<p class="MsoNormal">Discover what it takes to become a kitchen porter, a vital role in any kitchen. Learn about key responsibilities, how to apply for roles, what to expect during your first days on the job and how this entry-level role can be the first step for aspiring culinary professionals.</p>

<h2><span style="color: #00aae3;">Overview</span></h2>
<table style="width: 87.414%;">
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<td style="width: 13.3333%;"><strong>Job Role&nbsp;</strong></td>
<td style="width: 86.4407%;">&nbsp;Kitchen Porter (aka: Kitchen Hand, Dishwasher, Pot Wash)&nbsp;</td>
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<td style="width: 13.3333%;"><strong>Responsibilities</strong></td>
<td style="width: 86.4407%;">&nbsp;Ensuring that all kitchen areas are clean. Washing plates, cutlery and kitchen equipment.&nbsp;</td>
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<td style="width: 13.3333%;">&nbsp;<strong>Dress Code</strong></td>
<td style="width: 86.4407%;">
<p><strong><br><br>Top:</strong> Usually a plain <a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/shirts-t-shirts-and-polo-shirts/_/a33-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">t-shirt</a><br><strong>Bottoms:</strong> Usually plain black or navy <a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/staff-uniforms/uniform-trousers/_/a33-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">trousers</a><br><strong>Apron:</strong> You should be provided with a <a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/aprons/_/a33-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">waterproof apron</a> to protect you and your clothes<br><strong>Shoes:</strong> Usually black <a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/footwear/_/a33-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">kitchen-safe shoes</a> (like plastic chef shoes) or trainers<br><strong>Gloves: </strong><a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/workwear-and-ppe/gloves/_/a33-2.f8-1?sort=match-rate-desc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">W</a><a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/workwear-and-ppe/gloves/_/a33-2.f8-1?sort=match-rate-desc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aterproof washing-up gloves</a> may also be provided to protect your hands from sharp items and hot water</p>
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<h4><strong>Handy Hints&nbsp;</strong></h4>
<ul>
<li>Uniform should always be clean at the start of every shift and in good condition (eg. no rips or holes). Take note of what other kitchen porters are wearing and don&rsquo;t be afraid to ask what is allowed.</li>
<li>Always be sure to take water or another drink to your shift and stay hydrated.</li>
<li>If you&rsquo;re allowed to wear your own clothes, make sure you don&rsquo;t mind them getting dirty.</li>
<li>If a waterproof apron and gloves aren&rsquo;t provided, it would be reasonable to ask for some.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h2>What do I need to do to become a Kitchen Porter?</h2>
<p>No commercial kitchen can run without a good&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/jobs?keywords=Kitchen+Porter">kitchen porter</a>. As an essential part of restaurants, cafes, hospitals, schools, cruise ships and every other place that serves food to customers, you are crucial to the running of a successful workplace in the hospitality and catering sector.</p>
<p>This is a great job if you have no formal qualifications, like fast-paced environments and will enjoy a good day&rsquo;s graft. The ability to listen to instructions, reliably turn up and be flexible with when you can work will make you a perfect candidate. You&rsquo;ll be working upwards of 40 hours a week especially in busy periods like Christmas.</p>
<p>But how do you get a job as a kitchen porter? Also known as a kitchen hand, dishwasher, pot wash, &lsquo;dishie&rsquo; and sometimes abbreviated to &lsquo;KP&rsquo;, these jobs are often advertised online, on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/">specialist staffing websites&nbsp;</a>and on local job boards or in the newspaper. You might also find, especially if you live in a big city, that there are Facebook groups for hospitality and catering workers, which advertise for these sort of roles.</p>
<p>Make sure you read the job description fully, and apply in the way that it asks. Whether that means directly through the job website, by sending an email or by going in with your CV or resume in person. You&rsquo;ll want to show any experience you have that might be relevant, be clear about what days of the week you would be available and the earliest date that you could start the job. Remember if you have a contract with another job you should make sure you work your notice period or tell them a week before you&rsquo;re going to leave.</p>
<p>After applying, you may receive a phone call from the employer who might want a quick chat or to arrange a trial shift &ndash; in any case, ensure you&rsquo;re able to answer the phone. They will normally ask you to go to the workplace for a short trial. This should be for an hour or two, any more time and it is reasonable to ask whether you will be paid for your time. While it&rsquo;s not ideal to work for free, it is the best way to assess whether you can do this job as there are no qualifications necessary and you don&rsquo;t necessarily need to have done it before.</p>
