For many professionals, career progression means developing new skills beyond their existing area of expertise. For Tara Chisholm, a Level 4 Sales Executive Apprentice at SOCOTEC UK, an apprenticeship with DBC Training provided the opportunity to build on her technical background, develop commercial expertise and gain the confidence to take a more strategic approach to her role.

Working in business development at SOCOTEC UK, Tara already had technical knowledge and plenty of enthusiasm, but recognised that she needed to strengthen her sales and commercial skills.

When Tara’s line manager introduced her to the learning and development opportunities available through DBC Training, the Level 4 Sales Executive Apprenticeship stood out as an opportunity to accelerate her development.

“I saw this course as an opportunity to fast-track what would otherwise have taken years to accumulate.”

Turning experience into commercial knowledge

The apprenticeship has given Tara the opportunity to complement her existing technical expertise with a broader understanding of sales, commercial strategy and customer engagement.

Rather than relying solely on trial and error, the course provided Tara with practical frameworks that could be applied directly within her role.

“The L4 Sales Executive course gave me the commercial frameworks I was otherwise building through trial and error,” she explained. “The course helped me understand not just how to identify and develop opportunities, but how to build the case for them internally and communicate at a more strategic level.”

Putting learning into practice

A key benefit of an apprenticeship is the ability to apply learning directly within the workplace, and this has been particularly valuable throughout Tara’s programme.

Tara highlighted the gathering intelligence, behavioural and communication elements of the course as particularly beneficial. These areas have helped her develop new markets and improve her ability to adapt her communication style, both internally and externally.

Most importantly, the apprenticeship has influenced how Tara views the role of sales itself.

“We aren’t here to sell services, we’re here to listen to our clients, understand their requirements and challenges and find solutions across our business that genuinely work to protect them against compliance risks.”

The importance of support throughout an apprenticeship

While an apprenticeship requires commitment alongside a full-time role, Tara’s experience demonstrates the importance of having the right support throughout the journey.

Tara also highlighted the wider wellbeing support she received from Sales Development Coach, Jane Barnett, throughout the apprenticeship, explaining that this made an enormous difference to her experience.

“Jane has a rich career in sales and brought that experience into every teaching and learning session, so it wasn’t just someone helping me tick boxes on written modules, she understood the real challenges I was facing on the job and was always there with practical, grounded support.”

Looking towards the next stage of her career

With the apprenticeship providing a stronger commercial foundation, Tara is already looking towards the next stage of her career at SOCOTEC UK.

Her ambition is to continue developing in a commercial role and become more strategic in the way she contributes to the organisation.

“The course has given me the tools to think bigger and that’s what I intend to do with it.”

Apprenticeships can shape careers at every stage

Tara’s story highlights that apprenticeships aren’t simply an entry route into the workplace. They can also provide an effective way for existing employees to develop new skills, gain recognised qualifications and prepare for their next career opportunity.

For Tara, the Level 4 Sales Executive Apprenticeship has provided more than a qualification. It has helped bridge the gap between her technical expertise and commercial capability, providing the knowledge, confidence and practical tools to take the next step in her career.

Her advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship with DBC Training is simple:

“Go for it, and don’t be afraid of getting things wrong along the way because that’s where all of the learning on the job happens. Take it as soon as the opportunity comes up!”

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