Enterprise rent a car graduate scheme..good thing or bad thing?
Is this graduate scheme worth a try (I have an interview next month) or is it better to remain working in retail and trying to work myself up? I just started a retail job and the manager says that there are great opportunities for the right person to promote themselves.
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Go for the scheme and see how far you get. I have a friend in exactly the same situation as you. They work in retail and have an interview with Enterprise next week. It cant do any harm. Retail progression can be slow and even managers aren't always that well paid (my friends manager is only on 20k a year, which obviously is nothing to be ashamed of but he has been there for 9 years).
From what i hear, Enterprise is one of the lower paid grad schemes and demands a lot of work and time. It has a high drop out rate. BUT, if you manage to complete it then employers will recognise how hard you have worked because of this reputation and you're CV will be improved a huge amount.
So yeah, id go for the scheme. You can always fall back on retail if things dont work out how you wanted.
From what i hear, Enterprise is one of the lower paid grad schemes and demands a lot of work and time. It has a high drop out rate. BUT, if you manage to complete it then employers will recognise how hard you have worked because of this reputation and you're CV will be improved a huge amount.
So yeah, id go for the scheme. You can always fall back on retail if things dont work out how you wanted.
**** graduate schemes. Retail management can earn you a decent wage but you have to trade in your dignity and become a company man/woman. I don't think I could be a retail manager. Graduate schemes just have you jumping through hoops, people think they're great but upon closer inspection loads of people 'drop out' of the schemes because they are just bull****.
Original post by froggy
Go for the scheme and see how far you get. I have a friend in exactly the same situation as you. They work in retail and have an interview with Enterprise next week. It cant do any harm. Retail progression can be slow and even managers aren't always that well paid (my friends manager is only on 20k a year, which obviously is nothing to be ashamed of but he has been there for 9 years).
From what i hear, Enterprise is one of the lower paid grad schemes and demands a lot of work and time. It has a high drop out rate. BUT, if you manage to complete it then employers will recognise how hard you have worked because of this reputation and you're CV will be improved a huge amount.
So yeah, id go for the scheme. You can always fall back on retail if things dont work out how you wanted.
From what i hear, Enterprise is one of the lower paid grad schemes and demands a lot of work and time. It has a high drop out rate. BUT, if you manage to complete it then employers will recognise how hard you have worked because of this reputation and you're CV will be improved a huge amount.
So yeah, id go for the scheme. You can always fall back on retail if things dont work out how you wanted.
I also have an interview for Grant Thornton the accountancy firm. I think I see accoutancy as a last resort though as you bascially have to give up your life to do it. Oh choices choices
Original post by jainsy
I'm considering the Enterprise grad scheme as a management trainee. I'm having a really tough time trying to find out what the entry salary is? I cannot find it on the recruitment site.
I heard it was about £16,000 which is quite low
Wow. I've been doing some research this evening regarding this grad scheme. Total joke pretty much sums it up, from what has been available to read online. As for the salaray, it sounds like they want something for nothing. Then again depending how desperate you are its there for the taking. Has anyone on TSR been on the Enterprise grad scheme?
(edited 13 years ago)
Original post by jainsy
Wow. I've been doing some research this evening regarding this grad scheme. Total joke pretty much sums it up, from what has been available to read online. As for the salaray, it sounds like they want something for nothing. Then again depending how desperate you are its there for the taking. Has anyone on TSR been on the Enterprise grad scheme?
I got an e-mail from them inviting me to do a telephone interview. They say that the slary is 17,000 plus bonuses
I was quite scathing in my last post, apologies!
Have you done it yet, if so, how did it go? Did they mention anything worth repeating?
Original post by Idrink2muchcoffee
I got an e-mail from them inviting me to do a telephone interview. They say that the slary is 17,000 plus bonuses
Have you done it yet, if so, how did it go? Did they mention anything worth repeating?
I've applied recently. I completed an online questionnaire today, which was 10 pages of basically the same questions each page. They want you to answer them honestly, so the idea is to keep answering each question (or different inflexion of basically the same question) the same and not contradict yourself).
I would love to get into the graduate scheme though. It would give me a job for a start! A bit of money over the course of a year as well, and it can only add to my CV. Plus I work best when I have a lot to do - I love routine!
I would love to get into the graduate scheme though. It would give me a job for a start! A bit of money over the course of a year as well, and it can only add to my CV. Plus I work best when I have a lot to do - I love routine!
Hi,
Has anyone who posted on this a couple of years ago worked on the scheme since?
I have an interview next Friday on the 13th (yay me lol). Was wondering if I could find out what people think of the scheme.
