Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Kimberley Ann Stevens and I am 19 years old from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. I am currently on an apprenticeship where I am studying retail in the music industry. I am completing my apprenticeship at a music retail store called Drum Stop based in Sheffield where I am on a 1 year course. I will progress to complete the course as effectively as possible, I am pleased with my progress so far and I have a supportive employer to help me progress further.
How did you come to be working at The Drum Stop on the MIRTAS apprenticeship?
I have a passion for music and have studied music throughout my years in education so far. I had achieved grade 2x A* on a BTEC Music Course in secondary school and afterwards went on to college to continue music further. I completed my music course at Longley Park Sixth Form College in Sheffield and achieved a BTEC National Diploma in Music. After I completed this course I wanted to carry on to work in the music industry, I noticed the apprenticeship advertised on an apprenticeship website where I was highly interested in applying for the course. I took part in an interview at Drum Stop where this was successful and lead to me starting my apprenticeship at Drum Stop on 1st September 2013. I am currently progressing and completing Units towards a Module regarding training for my course. I am gaining knowledge and skills within the company and I hope to progress further.
What do you most enjoy about your apprenticeship placement?
I enjoy the atmosphere of working in the music industry and enjoy being part of the music industry family. My employer is extremely helpful where she has provided me with many different roles to help me gain knowledge within the company quickly and effectively. I enjoy challenges and have the motivation learn and accept any challenges and responsibilities that my employer may set for me.
What do you hope to gain from the apprenticeship?
I hope to gain a high level of knowledge on our products in the store so I am able to deal with customers effectively, for example recommending alternative products at the same level and similar to the customer’s original choice if their item isn’t in stock, this will be achieved through completing regular product related tasks. I hope to be successful as an administrator at Drum Stop and hope to stay within the company as a start to a successful career in the music industry.
What have been some of your challenges along the way?
I would say a challenge which I have faced so far at Drum Stop is to deal with customer enquiries as effectively as possible regarding details of specific products. There are a large range of products at Drum Stop where some products have a complex understanding as there are a range of sizes with a number of features and benefits, such as various drum heads and cymbals, this knowledge will be gained over experience and time here within the store. I hope for this challenge to become an achievement in the near future so I am able to help customers in every way possible.
How has the apprenticeship aided you in your personal development?
The apprentice has helped my personal development significantly. I have the ability to complete tasks effectively, accurately and in a timely fashion due to determination to progress further at Drum Stop. I highly appreciate having the opportunity to develop within the music industry and therefore have motivation to learn and develop. The units I am completing within my course have helped my understanding of the retail industry and helped me to understand different sectors of a music retail business. I have used my knowledge and skills learned throughout my units according to Drum Stop and have succeeded within personal development.
What have been your greatest achievements while on the MIRTAS Apprenticeship programme?
I have achieved the ability to deal with customers as effectively as possible in a highly professional way, this is with help from the apprenticeship scheme and the units involved. The units involved in the apprenticeship have helped me to understand the importance of team work, communication and personal development. I have achieved excellent feedback for my previous completed units for my module and have proudly received a certificate for this achievement. I have achieved a good personal reputation for my hard work and commitment to Drum Stop where I have demonstrated 100% effort in all tasks.
How has the apprenticeship helped you with your career path?
The apprenticeship has helped me to understand all sectors involved within the retail industry and the responsibilities within a number of roles. Drum Stop have provided me many career pathways as they have been excellent in training me in various sections within the company. Throughout my training up to now I have had the opportunity to deal with returns contacting suppliers etc, marketing roles, administrator and accounts role. I have had the opportunity to also be a part of the distribution team, deal with general customer enquiries over the phone, process orders and to take part in assembling/disassembling equipment to gain product knowledge. Overall the apprenticeship has given me many career pathways; I have a passion to be in retail within the music industry and would like to take this career path to contribute to help Drum Stop as a company to develop their future success.
Would you recommend this apprenticeship to others, and if so why?
I would certainly recommend this apprenticeship to any individual who is looking to work within the retail music industry. The apprenticeship has helped me in many ways with personal development to succeed at my work place; the apprenticeship has also helped me personally to become a strong and confident person. The apprenticeship has given me determination to progress in life and think about my career pathways more accurately. I would recommend this apprenticeship to anyone looking to have a successful future within the music industry.