<p>So what are they looking for in the trial? You can read about the usual dress code for a kitchen porter in the box above. The most important thing is to turn up on time, and to show the employer that you can listen and understand instructions. So they might explain how to rinse or scrub the dishes, and then put them in the machine. Make sure you listen carefully and ask if you&rsquo;re unsure about anything. They will probably give you a tour of the kitchen and areas you&rsquo;ll need to know about, remember as much as you can and make sure you smile and greet other people who work there. First impressions are very important, these will hopefully be your new work colleagues and you want to get off to a good start.</p>
<p>After a successful trial and you&rsquo;re offered the job, try to get the employer to send you an email or give you a job contract. If it&rsquo;s a more casual position, you&rsquo;ll need to ask how much you&rsquo;re going to be paid, and what sort of hours you will be working. If you&rsquo;re not sure about your working rights, ask someone you trust or read about it on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/employment-status/worker">government&rsquo;s website here</a>.</p>
<p>When you start out in this job, your day-to-day duties will include, but aren&rsquo;t limited to, washing plates, cutlery and kitchen equipment, changing and disposing of rubbish and recycling. Everything you&rsquo;re asked to do you should be shown how, either by another kitchen porter you work alongside, the chef in charge or the manager.</p>
<p>Once you learn the ropes of the role, you may also be asked to monitor stock levels of cleaning products and the things you use a lot. For example, if you often use rubbish disposal bags it would be helpful for the chef (who has a lot of other things to remember and think about in his/her own role) if you let them know at a suitable time (not when food is being served and it&rsquo;s busy) that you need more. If you are asked to do this, you could ask for a stock take sheet to help you count what you have and then work out what needs to be ordered. Keep in mind that you won&rsquo;t receive the things you need on the same day so try to think ahead and order before something runs out.</p>
<p>As a KP in the hospitality world, you may also be asked to help with basic food preparation. To be a standout employee, you should accept this and do your best to do it correctly and quickly. You&rsquo;ll always be shown by the chef or team leader who asked, and make sure you ask questions if you&rsquo;re unsure of anything or feel it&rsquo;s unsafe. As with cleaning the dishes, make sure you always keep you working area clean when working with food. Always wash your hands before and use the knife or peeler carefully.</p>
<p>As this is an entry-level role, especially if you&rsquo;re hoping to use this as a stepping-stone into the kitchen itself, these small tasks are a great way to show the head chef or other chefs what you can do. After working as a kitchen porter, you could apply for the role of&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/career-advice/how-to-become-a-kitchen-assistant">kitchen assistant</a>&nbsp;</strong>or even a&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/career-advice/how-to-become-a-commis-chef">commis chef</a></strong>. This is one of the most common career paths for chefs or job seekers looking to change careers into the food industry.</p>
<p>Browse the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/jobs?keywords=Kitchen+Porter">kitchen porter jobs</a></p>
<p>Read about taking the next step to becoming a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/career-advice/how-to-become-a-kitchen-assistant">kitchen assistant</a>.</p>
<h2>What's it like to be a Kitchen Porter?</h2>
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<div class="VideoObject"><iframe id="widget2" class="optanon-category-C0004 " title="What's it like to be a Kitchen Porter? | Hospitality and Catering Jobs" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ryhPPpFhRsw?enablejsapi=1" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-ot-ignore="" data-gtm-yt-inspected-13="true"></iframe>
<p>What's it like to be a Kitchen Porter? | Hospitality and Catering Jobs</p>
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<article class="rich-text-article">
<h3>Video Transcript&nbsp;</h3>
<p>"A typical day as a Kitchen Assistant involves all sorts of things, taking deliveries of new food and drink stock items, making sure they are in the right place. Cleaning tasks to meet hygiene standards and help with basic food prep like slicing fruit and veg.</p>
<p>The best part about being a Kitchen Assistant is most definitely learning and having a laugh with your team. I also love that there is always more to be done so time goes really quickly.</p>
<p>It really is a tough jobs sometimes, it's not uncommon that it's up to you to clean up unpleasant messes left by customers or staff and constantly changing circumstances means having to think on your feet.</p>
<p>Overall though I love being a Kitchen Assistant."</p>
</article>

How to become a Kitchen Porter?