I have had someone on another forum, tell me that the enterprise scheme isn't really a scheme at all.
So I am really trying to find out what it is really all about. Does the pay still start at around £16k-£17k? This does not put me off, but it has been two year since this thread, so surely it has risen a little.
Has anyone who posted on this a couple of years ago worked on the scheme since?
I have an interview next Friday on the 13th (yay me lol). Was wondering if I could find out what people think of the scheme.
I have had someone on another forum, tell me that the enterprise scheme isn't really a scheme at all.
So I am really trying to find out what it is really all about. Does the pay still start at around £16k-£17k? This does not put me off, but it has been two year since this thread, so surely it has risen a little.
I worked in enterprise rent a car for a year until I eventually left. Let me tell you, it is without a doubt the worst job i have ever done! It was hell! I didn't even work at one of the 'bad' branches. Why is it so bad?
- No work life balance ( you cant plan anything because you never know when you will finish )
- You wash cars in a suit
-Saturday working, its not uncommon to have to work 3 weeks of sats in a row
-Poor working condition's (you work in converted petrol stations)
-everyone you meet is miserable and feels cheated (it rubs off on you)
You can easily go without having lunch all day, they dont offer you it you normally have to ask because you are so busy
It was one of the worst experiences of my life, do yourself a favor and look for something else
- No work life balance ( you cant plan anything because you never know when you will finish )
- You wash cars in a suit
-Saturday working, its not uncommon to have to work 3 weeks of sats in a row
-Poor working condition's (you work in converted petrol stations)
-everyone you meet is miserable and feels cheated (it rubs off on you)
You can easily go without having lunch all day, they dont offer you it you normally have to ask because you are so busy
It was one of the worst experiences of my life, do yourself a favor and look for something else
The pay now has been risen to £20,000 per year for management trainess, and it still is not worth it.
Original post by broadband1
I worked in enterprise rent a car for a year until I eventually left. Let me tell you, it is without a doubt the worst job i have ever done! It was hell! I didn't even work at one of the 'bad' branches. Why is it so bad?
- No work life balance ( you cant plan anything because you never know when you will finish )
- You wash cars in a suit
-Saturday working, its not uncommon to have to work 3 weeks of sats in a row
-Poor working condition's (you work in converted petrol stations)
-everyone you meet is miserable and feels cheated (it rubs off on you)
You can easily go without having lunch all day, they dont offer you it you normally have to ask because you are so busy
It was one of the worst experiences of my life, do yourself a favor and look for something else
- No work life balance ( you cant plan anything because you never know when you will finish )
- You wash cars in a suit
-Saturday working, its not uncommon to have to work 3 weeks of sats in a row
-Poor working condition's (you work in converted petrol stations)
-everyone you meet is miserable and feels cheated (it rubs off on you)
You can easily go without having lunch all day, they dont offer you it you normally have to ask because you are so busy
It was one of the worst experiences of my life, do yourself a favor and look for something else
Similar situation from people i know. Its not really a "graduate job" they just need someone smart whose willing to do the donkey work.
I not long ago went through the recruitment process for enterprise. The initial telephone and following face to face interview with the talent acquisition manager were OK, albeit a little un organised. However, when I had my day at the Heathrow branch, I was told to shadow a few employees and the impression that I was given was that this is far from a graduate scheme and rather a glorified rental assistant job. When asking graduates about the job everyone replied that the hours were exceptionally long (standard 12hour shifts starting at 5am) and under paid. One girl even took me to the side and told me not to work there under any circumstances, she said everyone hated the job and that no one would say it incase a manager was listening. She went on to say that she was leaving due to the horrific hours and menial tasks. At the end of the day this is a sales position. If you have a decent degree avoid this completely. There is no skill involved, no actual training. A job is a job at the end of the day however considering the salary is the same as any bar/admin job and the hours are far longer, and you get no transferable skills from the position, avoid it at all costs. Get an admin job and stick it out for something that is worth putting in time and effort. The office itself was as if David Brent ran it. The branch interview extremely unprofessional. Overall... stay away!
Original post by bombay29345
I not long ago went through the recruitment process for enterprise. The initial telephone and following face to face interview with the talent acquisition manager were OK, albeit a little un organised. However, when I had my day at the Heathrow branch, I was told to shadow a few employees and the impression that I was given was that this is far from a graduate scheme and rather a glorified rental assistant job. When asking graduates about the job everyone replied that the hours were exceptionally long (standard 12hour shifts starting at 5am) and under paid. One girl even took me to the side and told me not to work there under any circumstances, she said everyone hated the job and that no one would say it incase a manager was listening. She went on to say that she was leaving due to the horrific hours and menial tasks. At the end of the day this is a sales position. If you have a decent degree avoid this completely. There is no skill involved, no actual training. A job is a job at the end of the day however considering the salary is the same as any bar/admin job and the hours are far longer, and you get no transferable skills from the position, avoid it at all costs. Get an admin job and stick it out for something that is worth putting in time and effort. The office itself was as if David Brent ran it. The branch interview extremely unprofessional. Overall... stay away!
