Scott is a Yard Assistant at our Travis Perkins branch in Burnopfield. He’s been with us since April 2021 on a casual hours contract, meaning he has the flexibility to work the days and times that suit him without making a commitment. Hours are offered and agreed upon with his Manager in advance, which suits him perfectly.
Read Scott’s story about working in the yard, enjoying the flexibility of a casual hours contract and find out about our part-time opportunities that might suit you:
What is it like working in the yard?
As a Yard Assistant, Scott takes in deliveries and helps customers find what they need. Following some training, he’s also now able to operate a fork-lift truck, and although it was nerve-wracking at first, he feels it’s added another string to his bow and is grateful to the business for providing this development.
‘I enjoy providing assistance to people and in this job, I meet people from all walks of life and get to help them out. I also like to keep fit and active, so it’s an added bonus that this role helps me do that too.’ Working in the yard is a great way of developing customer service skills.
What did you expect before you joined?
Scott has always worked on his feet and couldn’t see himself in a role where he sat in front of a computer all day, but if a friend hadn’t told him about the role, he would never have thought of applying for it.
‘I thought to work in a yard you would need to be a former tradesman. My background is completely different to that. But you can learn as you go and everyone is so helpful.’
If you join us from a different sector, industry, or even as your first job, we won’t expect you to know everything. We’ll give you the tools and support you need to progress along the way.
The flexibility of a casual hours contract
When Scott took redundancy after 15 years of working for a picture framing business, a friend recommended that he apply for a casual hours Yard Assistant role at Travis Perkins. As he had experience working in retail since the age of 16, he thought the role would suit well with his interpersonal and communication skills. He also liked that it was something different from what he’d done before and that the role was a good opportunity to keep active and stay fit.
Scott has now progressed from a casual hours contract to a full-time permanent contract within a year. He’s found that at Travis Perkins, if you put the work in you do get recognised.
We value our people, so we strive to give them the best opportunities to succeed, whether that’s in the form of career progression, work/life balance, or both.
What would you advise to anyone who may be interested in applying for a job at Travis Perkins?
‘I’d say just go for it. If you’re looking for a career change, they’re a great company to work for. I wish I’d known sooner that it was going to be like this and that I didn’t need to be a former tradesperson to work in this role. Give it a shot.
It’s the first job I’ve ever had where I actually enjoy coming to work. The team is fantastic, we all get on and the customers are great too. Working outside was not something I’d done before and it can be cold in the winter, but you take the rough with the smooth. When the summer comes, you’re out all day and can even end up with a tan.’
Climb up the career ladder at Travis Perkins
If you’ve been inspired by Scott’s career story, we have a range of roles open with flexible or part-time hours, which may interest you.
Browse our available part-time and flexible working opportunities, or read more about what it’s like to work within the Travis Perkins Group.