<h2 style="color: #00aae3;">Overview</h2>
<table style="width: 634px; height: 35px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 17.5px;">
<td style="text-align: left; width: 124.375px; height: 17.5px;"><strong>Job Role</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left; width: 499.625px; height: 17.5px;">Production Operative (aka: Production Worker)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 17.5px;">
<td style="text-align: left; width: 124.375px; height: 17.5px;"><strong><br>Responsibilities</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left; width: 499.625px; height: 17.5px;"><br>Assembling goods, or parts, raw material handling and quality control.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>What do I need to do to become a Production Operative?</h2>
<p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/jobs?distance=5&amp;keywords=Production+Operative" target="_self">Production Operative</a>, also known as a production operator or worker, is someone who works in a factory putting together goods that are later sold to customers. This could be putting together parts for a vehicle, a step in making electrical goods or furniture, or packaging food items. You could also be working on a production line for things like gift sets, children&rsquo;s toys or food hampers. Because there are a so many different companies you could work for, there are job opportunities all over the country. This type of work also gets much busier in festive periods like Christmas, so if you need a temporary job to earn some extra cash there will be lots of shifts going.</p>
<p>If you are employed on a full-time contract, you could be working up to 40 hours a week. However, shift work is common in this type of work, offering you greater flexibility with the hours and days that you work.</p>
<p>But what will you be doing? You will most likely be working as part of a team under a supervisor. You will be assigned to a section and shown how to do your specific role. You will be set personal targets as well as group performance objectives. You will be expected to maintain a clean and safe environment at all times.</p>
<p>As part of this role you may also be responsible for loading raw goods or materials onto the line, checking things like operating temperatures, overseeing the packaging of items, or doing quality checks on products. It&rsquo;s common to be moved around to learn different lines in the section of the factory where you work. Which is great for giving you variety in your work and the opportunity to learn new skills.</p>
<p>This job does not require you to have any specific qualifications or education background. Important skills that will help you do well in this role include a keen eye for detail and good concentration skills. These will help you to perform your job effectively and notice and report any problems with the machinery or packing. You&rsquo;ll need to be in reasonably good health as this role requires you to stand on your feet for most of a shift. It may also be necessary to move and lift heavy items.</p>
<p>In this type of role, it&rsquo;s essential that you are a good team player and enjoy working with others to get good results. This means not being work shy or expecting others to put in extra work to cover you. It also means being willing to help others from time to time and pass on tips and useful information to the people you&rsquo;re working with.</p>
<p>You will also need to be a methodical worker, this means listening to instructions and carrying them out step-by-step, in the right order. Being able to work quickly, without skipping any part of the process or compromising on quality, will make you stand out as a production employee.</p>
<p>This is the sort of role where you&rsquo;ll be meeting and working with a wide range of people, so it&rsquo;s a great way to meet people if you&rsquo;re new to the area. There are also many transferable skills to learn and if you find a company you like, there is plenty of room for progression and further training.</p>
<p>Vacancies for production operative jobs will be advertised on specialist jobs boards, and online on the careers page of company websites. You can use the search function to look for jobs in your local area or by type of contract.</p>
<p>When you apply for these jobs, make sure you read all of the job description and aim to show the employer why you would be a good fit. If you have any experience of working in a warehouse or stacking shelves this will be great to include on your CV and application. Being invited to an interview is the perfect chance to find out more about the job, and show the employer that you&rsquo;re going to be a good worker. Make sure you arrive to the interview at least 10 minutes before it is due to start, be polite and friendly, and ask any questions you have. Some good things to ask are &ldquo;what training will be provided?&rdquo;, &ldquo;what is the team like?&rdquo; and &ldquo;what shift patterns will I be working?&rdquo;</p>
<p>Once you have gained some practical experience working on the line, you could look to progress by becoming a supervisor; your responsibilities would include overseeing a section and its employees, and making sure targets are safely met. Or, you could move to another area of the factory or warehouse, such as areas like transport or logistics, equipment maintenance or quality control.</p>
<p>Another option after working as a production operative is to do your forklift driver training. This will enable you to apply for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/career-advice/how-to-become-a-counterbalance-forklift-truck-driver">counterbalance FLT driver</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/career-advice/how-to-become-a-reach-forklift-truck-driver">reach FLT driver</a>&nbsp;jobs. If you&rsquo;re already working somewhere, they may support you and provide you with this training meaning you don&rsquo;t have to pay for it.</p>
<p>Factories are busy places, so it&rsquo;s important to be aware that it can be loud and feel hectic. But don&rsquo;t worry, you just need to stay focused on your job and meet health and safety standards at all times. Although some warehouses and factories have been reported in the media to be treating their staff badly, it is possible to find a good employer for this type of work. A potential downside to bear in mind with this sort of shift work is that it can mean very early starts, working late in the evenings, at weekends, and sometimes doing overtime in busy periods. But if you are someone who needs the flexibility and can&rsquo;t work regular 9-5 hours then this could be beneficial for you.</p>
<p>Browse the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/jobs?distance=5&amp;keywords=Production+Operative" target="_self">Production Operative jobs</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/our-branches">Contact your local branch.</a></p>

How to become a Production Operative?