For the grad scheme right? ie working in regional office too?
Original post by bombay29345
I not long ago went through the recruitment process for enterprise. The initial telephone and following face to face interview with the talent acquisition manager were OK, albeit a little un organised. However, when I had my day at the Heathrow branch, I was told to shadow a few employees and the impression that I was given was that this is far from a graduate scheme and rather a glorified rental assistant job. When asking graduates about the job everyone replied that the hours were exceptionally long (standard 12hour shifts starting at 5am) and under paid. One girl even took me to the side and told me not to work there under any circumstances, she said everyone hated the job and that no one would say it incase a manager was listening. She went on to say that she was leaving due to the horrific hours and menial tasks. At the end of the day this is a sales position. If you have a decent degree avoid this completely. There is no skill involved, no actual training. A job is a job at the end of the day however considering the salary is the same as any bar/admin job and the hours are far longer, and you get no transferable skills from the position, avoid it at all costs. Get an admin job and stick it out for something that is worth putting in time and effort. The office itself was as if David Brent ran it. The branch interview extremely unprofessional. Overall... stay away!
Totally agree with everything you say. I completed only a very short stint at Enterprise. I felt like a glorified retail assistant, it was terrible. In fact, it wasn't even a glorified retail assistant. The management treat you like crap. If you want to spend eleven plus hours every day in a tiny office doing menial tasks such as washing cars, pushing people to add pointless extras onto a car rental they don't need and generally doing a role which requires extremely little brain stimulation then this is the perfect position for you!
PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS, THIS JOB PRETTY MUCH RUINED MY CONFIDENCE AND SELF BEING, I DON NOT WANT ANY ONE TO GO THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH.
Below is the BS list of what it says on the enterprise graduate job website (and I mean literally is 100% BS)
‘You’ll join us as a management trainee and develop skills in all areas, from sales and marketing to customer service and finance. So it really is a general management scheme. The hands-on business training includes:
Management skills: leadership, training, mentoring, people skills and soft skills, and looking at the big picture.
Business management: cost control, profits, growth, account management, employee development, and administrative skills.
Marketing: how to gain new customers both retail and corporate, how to manage dealerships, and run bodyshop accounts.
Sales: how to increase revenue by generating more sales.
Customer service: taking reservations, handling customer enquiries, problem solving and delivering cars to customers.
Fleet control: how to handle repairs, and getting the right number and type of cars in your fleet’
VERSES WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DO (see below)
Clean the outside and inside of cars in your suit
Deliver and collect cars from extremely rude customers
Move 20 cars around an extremely small carpark to get the car the customer needs that’s right at the back (will get charged £350 excess if you damage their cars in the process)
Open doors for customers
Make tea or coffee for customers
Carry customers luggage’s to the car boot like a bell boy (really heavy bags)
Hoover the whole branch (the company can’t afford to have their own cleaning staff so they get the employees to clean the branch, even the toilets on certain occasions)
Empty out the dustbins
Pick up and drop off customers to where they need to go (like a cabby)
Change tyres and carry out basic car maintenance like top up fuels
Take cars to the petrol station to fuel them up one by one
Use your own internet data on your phone for the use of sat nav
Be prepared to answer your mobile phone WHILST driving, yes you heard me right. Otherwise these stupid managers get pissed off! They want an ‘update’ as to where you are (basically they don’t trust your where abouts when your out on the road) or they will ask ‘how are you getting along’ even though you left 5mins ago for a destination that’s 30mins away from the branch.
These are your tasks you would do 70% of a day, rest of the day you will serve customers inside the branch and literally ass licking the customers while your serving them.
Your manager will most likely be a 22 year old child who came out of uni with maybe experience in stacking shelves in Tesco previously. So he/she has no idea regarding managing people and developing and sustaining employee’s wellbeing.
You sign a 50 hour contract but you will work in excess of 60 hours per week for £17,500 PER YEAR. You do the maths. It’s inhuman how much you get paid per hour, modern day slavery. You do not get a constructed break. Your break is as soon as you finish eating, your break is done. Again children managers don’t understand regulations so they don’t understand the importance of having breaks.
