National Apprenticeship Week is a chance to celebrate the diligent apprentices working towards their future careers and gaining real-world skills. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience, direct industry connections, and the chance to earn while learning.
But what is it really like to start a career this way? To answer that, we spoke with three apprentices, two of which have successfully completed their apprenticeships, who shared their experiences, why they chose an apprenticeship with Berry Recruitment and what they’ve gained in the last year.
Nerissa Edwards
Nerissa Edwards is a current Recruitment Apprentice at our Oxford branch, joining us in April 2024.
What are some of your main responsibilities’ day to day at your branch?
Day to day, I am responsible for calling and assessing requirements for candidates looking for new opportunities. I also audit the new temporary workers going out, so we have all the correct compliance, and fill short notice temporary bookings for Catering and Hospitality clients.
What drew you to starting an apprenticeship at Berry Recruitment?
I really love the thought of knowing we are people who help companies thrive by providing them with top staff and great service, but also giving candidates a happy environment to work in. I want to work my way up so I have started with an apprenticeship.
What have been the main skills you have learned with Berry Recruitment?
My confidence on the phone has become stronger, and I’ve been able to pick up systems quickly. My communication and organisation skills have also improved. You will never have the same call, you cannot script anything, so I learn new skills from every call I make.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy hearing feedback from candidates and clients, it helps me to grow and improve for my next call. I also enjoy auditing the branch knowing that we have a high-quality security system and everything is compliant.
Chloe Trueman
Chloe Trueman joined our King’s Lynn branch team a year ago, in February 2024, as an Apprentice Recruitment Consultant, and has since become a full Trainee Recruitment Consultant as of January 2025.
What were some of your main responsibilities’ day to day at your branch as an Apprentice?
My main responsibility for the branch was sales calling, which I spent the majority of my day doing. I also looked for prospects through various sources, which I then added to our customer platform, Hubspot.
What drew you to starting an apprenticeship at Berry Recruitment?
I was drawn to the apprenticeship as it was very hands-on, and you can learn so much when actually doing the job; you also can gain a qualification at the end of your apprenticeship.
What have been the main skills you have learned during your apprenticeship?
The main skills I have learnt through Berry would be telephone skills and being a lot more confident over the phone when talking to candidates or clients. I have gained a lot of confidence working at Berry, whether it be networking at events or networking with prospects and clients.
I have also gained the skill of how to resource suitable candidates and how to identify any CV issues like career gaps etc. With talking with clients, I have learnt many techniques on how to get past the gatekeeper and how to ask for meetings etc.
What did you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?
The thing I most enjoyed about my apprenticeship role would be talking to and meeting new people whether it be clients or candidates and other consultants/apprentices from other branches.
Now that you have completed your apprenticeship, what do you think you have taken away from the experience that you can use in your new role as Trainee Recruitment Consultant
I have taken a lot away from my apprenticeship; I have learnt so many sales techniques, which help develop my sales calls and sales activity, and gained a lot of experience with customer service. I have also learnt a lot around candidate attraction, which will help me as I progress into a Trainee Recruitment Consultant.
Ella Callaby
Ella Callaby also joined our King’s Lynn branch team a year ago in January 2024 as an Apprentice Administrator and became a full Trainee Recruitment Consultant in January 2025.
What were some of your main responsibilities’ day to day at your branch as an Apprentice?
My main responsibilities day to day during my apprenticeship were greeting everyone that comes into the office, adding candidates/timesheets to payroll, and resourcing for current roles. I was also responsible for getting candidates fully compliant on our Tempflow system, completing driving license checks, calling CVs etc.
What drew you to starting an apprenticeship at Berry Recruitment?
I wanted to start an apprenticeship with Berry Recruitment as I was looking for an admin role to start and after I completed the interview, I felt like Berry would be a great place to work as the people were lovely and the role is exactly what I was looking for.
What have been the main skills you have learned during your apprenticeship?
The main skills I have learnt being with Berry Recruitment are customer service skills, emailing, telephone etiquette, and resourcing / checking suitability for roles.
What did you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?
What I enjoyed most about my Apprentice role is interacting with candidates, talking to different people every day, helping candidates and supporting the team in the office with resourcing for their roles.
Now that you have completed your apprenticeship, what do you think you have taken away from the experience that you can use in your new role as Trainee Recruitment Consultant
As an apprentice, the main skills I have taken away are sales techniques, customer service, and resourcing and registering candidates for roles, which I will use in my new role as Trainee Recruitment Consultant.
Each of our apprentices joined Berry Recruitment with the ambition to advance their careers with hands-on experience. All have gained valuable industry experience and a strong foundation for their future.
National Apprenticeship Week is about recognising the impact of apprenticeships - not just for individuals, but for businesses and industries that rely on fresh talent. Their experiences prove that learning on the job isn’t just an alternative; for many, it’s the best way forward.
Interested in joining the Berry Recruitment team? Visit our
website today.