<h2 style="color: #00aae3;">Overview</h2>
<table style="width: 634px; height: 126px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 26.8125px;">
<td style="text-align: left; height: 26.8125px;"><strong>Job Role</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left; height: 26.8125px;">LGV Cat C Driver (aka: Class 2 HGV Driver)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 26.8125px;">
<td style="text-align: left; height: 26.8125px;"><strong>Responsibilities</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left; height: 26.8125px;">Transporting goods from supplier to customer or client.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 72.375px;">
<td style="text-align: left; height: 72.375px;"><strong>Required Qualifications</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left; height: 72.375px;">
<p>Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>What do I have to&nbsp;do to become a Cat C LGV Driver?</h2>
<p>A large goods vehicle (LGV) driver, commonly referred to as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver, is someone who is qualified to operate a truck or lorry over 3,500kg. LGV drivers are responsible for transporting loads from a supplier to the customer or client. It&rsquo;s a great career if you have just left school or college. Or maybe you&rsquo;ve been made redundant in another industry or are looking for a new challenge. With enough hard work and determination to pass the theory and practical tests required, you could be on the road in your first LGV driver role in less than a month.</p>
<p>There are lots of opportunities out there for lorry drivers, as they are generally high in demand. And, there are haulage companies based throughout the UK so finding a company that&rsquo;s close to your home won&rsquo;t be a problem.</p>
<p>There are different categories that can be added to your car driving licence which mean you&rsquo;re able to drive LGVs. The most popular is Cat C (aka class 2), which allows you to drive category C vehicles. These are any LGVs with a trailer that has a maximum authorised mass of up to 750 kilograms. The step up from this is Cat C +E (aka class 1), which allows you to in addition drive LGVs with a larger trailer (category E).</p>
<p>There are strict rules on the number of hours you can work as a professional goods driver, which you can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/drivers-hours-goods-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">read in detail here</a>. It is your employer&rsquo;s responsibility to follow these rules. But, as a general rule, you cannot work more than 9 hours in a day, 56 hours in a week or 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks. All drivers of LGVs must record their hours on a record sheet or a tachograph &ndash; a device that automatically tracks your speed and distance travelled.</p>
<p>Your day-to-day duties as a Cat C LGV (class 2 HGV) driver will usually involve loading and securing your vehicle with goods. You will also have to check routes for safety restrictions, planned road works and traffic to ensure your journey will be smooth and efficient. There will be paperwork to do about the jobs you complete, problems occurred and vehicle maintenance to do. Other aspects of the job may involve liaising with customers about delivery times and working with other drivers on longer routes or more complex jobs.</p>
<p>There are a few hoops to jump through before you can get on the road as a LGV driver, but don&rsquo;t let this hold you back. You also must be over the age of 18. To guide you through the licence process, you will find plenty of specialist companies who provide the full service. For a fee, they will do all the administration, book your tests and help get your first job as a Cat C LGV (class 2 HGV) driver. But before you hand over your money, think about the pros of paying someone to do the legwork to get your licence, versus saving that money and doing it yourself. If you decide to do it yourself, all of the information you need is on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-licensing-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) website</a>, and explained below.</p>
<h3>Steps to obtain a Cat C LGV Licence</h3>
<h4><strong>Step 1: Obtain a car driving licence</strong></h4>
<p>If you don&rsquo;t already have a car driving licence, to get one you need to apply for a provisional car driving licence from the government&rsquo;s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). This will enable you to take driving lessons from an instructor or qualified driver who holds a full driving licence. To get your full car driving licence, you need to pass a computer-based theory test, and a practical test at registered centre. All of the information you need about driving a car in the UK can be found on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/learn-to-drive-a-car" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this section of the government&rsquo;s website</a>.</p>
<h4><strong>Step 2: Apply for a provisional lorry licence</strong></h4>