You start work at 7:00 on Mondays and finish at 7:30 (remember you will probably get 10 mins break to eat something quickly) you pretty much work 14:00 hours without any rest periods. On normal days you start at 7;45 and finish at 7:00 which is still very long. You will probably clean between 10-12 cars every day.
They want you to dress for work as if you’re a nominee for an Oscar. No stubble allowed otherwise you have to go into the toilet and shave it off (but your allowed a moustache loool) by the time your finished cleaning your first car your tie will be behind you, your top button is coming off, your sweat is dripping down to your neck, your shoe will be wet and destroyed from the jet wash and car shampoo. What I’m trying to say is the smart clothing they want you to wear doesn’t correlate with what you have to do daily.
It’s a pretentious company where children are managers without any life experience or work experience. I remember even when I got in to the company I had 0 experience and I was late for the interview but they still hired me lool. I have never come across a company who are soo desperate. Management trainee?
More like slave trainee, stay out the sight of this company, honestly bunch of loonies work there. The only people I would encourage to apply for this role are the people who are ex-convicts or something or who want a second chance in life. Also for people who came to the U.K recently and need a job desperately to make ends meet.
Advise to management? Where shall I start? Its hard advising inexperienced young managers but I will try!
Employee retention is a massive problem, for some reason you guys are reluctant to admit it. If you admit this problem and maybe give out 39 hours contract you will have better retention. Also tell the people what they would actually do when hired!! Be honest, and then you wouldn’t waste peoples time. The people that want to hoover the branch and carry bags for customers and drive all day and will sign the contract!! And the people that don’t want to do this won’t sign the contract!!
Also introduce something similar to ESQI but for employees every month where employees get asked are you completely satisfied with your branch/manager/ethics/treatment etc. you will be surprised with the outcome.
Also provide extensive training to Assistant managers and branch managers on communicating with colleagues, speak to your colleagues just like you would to your customers. Managers are soooo immature it’s unbelievable. They think they own the business lol, yes mangers are responsible for the financial outcome of the branch they work in but last time I checked they didn’t buy the cars they rent! Jack taylor and his family own the branches.
The way I use to get spoken to, if they spoke to someone else like that on a general note, most probably they will get punched in the face, I’m serious. E.g. ‘what do you mean there’s f****n traffic? You said that f***n 10 mins ago, get to the delivery on time’ the amount of time I refrained myself from punching these managers!! (I’m not a violent person neither do I approve of violence but this job really pushed me to the limit) But I didn’t want to ruin my career and end up in prison for a poxy RETAIL car rental company that’s so deluded they think they are corporate. Lool there is nothing corporate about cleaning cars and being an absolute slave to the customer that walks in to your branch.
Other points you should be aware of:
Micro management at its finest!! Literally every 5 mins what are you upto?
There is this book they give you called the MT book which you’re supposed to follow but once you start the job you realise it’s not relevant and they make you believe this book is more important than the bible, even though they never follow it.
You will hear the word progression almost every day, ‘oh this company is the best to progress in’ like I said there is nothing progressive about working for £4 (managers probably earn around £7) an hour cleaning cars. Enterprise serves the corporate people. Enterprise is not a corporate company. They are just a retail company with carparks in back st garages. It may seem like I’m having a rant but I’m really not. I wrote what I experienced with this company!
I now work for a company that pays me almost 30k, 37 hours and respects me soo much that I feel like I don't deserve it!
Below is the BS list of what it says on the enterprise graduate job website (and I mean literally is 100% BS)
‘You’ll join us as a management trainee and develop skills in all areas, from sales and marketing to customer service and finance. So it really is a general management scheme. The hands-on business training includes:
Management skills: leadership, training, mentoring, people skills and soft skills, and looking at the big picture.
Business management: cost control, profits, growth, account management, employee development, and administrative skills.
Marketing: how to gain new customers both retail and corporate, how to manage dealerships, and run bodyshop accounts.
Sales: how to increase revenue by generating more sales.
Customer service: taking reservations, handling customer enquiries, problem solving and delivering cars to customers.
Fleet control: how to handle repairs, and getting the right number and type of cars in your fleet’
VERSES WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DO (see below)
Clean the outside and inside of cars in your suit
Deliver and collect cars from extremely rude customers
Move 20 cars around an extremely small carpark to get the car the customer needs that’s right at the back (will get charged £350 excess if you damage their cars in the process)
Open doors for customers
Make tea or coffee for customers
Carry customers luggage’s to the car boot like a bell boy (really heavy bags)
Hoover the whole branch (the company can’t afford to have their own cleaning staff so they get the employees to clean the branch, even the toilets on certain occasions)
Empty out the dustbins
Pick up and drop off customers to where they need to go (like a cabby)
Change tyres and carry out basic car maintenance like top up fuels
Take cars to the petrol station to fuel them up one by one
Use your own internet data on your phone for the use of sat nav
Be prepared to answer your mobile phone WHILST driving, yes you heard me right. Otherwise these stupid managers get pissed off! They want an ‘update’ as to where you are (basically they don’t trust your where abouts when your out on the road) or they will ask ‘how are you getting along’ even though you left 5mins ago for a destination that’s 30mins away from the branch.
