National Apprenticeships Week: My Bid Coordinator Apprenticeship at Guidant Global

By Izzy Chantry, Bids Executive

​I joined Guidant, age 18 as a Bid Executive.
Back in August 2018, I came straight out of Sixth Form upon completing my A levels and took up my very first full-time job as a Bid Executive within Guidant’s Client Solutions Team. Today, it’s been one and a half years since I started.

I remember feeling very nervous on my first day – everything was new.
It was my first time getting the train into London on my own for my first full-time job, working for my first “big and professional” company – the number of firsts could go on. Thankfully, everyone from day one was very welcoming and put in real effort to make me feel part of #TeamGuidant.

As a Bid Executive, my responsibilities involve producing written responses for a wide range of documents such as Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs), Request for Proposals (RFPs) and Invitation to Tender (ITT), market insights and other ad hoc reports

Going to University was a “normal” step after A-levels – or so I thought.
Before Guidant, I was finishing my A-level at Colchester Sixth Form. While I was in college, I assumed my next step would be going to university – mainly because that’s what I thought everyone “normally” did.

Towards the end of my first year at college (which is also around the time when everyone starts applying for University) I started feeling differently – university suddenly wasn’t something I wanted to do.

So, why was I feeling the way I did?
I wasn’t entirely sure what field I wanted to go into when I started working. It was this uncertainty that held me off from wanting to commit to a university degree. I was nervous I’d change my mind and couldn’t go back. I was also not keen on spending three years studying a subject that I wouldn’t benefit from in the future.

In the same vein, I was also eager to get into the “real world”, earn money and leave school behind. I started exploring what options I had. Eventually, I decided that I had two routes – either work full-time or study within an apprenticeship programme.

And as you’ve read above, I went with the former.

Had I ever given much thought into apprenticeships?
No, not to start with. Surprised?

When I was in school, I thought an apprenticeship was only appropriate if you didn’t attend college. At the time, I also didn’t know about 18+ apprenticeships. This perception changed when I started researching alternative routes to university and speaking to career advisors.

When I first joined Guidant, there was no availability for an apprenticeship, so I got stuck into a full-time job as a Bids Executive instead. This was after speaking to Charlotte Woodward, Guidant’s People Services Director, and Cameron Robinson, Guidant’s Client Solutions Manager, who both thought I’d be a good fit in the Bids team.

I had a reflective moment on my first year’s work anniversary.
I felt I had come a long way having learnt so much in the past 12 months, but I also knew I had a long way more to go and much to learn. When I found out about the new ‘Bid Coordinator’ apprenticeship scheme, I raised it with my manager and signed up immediately.

On-the-job learning can be effective, but I also wanted foundational knowledge.
The main thing that changed my mind about studying an apprenticeship was the benefit it would have on my career. Finding out about the Bid Coordinator apprenticeship came at a good time as I had been working in Bids for a year and it was something I wanted to continue.

Whilst learning on the job is a great and quick way to learn, I really wanted to understand the theory behind best practices in bidding. I also saw the apprenticeship as an opportunity to build my foundation and gain exposure into different bidding processes that I’ve not come across before.

So far, my experience of the apprenticeship is great. Had you asked me in school if I’d ever plan to study an apprenticeship, I would’ve said no. In the last 4 months, I already feel like I’ve learnt so much surrounding the pre-Bids preparation stage and have seen an improvement in my writing style.

Juggling work and the apprenticeship.
Managing my day-to-day work as well as my apprenticeship assignments have been fine – largely because I’ve been given one working day a week (I use my Fridays) to focus on my apprenticeship. My manager has also been considerate in terms of my workload and has guided me in how I prioritise the week to ensure I have enough time to complete my apprenticeship tasks.

If you’re thinking of studying an apprenticeship (or not)…
The most important thing to know is that an apprenticeship is a great way to learn whilst working as you can put your skills into practice. If you feel university is not for you, I think this is a great alternative to learn practical skills that can really be used in the working environment!

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