<p>Once you have your full car driving licence, then first stage of becoming a LGV driver is to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/become-lorry-bus-driver/applying-for-a-bus-or-lorry-provisional-entitlement" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">apply for a provisional lorry licence</a>. Similarly to the car driving licence, this is done through the DVLA website. This time, you require one of the forms, which is called D4, to be filled in by a registered doctor. This is because drivers of lorries must be in reasonably good health. Be aware that you will have to either pay a private company to do the medical assessment and complete the form, or for your local GP&rsquo;s time required to complete the form for you. The areas that will be assessed include your eyesight, any neurological and heart conditions, mental health, alcohol and drug use, diabetes and sleep disorders.</p>
<p>You must send this medical assessment (D4) to the DVLA along with form D2, which you have completed yourself, along with your photocard driving licence. The DVLA will then assess whether you are fit to drive a large vehicle, and then process your application and provisional lorry licence. Make sure you&rsquo;ve filled in all of the correct details; if there is missing or incorrect information this will delay getting your provisional licence. You should receive it within three weeks of the DVLA receiving your application.</p>
<h4><strong>Step 3: Take the four part CPC test</strong></h4>
<p>The next step is a four-part theory test called the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). You need the full driver CPC if lorry driving is the main part of your profession. You can read about all of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/become-lorry-bus-driver/driver-cpc-part-1-theory-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the four driver CPC tests here</a>, and how to book each of them through the DVLA website.</p>
<p>When going for the tests, make sure you take all of the required documents with you; otherwise, you can&rsquo;t take the tests, and will have to pay again to rebook. Just like the car driving tests, it&rsquo;s essential to prepare for your driver CPC tests. There are lots of learning tools available, which explain each theory test, and allow you to do practice questions. Start by reading all of the information the DVLA provides. The tests follow a similar format to the driving licence theory test but are longer and more extensive. Once you have booked and passed the theory tests, you will need to then find a good training provider to prepare you for the practical tests.</p>
<p>Jake Preston, a transport administrator at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prestons-potto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prestons of Potto</a>&nbsp;in North Yorkshire, passed his driver CPC aged 19, and shares his advice: &ldquo;Try to approach the process with a positive attitude and an open mind; this will make it more enjoyable, while maximising your development as a professional operator. A lot of drivers feel it&rsquo;s a box-ticking exercise, where examiners are trying to tell experienced drivers how their job should be done. In reality, the programme ensures that best working practices are applied throughout the industry, which can only be beneficial to everybody.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Once you&rsquo;ve passed all parts of the driver CPC you&rsquo;ll be sent a card, which you must carry at all times when driving a lorry professionally. In order to keep your driver CPC, you must take&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/driver-cpc-training" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">35 hours of driver CPC training</a>&nbsp;every five years to stay qualified. All of the information you need about becoming a qualified lorry driver in the UK can be found on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/become-lorry-bus-driver" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this section of the government&rsquo;s website</a>.</p>
<h3>Applying for jobs</h3>
<p>When your coveted driver CPC card comes through, it&rsquo;s time for a little celebration for all your hard work, followed by some job applications. Vacancies are usually posted on the career page of a company&rsquo;s website or on specialist job boards. You can used the search criteria to find opportunities near you, or if there are specific companies you are interested in working for then you could approach them directly about work.</p>
<p>When applying for your first Cat C LGV driver jobs, make sure you explain why you want the job and why you&rsquo;d be an asset to their team of drivers. If you have relevant experience, be sure to highlight that as well. And, of course, remember to include details and copies of all of your certificates and licences.</p>
<p>The types of people who do well in this type of role are self-motivated and happy to work by themselves for much of the shift. You&rsquo;ll need to be a patient driver and good at solving problems if they arise. Good concentration skills are also important to avoid road accidents and ensure you&rsquo;re on the correct route.</p>
<p>Jake Preston adds: &ldquo;Being a HGV driver is a very challenging role. At times it can be stressful, which is heightened by unpredictable events such as road closures or adverse weather. In light of this, a driver who is level-headed and approachable will find it easier to work alongside their managers and customers. Drivers must also be highly professional in all situations, as they are the interface between the haulage company and their clients.&rdquo;</p>