These are your tasks you would do 70% of a day, rest of the day you will serve customers inside the branch and literally ass licking the customers while your serving them.
Your manager will most likely be a 22 year old child who came out of uni with maybe experience in stacking shelves in Tesco previously. So he/she has no idea regarding managing people and developing and sustaining employee’s wellbeing.
You sign a 50 hour contract but you will work in excess of 60 hours per week for £17,500 PER YEAR. You do the maths. It’s inhuman how much you get paid per hour, modern day slavery. You do not get a constructed break. Your break is as soon as you finish eating, your break is done. Again children managers don’t understand regulations so they don’t understand the importance of having breaks.
You start work at 7:00 on Mondays and finish at 7:30 (remember you will probably get 10 mins break to eat something quickly) you pretty much work 14:00 hours without any rest periods. On normal days you start at 7;45 and finish at 7:00 which is still very long. You will probably clean between 10-12 cars every day.
They want you to dress for work as if you’re a nominee for an Oscar. No stubble allowed otherwise you have to go into the toilet and shave it off (but your allowed a moustache loool) by the time your finished cleaning your first car your tie will be behind you, your top button is coming off, your sweat is dripping down to your neck, your shoe will be wet and destroyed from the jet wash and car shampoo. What I’m trying to say is the smart clothing they want you to wear doesn’t correlate with what you have to do daily.
It’s a pretentious company where children are managers without any life experience or work experience. I remember even when I got in to the company I had 0 experience and I was late for the interview but they still hired me lool. I have never come across a company who are soo desperate. Management trainee?
More like slave trainee, stay out the sight of this company, honestly bunch of loonies work there. The only people I would encourage to apply for this role are the people who are ex-convicts or something or who want a second chance in life. Also for people who came to the U.K recently and need a job desperately to make ends meet.
Advise to management? Where shall I start? Its hard advising inexperienced young managers but I will try!
Employee retention is a massive problem, for some reason you guys are reluctant to admit it. If you admit this problem and maybe give out 39 hours contract you will have better retention. Also tell the people what they would actually do when hired!! Be honest, and then you wouldn’t waste peoples time. The people that want to hoover the branch and carry bags for customers and drive all day and will sign the contract!! And the people that don’t want to do this won’t sign the contract!!
Also introduce something similar to ESQI but for employees every month where employees get asked are you completely satisfied with your branch/manager/ethics/treatment etc. you will be surprised with the outcome.
Also provide extensive training to Assistant managers and branch managers on communicating with colleagues, speak to your colleagues just like you would to your customers. Managers are soooo immature it’s unbelievable. They think they own the business lol, yes mangers are responsible for the financial outcome of the branch they work in but last time I checked they didn’t buy the cars they rent! Jack taylor and his family own the branches.
The way I use to get spoken to, if they spoke to someone else like that on a general note, most probably they will get punched in the face, I’m serious. E.g. ‘what do you mean there’s f****n traffic? You said that f***n 10 mins ago, get to the delivery on time’ the amount of time I refrained myself from punching these managers!! (I’m not a violent person neither do I approve of violence but this job really pushed me to the limit) But I didn’t want to ruin my career and end up in prison for a poxy RETAIL car rental company that’s so deluded they think they are corporate. Lool there is nothing corporate about cleaning cars and being an absolute slave to the customer that walks in to your branch.
Other points you should be aware of:
Micro management at its finest!! Literally every 5 mins what are you upto?
There is this book they give you called the MT book which you’re supposed to follow but once you start the job you realise it’s not relevant and they make you believe this book is more important than the bible, even though they never follow it.
You will hear the word progression almost every day, ‘oh this company is the best to progress in’ like I said there is nothing progressive about working for £4 (managers probably earn around £7) an hour cleaning cars. Enterprise serves the corporate people. Enterprise is not a corporate company. They are just a retail company with carparks in back st garages. It may seem like I’m having a rant but I’m really not. I wrote what I experienced with this company!
I now work for a company that pays me almost 30k, 37 hours and respects me soo much that I feel like I don't deserve it!
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