From New Starter to Confident Customer Service Assistant

Celebrating Abbi's Apprenticeship Achievement

At UBC, we love nothing more than seeing our team grow, and Abbi's story is one that deserves to be shared.

When Abbi joined UBC Edinburgh as a Customer Service Assistant, she was stepping into her very first job and into one of the UK's leading flexible workspace environments. Fast-forward nine months, and she's not only completed her Business Administration Apprenticeship ahead of schedule but she's also a confident, capable member of the team who is already thinking about what comes next.

We sat down with Abbi to reflect on her journey, and her answers were honest, warm, and genuinely inspiring.

Starting out in the flexible workspace industry

Abbi's path to the apprenticeship began when her manager Cristelle introduced her to the programme early in her time at UBC, recognising it as a great fit for her role as a Customer Service Assistant at UBC Edinburgh.

"I chose the apprenticeship programme as I wanted to further develop skills I didn't get in school," Abbi explains. "I was hoping to gain a good understanding of business administration and what it's really like being in an office environment."

It's a relatable starting point. Not everyone thrives in traditional education, and Abbi is refreshingly candid about that. What she found instead was a structured, supportive route into the working world that suited her perfectly.

A programme built around real work

The apprenticeship wasn't abstract theory, it mapped directly onto Abbi's day-to-day responsibilities at the centre. She worked through 11 modules, each given a focused two-week window.

"This allowed me to focus on each one and fully understand what it entailed," she says.

Her manager Cristelle, BCM at UBC Edinburgh, played a key role in making this work in practice, carving out dedicated time for Abbi to complete each module without it conflicting with the demands of the centre.

"Cristelle understood the modules and the time each one took, and she allocated specific days and time for me to work on each one." That kind of thoughtful management support can make all the difference, and clearly did for Abbi.

Finding her footing (and her favourites)

Ask Abbi which module stood out, and she lights up about Events planning, particularly the cost management side of it. But it's her reflection on the Customer Service module that's perhaps most telling.

"It was challenging at first, as it was my first job. But as time progressed I began to build relationships with clients, and now I don't even think about it."

Working in a busy business centre with serviced offices, busy meeting rooms, coworking and virtual office clients means interacting with a wide range of clients and visitors every day. For someone new to a professional environment, that's a steep but rewarding learning curve. The Abbi who started at UBC Edinburgh and the Abbi who completed her apprenticeship are noticeably different and she knows it.

As for the module that clicked most immediately? Mail handling. It was the first one she tackled, right at the point she was still finding her feet and in a busy business centre like UBC Edinburgh, mail handling is a core part of the Customer Service Assistant role, supporting both virtual office clients and coworking members.

"Understanding how many clients we had, how to bill them and how the system worked, it was the most helpful."

Proud, and rightly so

Abbi completed her apprenticeship in just nine months, against an expected timeframe of a year and a half. That's a remarkable achievement by any measure.

"I am proud of myself for getting through this, as school wasn't really for me. Completing it in nine months when the due date was a year and a half, making it early is also a good achievement."

There's no boasting in how she says it. Just quiet, well-earned pride.

The journey wasn't entirely without bumps, midway through, her assessor moved on and she had to adapt to a completely different working style with a new one. It's the kind of disruption that could easily have knocked her off course.

It didn't.

What's next for Abbi?

Completing the apprenticeship hasn't left Abbi thinking about what's behind her, it's got her thinking about what's ahead.

"I am keen to just keep expanding my knowledge and learn more about UBC and what they have to offer going forward and visit other centres to see how they run differently from mine."

That curiosity and drive to understand how things work is exactly the kind of attitude that makes a great Customer Service Assistant in a flexible workspace environment and a great future colleague wherever her career takes her.

Her advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship in business administration or a career in the flexible workspace industry?

"Definitely go for it. It will help you understand a lot and it is a well-supported programme."

We couldn't be prouder of everything Abbi has achieved, and we're excited to see where she goes from here. A huge well done from everyone at UBC: this is just the beginning!

Thinking about a career in the flexible workspace sector? UBC operates serviced offices, coworking spaces, and virtual offices across 15 locations throughout the UK: from Edinburgh and Leeds to London and Bath. We're always looking for motivated people to join our team.

Visit ubcuk.com/about-us/join-our-team to find out more about careers at UBC.