Kathryn Logue- Modern Apprentice
I work as part of the Modern Apprentice Digital Content team at Barrhead Travel’s Glasgow superstore in Oswald Street.
I left school early, in March of my 6th year, but returned to sit my exams. I knew I wanted to work with computers, but I knew I would rather go straight into work rather than go to college. The career experts at school suggested that an apprenticeship would be the best way to get experience of an office environment, plus I’d get a qualification too.
I enjoy working here because everyone is so helpful – they’ll stop what they’re doing to make sure you understand how to complete a task, or they’ll explain things to make it easier for me next time. No matter how small what you’ve achieved is, your manager will give you praise, which makes you want to do even better.
Every morning, I run web performance reports and send them to the company’s senior management. After that, I start to assist my Digital Content colleagues with the updating and creating of offers and pages throughout our Barrhead Travel site. I also do a number of small admin jobs throughout the day.
As an apprentice at Barrhead Travel’s largest travel store, I also have a number of duties which all Modern Apprentice take their turn at, such as doing the mail for the store, ensuring the brochure cupboard is tidy and easy to access, and meeting and greeting customers. I enjoy that as it allows even the non-Sales MA’s to get a chance to meet some customers. A number of them have been booking with us for many, many years.
So far, working at Barrhead Travel has shown me that being at work can be really enjoyable. We have so many people here who come from different backgrounds, yet we become a part of each other’s lives and in doing so, we all become a big family that is thriving on the success of Barrhead Travel. I was not the best at geography in school, but people from throughout the company, not just my immediate colleagues, are always there to help and are willing to take whatever time you need, so my knowledge has broadened a lot.
My manager ensures that every few weeks we have a sit down, and chat about what is going on, whether it be positive or negative, to ensure that I am able to work to the best of my ability.
I’m glad I became a Modern Apprentice at Barrhead Travel. There is so much possibility for apprentices to learn within the company – you can get the chance to work within different departments, so you can be sure that you get to where you want to be in the future.
I enjoy the training and there are many opportunities to attend courses and expand your knowledge within the travel industry.
It’s a forever-growing company which has won loads of awards, and I want to be a part of the expansion to know I am helping it to grow further.
In the future I see myself, hopefully, still being part of the Digital Content team, only as a full-time member instead, completing my daily reports and helping to make the website the very best it can be!