Youth Employment: Blossom

Hi, my name is Blossom, and I am currently a Recruitment and Training Lead in the Customer Service Centre at Buckinghamshire Council — a really interesting and varied job that I love! In my role, I recruit Customer Service Advisors and assist with their training plans. I also produce a lot of reports and assist with staffing for the Customer Service Centre when the Resource Coordinator is not working.

After finishing school when I had completed my GCSEs, I started to think about my next steps. When it came to considering my career, I knew I didn’t want to go to sixth form or college. At the time, I had a family member who worked for Buckinghamshire Council, and they told me to have a look at the council website for apprenticeship opportunities — the rest is history!

My experience as an apprentice was great. Before I started it, I was quite an anxious individual, but working at the council helped me to grow as a person and become more confident. I also had fantastic support throughout my apprenticeship, which pushed me to try new things and consider what more I could do to complete the objectives of the apprenticeship.

In addition to my apprenticeship, I have embraced every learning opportunity available to me. I have also successfully managed an apprentice through their apprenticeship. Although I am young, this experience allowed me to reflect on my journey and show them what can be achieved by pushing themselves and seizing new opportunities. I’m eager to learn new systems and contribute to the development of training materials, which has further enhanced my skills and professional growth.

The Customer First Training was a really important opportunity for me. The Customer First vision is that a ‘customer first’ culture is prioritised throughout the entire organisation and every employee values, owns, and exemplifies this. I developed customer-focused training to roll out across the business, made videos, and learned to use new software. This was really well received and became part of mandatory e-learning.

I have been very fortunate that managers throughout my career so far have been very supportive and have helped challenge me to take on new tasks and continue to grow in my various roles.

When I consider what advice I would give to young people who are considering their careers, I think it’s essential that you push yourself out of your comfort zone and see what opportunities are available. There are so many different departments at Buckinghamshire Council, and you should take any opportunity to shadow and learn more about them and see what interests you. The various staff networks are really helpful too, and the best way to progress is by trying new things and discovering what you excel at!

When I consider my future and career goals, I have been fortunate to be able to have several roles and find what I am good at and what I enjoy. I particularly enjoy the resource management for the Customer Service Centre, which is a great mix of working with the team to suit their needs whilst fitting business needs and using maths to calculate the number of people required to work at any time. I really enjoy the challenge and am keen to continue to develop this skill along with my people skills. I enjoy the diversity and am keen to continue my future development and grow in the council.

Buckinghamshire Council offers a wealth of opportunities for growth and discovery. Young professionals can benefit from completing apprenticeships, which provide practical experience and learning. There are numerous training opportunities available to enhance your skills and knowledge. Finding good mentors and engaging with subject experts can offer invaluable guidance and support. Additionally, the many tea break talks present a unique chance to broaden your horizons by connecting with colleagues from various departments and backgrounds.

I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had and have worked hard to achieve success in my roles. Buckinghamshire Council is a great place to work with a diverse workforce and lots of talented people you can learn from. It is great to work where you feel supported to do your best and not be afraid of trying new things. I have also had the privilege of making many wonderful friends here.