<p>There are great opportunities for career progression as a LGV driver. As your experience increases so should your pay and responsibilities. It&rsquo;s also possible to add more categories to your licence, such as category E which, combined with the category C you have already, means you can work as a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/career-advice/how-to-become-a-class-1-hgv-driver">Cat C+E LGV (class1 HGV) driver</a>. This step up will mean a higher salary, and that you&rsquo;re even more employable as you can drive a wider range of vehicles and work abroad.</p>
<p>One of the best things about being a qualified Cat C LGV driver is that there are lots of opportunities out there so you should find a job in no time. With a clear path for progression and promotions you&rsquo;ll also be able to move up the ladder if that&rsquo;s one of your goals. If you love working side-by-side with colleagues or don&rsquo;t like early starts then this sort of work may not be for you. It is also a role that can impact on your work-life balance, and unexpected delays may mean your shift doesn&rsquo;t always finish on time.</p>
<p>Browse the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/jobs?distance=5&amp;keywords=Class+2" target="_self">Cat C LGV driver jobs</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/our-branches">Contact your local branch</a>.</p>

How to become a Class 2 HGV Driver?

<h2 style="color: #00aae3;">Overview</h2>
<table style="height: 62.8889px; width: 633px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: left;"><strong>Job Role</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left;">Assembly&nbsp;Operative</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: left;"><strong>Responsibilities</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left;">Completing tasks in a specific section of an assembly line, whilst meeting targets.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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<h2>What do I need to do to become an Assembly Operative?</h2>
<p>An&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/jobs?distance=5&amp;keywords=Assembly+operative" target="_self">Assembly Operative</a>&nbsp;is someone who works as part of a team to put goods together in a factory or warehouse. You&rsquo;ll normally work on a line, which is a conveyor belt of items needing your input in some way. There are lots of companies with factories and warehouses all over the country, which means you should be able to find a job that&rsquo;s close to where you live. You could be working on the assembly line for things like automotives, aircrafts, electronic goods or appliances.<br><br>Pay can vary greatly depending on your experience and type of work. However, roles that involve more complex assembly duties often pay more as you become more experienced.</p>
<p>This type of work is usually offered as shift work, meaning you could be working early mornings, evenings and sometimes through the night. There are variety of shift patterns that would suit you if working regular Monday to Friday, 9-5 hours does not fit with your lifestyle or other commitments. It&rsquo;s also great if you need some temporary work to earn extra cash.<br><br>Your day-to-day duties will depend on which section you are assigned to, and you will normally stay there for the whole shift. You will usually have targets to meet, and be responsible for reporting any issues with machinery or goods on the assembly line.<br><br>Vacancies for this type of role will usually be advertised on specialist jobs boards, and on the careers page of companies&rsquo; websites. Use the search function to look for jobs that match your experience, location and the type of employment you&rsquo;re looking for. Make sure you read the full job description, and apply in the way that it asks. This may be an online application form, sending your CV in an email or making a phone call to the company to get more information.<br><br>There are no specific qualifications or education subjects required to do this role. A good level (GCSE or equivalent) of Maths and English would be useful. A key skill needed to succeed as an assembly operative is the ability to focus on repetitive tasks and a keen eye for detail. This is because you need to be able to perform a task consistently, and notice any mistakes that you, the machine, or colleagues make. These errors can damage the product, and even put you or colleagues in danger. If you&rsquo;re ever unsure about something like this in the workplace, ask for help.&nbsp;<br><br>You will need to have good communication skills and work well in a team. You will also need to be self-motivated and be driven by your targets. These may be by number of items assembled, or work done per hour.<br><br>If you have any experience of working in a factory or warehouse, this will be a great addition to your CV. Stacking shelves and organising stock in a retail role will also have given you lots of skills that are relevant to an assembly operative role.