticeship I learned about various different topics and techniques which I have then been able to use within my daily work. The tutors always got me to apply what I was learning about to my job role which really helped me take the learning in.
Tell us about the company and what your job role involves?
SSAIB is a not-for-profit third-party certification body that offers certification for a range of different schemes. The most popular being security systems and fire alarms.
My job role on the sales & marketing team is to deal with companies who want to apply to us. This means giving them the relevant information and trying to convert them from leads to sales. I am mainly based in the office, but another one of my roles is to help organise different events/trade shows which I will then need to attend. At these trade shows I need to promote the SSAIB and try generate leads. This is the main way we promote ourselves, as well as via social media, which I also need to manage.
How does Oxford Professional Education Group support you in your apprenticeship?
Oxford PEG have helped massively with this apprenticeship. Throughout the apprenticeship there has been 3 online workshops a month which covered each topic we were learning about at that current time. These workshops were clear and detailed and really helped me learn.
My tutor Naomi was really nice and helpful as well. Whenever I needed help, she had no problem doing it and always gave me feedback to better my work throughout.
Would you recommend this apprenticeship to others?
I would definitely recommend this apprenticeship to anyone who is currently working or is thinking about working in Marketing. Before starting out I only knew the basics, but now I have a Distinction and a whole lot of knowledge that helps me in my everyday job. Everything I had learnt was covered in a lot of detail, and the staff are friendly and welcoming to any queries you may have.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting an apprenticeship?
For me I could only really concentrate on an apprenticeship if I was interested in the subject. If you are interested in a certain subject, I think educating yourself further with an apprenticeship is a great idea as you get to use what you are learning about in the real world to get a first-hand experience of it, and with you already being interested in the subject, you will find yourself putting your mind to it more.
Oxford Professional Education Apprenticeships offer a range of marketing, project management, and procurement apprenticeships. If you are interested in completing an apprenticeship or would like to hire an apprentice for your company, get in touch with our team to find out more.