Name, Age and Job Role
Frankie Haggerty, 22, Housing Administration Assistant/Apprentice
Which type of Apprenticeship are you doing or have you completed? Please include if it is intermediate, advanced or higher.
BTEC Diploma Level 2 Business Administration – Intermediate
Who do you work for and what do they do?
Forbes Solicitors – Stuart Penswick, Head of Housing Litigation
Housing department Preston
Why did you choose to become an apprentice?
I chose to become an apprentice because I saw that Forbes could offer me great opportunities for career progression. I also liked the idea of earning money while learning and gaining new qualifications.
What does your day in your work life involve?
My work day consists of giving general assistance to the housing litigation team. I assist them mainly with typing, travel arrangements, setting up meetings, invoicing active files, dealing with invoice queries from clients and updating and maintaining MMI reports.
What do you enjoy and what is the best thing about being an apprentice?
I enjoy the fact that we are assigned individual assessors who visit us at work and give us one to one tuition, and I also enjoy our study days once a month where we are able to interact with employees from other offices who are also apprentices. The best thing about being an apprentice is knowing that I am working towards completing a qualification whilst working full time.
What are your career plans and what would you like to be doing in 5 years’ time?
In five years’ time I hope to have progressed within the firm doing more fee earning work with the aim of becoming a paralegal. I hope to gain more qualifications whilst working here which will hopefully allow my career to progress within Law.
What is your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement would be attending an employer event with a member of the HR and training department which focused on the importance of apprentices. I was asked to speak at this event which was very daunting to me and really pushed me out of my comfort zone. That being said I attended and gave a presentation about my journey as an apprentice receiving great feedback from the attendees and being asked to speak again at another event shortly after.
Give us one fun fact about yourself!
I used to run and swim competitively when I was younger, competing in biathlons regionally and nationally. I was part of a team of three who won the national biathlon championships and to this day I am still an avid runner.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone thinking about becoming an apprentice?
The best piece of advice I would give to someone who is thinking of becoming an apprentice would be to 100% do it. I have thoroughly enjoyed being an apprentice so far because it offers me a nurturing learning environment and has shown me what opportunities I have, within Forbes Solicitors, upon completion.