<br><br>To do well in this role you&rsquo;ll need to be a methodical and reliable worker. This means listening carefully to instructions and carrying them out in order, and arriving on time each day for the correct shift. Working safely and making sure you meet health and safety requirements is extremely important. Your manager or supervisor should explain these procedures and precautions to you for each tasks and area of work. And you should always report any issues to your manager immediately.<br><br>If you want to progress your career in the manufacturing and production industry, you could aim to become a line supervisor or team leader. This would mean a pay rise and increased responsibilities. You will be looking after a section and its employees, and making sure targets are safely met. To get this promotion, you&rsquo;ll need to show you have good leadership skills and are eager to learn new skills.<br><br>This role can also be a great stepping-stone into other areas of work such as working in areas like retail and farming. Or, another option is to move to another area of the factory or warehouse. There are a huge variety of jobs like being a lorry or forklift truck driver in transport and logistics, to equipment maintenance or quality control.<br><br>If you like the company you work for and have made a good impression as an assembly operative, speak to your supervisor about your career goals. Companies are normally eager to support good employees who want to widen their skill set or seek out more responsibility.<br><br>This is also a good job for learning a great deal of transferable skills that will help you in other lines of work. For example, it will show you are able to follow instructions, and work safely within health and safety regulations. It will also improve your communication and team working skills. As you progress and gain more responsibility, you can also build up your people and leadership skills, which are great for any job where you manage a team.<br><br>It&rsquo;s important to realise that working on a factory line is a tough job, and it is a noisy and busy environment. But if you enjoy be active and meeting your targets, it could be a good fit for you. Another bonus with this sort of work is that if you want to pick up extra shifts to earn some more money there will likely be lots of opportunities.<br><br>As shift work is common in this line of work, think about whether the early starts, evening and weekend work will be suitable for you. You might be able to find work with set shift times, such as 7am-3pm so look at your options. Factories and warehouses are often out of town, and not always near public transport, so having a driving licence and car may be essential for you to get to work. If you don&rsquo;t have a UK-issued driving licence, you can<a href="https://www.gov.uk/learn-to-drive-a-car" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;read about how to get one in this step-by-step guide</a>.<br><br><br>Browse the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/jobs?distance=5&amp;keywords=Assembly+operative" target="_self">assembly operative jobs.</a><br><br><a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/our-branches">Contact your local branch.</a></p>
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How to become an Assembly Operative?

<h2 style="color: #00aae3;">Overview</h2>
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<td style="text-align: left; width: 17.8788%;"><strong>Job Role</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left; width: 81.8182%;">Waiter / Waitress&nbsp;</td>
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<td style="text-align: left; width: 17.8788%;"><strong><br>Responsibilities</strong></td>
<td style="text-align: left; width: 81.8182%;"><br>Seating customers, taking&nbsp; food and drink orders and serving and clearing tables&nbsp;</td>
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<td style="text-align: left; width: 17.8788%;"><strong>Dress Code</strong></td>
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<p><strong><br><br>Top:&nbsp;</strong>Usually plain white or black shirt&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><strong>Bottoms:&nbsp;</strong>Usually plain dark trousers or skirt&nbsp;- <a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/staff-uniforms/waiters-uniform/_/a33-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Waiter Options</a> / <a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/staff-uniforms/waitress-uniform/_/a33-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Waitress Options&nbsp;</a><br><strong>Shoes:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/footwear/_/a33-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plain black shoes</a> that are comfortable&nbsp;<br><strong>Apron: </strong><a href="https://www.nisbets.co.uk/chefs-clothing-aprons-footwear/aprons/front-of-house-aprons/_/a33-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aprons</a> are usually provided by the employer</p>
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<p><strong>Handy Hints:</strong></p>
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<li>For less formal establishments, casual clothes are normally worn. Ensure they&rsquo;re clean, in good condition and appropriate to the place of work &ndash; see what your colleagues are wearing or ask the manager</li>
<li>Always be sure to take water or another drink to your shift and stay hydrated. If you&rsquo;re not provided with food for your break, don&rsquo;t forget to take something to eat.</li>
