[02:48.86]MARTHA:Hi Alex. It's Martha Clines here.
[02:53.40]James White gave me your number.
[02:55.91]I hope you don't mind me calling you.
[02:58.31]ALEX:Of course not.How are you, Martha?
[03:00.61]MARTHA:Good thanks.
[03:02.07]I'm ringing because I need a bit of advice.
[03:05.26]ALEX:Oh yeah.What about?
[03:06.91]MARTHA:The training you did at JPNW a few years ago.
[03:10.63]I'm applying for the same thing.
[03:12.70]ALEX:Oh right.Yes, I did mine in 2014.
[03:16.54]Best thing I ever did.I'm still working there.
[03:18.78]MARTHA:Really?
[03:19.70]What are you doing?
[03:21.32]ALEX:Well, now I work in the customer services department but I did my initial training in Finance.
[03:27.21]I stayed there for the first two years and then moved to where I am now.
[03:31.22]MARTHA:That's the same department I'm applying for.
[03:33.91]Did you enjoy it?
[03:35.72]ALEX:I was pretty nervous to begin with.
[03:38.49]I didn't do well in my exams at school and I was really worried because I failed Maths.
[03:42.94]But it didn't actually matter because I did lots of courses on the job.
[03:46.86]MARTHA:Did you get a diploma at the end of your trainee period?
[03:50.57]I'm hoping to do the one in business skills.
[03:53.42]ALEX:Yes. That sounds good.
[03:55.07]I took the one on IT skills but I wish I'd done that one instead.
[03:59.19]MARTHA:OK, that's good to know.
[04:02.13]What about the other trainees?
[04:04.66]How did you get on with them?
[04:06.59]ALEX:There were about 20 of us who started at the same time and we were all around the same age – I was 18 and there was only one person younger than me, who was 17.
[04:17.32]The rest were between 18 and 20.
[04:20.21]I made some good friends.
[04:21.81]MARTHA:I've heard lots of good things about the training at JPNW.
[04:25.67]It seems like there are a lot of opportunities there.
[04:29.14]ALEX:Yeah, definitely.
[04:30.75]Because of its size you can work in loads of different areas within the organisation.
[04:35.24]MARTHA:What about pay?
[04:36.86]I know you get a lower minimum wage than regular employees.
[04:41.18]ALEX:That's right- which isn't great.
[04:43.16]But you get the same number of days' holidays as everyone else.
[04:46.33]And the pay goes up massively if they offer you a job at the end of the training period.
[04:51.13]MARTHA:Yeah, but I'm not doing it for the money - it's the experience I think will be really useful.
[04:57.13]Everyone says by the end of the year you gain so much confidence.
[05:01.68]ALEX:You're right.
[05:02.53]That's the most useful part about it.
[05:04.46]There's a lot of variety too.
[05:07.25]You're given lots of different things to do. I enjoyed it all -I didn't even mind the studying.
[05:12.78]MARTHA:Do you have to spend any time in college?
[05:15.16]ALEX:Yes, one day each month.
[05:17.18]So you get lots of support from both your tutor and your manager.
[05:20.90]MARTHA:That's good.
[05:22.53]And the company is easy to get to, isn't it?
[05:26.05]ALEX:Yes, it's very close to the train station so the location's a real advantage.
[06:01.54]ALEX:Have you got a date for your interview yet?
[06:04.67]MARTHA:Yes, it's on the 23rd of this month.
[06:07.71]ALEX:So long as you're well prepared there’s nothing to worry about.
[06:11.01]Everyone’s very friendly.
[06:12.57]MARTHA:I am not sure what I should wear.
[06:15.50]What do you think?
[06:17.36]ALEX:Nothing too casual-like jeans, for example.
[06:20.98]If you've got a nice jacket, wear that with a skirt or trousers.
[06:25.07]MARTHA:OK. Thanks.
[06:26.66]Any other tips?
[06:28.65]ALEX:Erm, well I know it's really obvious but arrive in plenty of time.
[06:33.28]They hate people who are late.
[06:35.37]So make sure you know exactly where you have to get to.
[06:38.52]And one other useful piece of advice my manager told me before I had the interview for this job -is to smile.
[06:45.51]Even if you feel terrified.
[06:47.61]It makes people respond better to you.
[06:49.91]MARTHA:I’ll have to practise doing that in the mirror!
[06:52.86]ALEX:Yeah -well, good luck.
[06:55.07]Let me know if you need any more information.
[06:57.33]MARTHA:Thanks very much.
