Today we’re talking to Owen, one of our first Collections Advisor Apprentices at Valda Energy.
A friend of mine who works at Valda Energy originally told me about the new apprenticeship opportunity they had in the Collections department.
After researching the company and the job requirements, I decided to apply for the role. I was impressed by Valda's growth and thought the position was something that I could excel in and learn from.
My day in the Collections department consists of making calls to customers who have an outstanding balance on their accounts, to see if the situation can be solved before further activity is conducted. This can include negotiating with the customer to reach a suitable payment agreement.
I also take inbound calls from customers and aim to resolve their queries with a positive outcome. There are emails from customers as well, which need to be answered.
My highlight of the apprenticeship so far was when I was helping a customer with some issues they had with their account, and I was able to resolve the situation by myself. It was one of the first times that I didn’t feel the need to ask for help from my colleagues.
I knew this was proof that I’d reached a point where my extensive training and on-the-job experience at Valda made me confident in my ability to carry out my work.
I have nothing but praise for my team and colleagues. There has always been someone to turn to when I’ve needed help or assistance, and I appreciate how patient and understanding they are when I have questions.
They are a great team and make me feel comfortable in my role.
Since the start of my apprenticeship, I’ve received a lot of training to learn about the needs of the job and the industry as a whole. We regularly discuss the process too, which has been super helpful and provided me with the tools to succeed in my apprenticeship.
I also like that I am one of four apprentices in the Collections Team, and we can refer to each other to help with work and learning.
I would say to research many different types of apprenticeships because you may be surprised by the opportunities you would not have thought about otherwise.
I knew very little about the energy industry before my apprenticeship, yet they’ve help me build my understanding from the ground up.
I enjoy volunteering as a Cub Scout leader at my local Scout group, helping to organise and lead activities each week.
I like playing the piano and reading non-fiction books. I’m also a keen cyclist when the weather’s nice!
I have learnt a lot over the past year through my apprenticeship. My confidence and knowledge of my role has increased significantly, which is vital when speaking with customers and representing Valda. I continue to enjoy working through my apprenticeship and assisting my team to achieve tasks.
It is important whilst completing my apprenticeship that I have time away from my on-the-job role to work on this. I am very grateful to my line manager and team who understand that I need this time, and I work with my line manager to arrange suitable periods where I can do this without impacting the rest of the team.
I would tell them to try something new, by investigating roles in various types of industries. I had limited understanding of the energy industry before I started my apprenticeship at Valda, but the impeccable training provided throughout my time here has been a considerable asset in swiftly improving my knowledge, and I have gained many transferrable skills through this.
I plan to continue working at Valda Energy and improve the skills I have gained here, with the support of my fantastic team. I look forward to exploring further learning and development opportunities provided by Valda.
I remember when I received my first five-star review from a customer I had assisted to solve their query. I was extremely proud of this achievement because it confirmed to me that I had put my training and on-the-job experience into practice effectively.