Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship at Sky?

I wanted to get the experience of customer service and to be paid to learn!

What’s the culture like at Sky?

Very inclusive and supportive – the key is to keep talking to your colleagues and managers. Everyone is understanding as you start your career at Sky, they’ll give you as much or as little support as you need; from where the coffee machine is to help with work or career advice. But they’re not mind readers – you have to ask questions to get the answers! At the same time, colleagues and managers will reach out to check in with how everything is going. Its open and friendly. Even first thing in the morning, there will still be someone around for a chat as you get coffee. In general, Sky is a company where you get what you put in: Sky will match your enthusiasm, but the driving force is you.

What does your apprenticeship involve?

Experience taking calls and learning through doing.
A bit of theory and research into customer service.
Writing up case studies.
A monthly one to one review.
The best way to learn is to do, and that’s how most of the apprenticeship is conducted. You receive feedback and guidance as you take calls, and there is always someone around to help with any questions you may have on or after a call.
The theory consists of receiving tasks to complete each week/month depending on what’s been organised with the point of contact. The tasks themselves ask you to research areas such as complaints handling and data protection.
The case studies are based on calls that you have taken with customers e.g. describing a call where you’ve had to put the customer on hold – why you had to do it, how you did it, and the outcome of the call. These can then be talked through during the 121 reviews, or they can be submitted as a written report.
Once a month there’s a 121 review where you have an hour to talk with your apprenticeship supervisor. This for you both to touch base, see how you’re doing in Sky and with the apprentice work, and to talk about what the next months of work will look like. You can also use the time to talk about a call or two, and that’ll get submitted as a case study.

What has been the highlight of your apprenticeship?

Learning while receiving a wage!
Writing the case studies is a reflective experience and I’ve found that doing them has helped me improve my customer service skills, as I’m taking the time to go over what went well on a call, and what I would do for future, similar calls.

What has been the most rewarding project/ experience you’ve been involved in?

I helped to greatly improve my team’s statics in our sales through service aspect of the job.

Would you recommend doing an apprenticeship at Sky?

Absolutely! It’s a great experience and a supportive atmosphere.

How has this apprenticeship helped your career?

It’s helped get me on to the job ladder and into an environment that recognises and rewards what I can bring to the table.

How are you supported in your development?

We have our managers at Sky who can help, and then we also have a point of contact with the company that oversees our apprenticeship. On the whole, support has been good, any questions that we have are answered promptly, and our feedback is listened to and implemented where necessary.

What has been the best part about completing your apprenticeship?

Knowing that I’ve achieved a qualification that reflects the work I’ve put into my job and the apprenticeship training. Also, that I’ll be able to carry that qualification with me throughout my career.

What advice would you give to someone applying?

Go for it and have fun!