St Martins is passionate about investing in people with potential. Hannah, our human resources administration apprentice and Briony, our level 3 business administration apprentice share their experiences of working at St Martins.
“I’m not a corporate person,” says Hannah, “I thought I would never do an office job, but starting here I loved it”. Working in HR was an entirely new career path for Hannah, who used to be a massage therapist. Having no prior experience in the field, she feels that the HR apprenticeship helped her develop professionally and ease into the experience. When asked how she knew HR was the route she wanted to take, she said “It is multi-faceted. You can take HR in many directions and do what fits you. You can really sink your teeth into it and explore your options. I think this is a role that has longevity that I can build a career out of, because you can progress easily if you put in the work”.
A typical week for Hannah includes sessions at the local university alongside her administration tasks. Speaking positively about her experience of returning to education as an adult, she said she enjoyed the collaborative aspect of the course and found ‘online uni’ interesting. Hannah’s experience proves that it is never too late to make a fresh start, and with an apprenticeship at St Martins it is possible.
“During this apprenticeship, I’ve learnt how I work and learn best” says Briony, our business administration apprentice, “It has made me more confident in myself”. Briony’s day to day role is varied and busy, and she enjoys the opportunity to work in different departments and explore her interests.
“St Martins invests in people. They want you to progress however it suits you which I think is fantastic” says Briony. Hannah and Briony started their apprenticeships with St Martins during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. During what was a stressful time for everyone, they were able to fit in to the caring and rewarding environment at Head Office with ease. Briony feels that she benefited from the flexible environment at St Martins, which gives employees the freedom to work at their own pace in a way that suits their personalities and strengths.
“The people-centred attitude at St Martins is really refreshing. Coming from an intense, go-go-go environment at my previous customer service job, getting used to the relaxed environment at St Martins was a challenge”, says Hannah. “Jo has been an incredible teacher and boss. She has been doing HR forever and she’s always on hand for questions. She’s amazing.”
St Martins pays the living wage, supports its employees with regular wellbeing meetings, and is a non-judgmental, relaxed work environment. If an opportunity like this excites you, check out our vacancies at: https://stmartinshousing.org.uk/who-we-are/jobs/