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Anne-Marie
Bendowski
from Crossgates chose coffee and cakes over a career in an
office.
Since undertaking a Modern Apprenticeship
in Retailing, she’s never looked back. |
Why choose this career?
Anne-Marie Bendowski left
St Columbus High School in 1999 with 7 Standard Grades in subjects
ranging from Home Economics and Music to English and Maths. With
her heart set on office work, Anne-Marie (21) embarked on a one-year
NC in Administration and after completing her course, she began
looking for work. While she waiting for the right job to come up,
a friend mentioned that there was a vacancy with Williams Stephens
Bakers Ltd in Dunfermline. It wasn’t quite what she had in
mind, but she decided to attend an interview and soon after was
offered the position. Starting as a Sales Assistant in August 2001,
Anne-Marie also began a 12 module Modern Apprenticeship in Retailing
Level 2, supported by Scottish Enterprise Fife.
“Although it wasn’t my first
choice of career, I think it’s been a happy accident that
I’ve ended up working in retail. Working for such an established,
family run firm like Stephens suits me down to the ground because
I get on so well with all our customers and my colleagues. Every
day is different and the pace is fast moving, and for someone like
me who is sociable and keen to learn, it’s ideal.”
What does the job involve?
Anne-Marie works 39 hours
per week, Monday to Saturday, her duties are many and varied, from
manning the till, dealing with bakery customers, and serving people
in the coffee shop, to taking deliveries and organising seasonal
window displays. She received a firm grounding in these skills from
the modules in her MA, which included such diverse topics as security,
window dressing, health and safety, merchandising and dealing with
complaints. Her learning was supported throughout, with a visit
from a Scottish Enterprise Fife assessor every 12 weeks and meetings
with an internal monitor from Stephens every fortnight. This let
Anne-Marie review what she’d learnt and look ahead to her
next objectives.
“There’s no doubt that the job
can sometimes be both mentally and physically demanding, particularly
when it is busy or we have a complaint from a customer. But I’ve
gradually been prepared for this thanks to the modules I’ve
done, coupled with invaluable on the job training. The part I probably
enjoy best is when I get a chance to show off some of my artistic
flair and arrange window displays, at times such as Easter, Halloween
and Christmas. With my current position comes a fair degree of responsibility,
but that’s something which I relish and I know that I can
rise to the challenge.”
What does the future hold?
Anne-Marie is determined to further carve out a career
in the retail sector, and hopes to reach managerial level at Stephens
within the next few years. As the firm has 12 shops across Fife,
as well as six direct selling vans, and numerous counters within
local supermarkets, the promotional prospects are good.
“The support from everyone –
my Stephens colleagues, my advisors from Scottish Enterprise Fife
and my parents - has helped me achieve so much already. I know that
I now have to concentrate on building my experience and confidence
to reach the next level of the retail trade. If you’d said
to me a few years ago that I’d be working in the retail industry
now, I’d have thought you were joking, but I’m delighted
that things have worked out this way. I know that this is the right
path for me.”
To apply for a Placement
on one of the SAMB Training
Programmes, please click
HERE |