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<h2><br>What do I need to do to become a Waiter or Waitress?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>If you&rsquo;re friendly, love talking to people and don&rsquo;t mind being on your feet for most of a shift, then a job as a waiter/waitress would be perfect for you. It&rsquo;s a great place to start building experience in hospitality and catering if you&rsquo;re considering a career in this industry. Or, if you&rsquo;re a student needing extra cash while you study, the flexible hours and casual positions available may suit you well.</p>
<p>On a permanent contract you will be looking at upwards of 40 hours a week. For temporary positions it will depend on a number of things like how busy it is, whether they&rsquo;re fully staffed, if anyone is sick or going on holiday. When you start any new job as a casual employee, be clear about what hours would suit you. And, of course, try to be flexible and help them out in busy times if you can.</p>
<p>Vacancies will be posted online, on specialist jobs websites, in Facebook groups, newspapers and through word of mouth. Jobs may be listed under a number of names including waiter/waitress, wait staff, front of house or floor staff. Don&rsquo;t feel shy about going to places directly to see if they need any front of house staff. Take a few copies of your CV, but most managers will normally ask you to email it to them, so have an up-to-date copy ready. If you can, get someone to read over your CV and check for things like spelling mistakes.</p>
<p>As this is a practical job, you will usually be asked to go in for a trial shift at the place of work. This will involve an interview or chat with the hiring manager, and working for an hour or two on the floor. You should expect to be shown where things are, talked through the menu and how the till system works. This can be nerve wracking if it&rsquo;s your first job as a waiter/waitress. But remember it is a trial so you won&rsquo;t be expected to know how to do everything. Don&rsquo;t be afraid to ask for help and make sure you smile. During the interview, be ready with any questions you might have about the job such as about hours or pay.</p>
<p>After a trial, you may be hired on the spot or told they will call you. Ask when the manager thinks they will be getting back to you. It&rsquo;s also important to tell them the date when you could start work.</p>
<p>On your CV and in the interview, be sure to highlight any experience serving customers or dealing with money. Of course, previous experience as a waiter/waitress is a bonus. There are no formal qualifications needed for a job as a waiter/waitress, so it&rsquo;s a great entry-level job, which can be fun and a good way to meet new people.</p>
<p>It is possible to do formal hospitality training, such as a diploma in hospitality but this is not required to work as a waiter/waitress. You may want to consider this if you want to make a career in hospitality and catering, or run your own business one day. And you can always start in a job like this while you consider training options.</p>
<p>Any practical training such as first aid, basic food hygiene or relevant alcohol licenses will add to your application. An online search for first aid training will show you opportunities in your area and local council websites have lots of information about relevant hospitality and catering certificates.</p>
<p>The prime responsibility of a waiter/waitress is to serve customers. This involves seating them, taking food and drink orders, serving and clearing tables. You may also need to liaise with the kitchen about specials, or when people have intolerances or allergies. If you are unsure about food safety issues like this, be sure to clarify with the customer or the chef, and refer to your manager or supervisor if needed.</p>
<p>There are pros and cons to this type of work. It can offer great flexibility, no two days being the same, a good way to meet new people and usually a free staff meal. However, bear in mind that you may have to deal with difficult or rude customers, and late nights and weekends.</p>
<p>When choosing where to work, look for somewhere where you like the pace of work. A quiet caf&eacute; or a high-end fine dining restaurant can give you different working days but also hone different skills. This is also a job which can take you anywhere in the world, so it&rsquo;s a good option if you want to go travelling or live in different countries.</p>
<p>Depending on the size of your place of work, there will be roles with more responsibility and the chance to progress. You may be put in charge of a number of sections of the restaurant or be tasked with ensuring staff take their breaks. Once you&rsquo;ve gained plenty of experience with customers and the till systems, you could then apply for assistant manager roles or even try to go straight for a manager position. As long as you can show you&rsquo;re reliable, hard working and good with people there&rsquo;s nothing stopping you going all the way.</p>
<p>Browse the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/jobs?keywords=Waiting+Staff">waiter/waitress jobs.</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.bluearrow.co.uk/our-branches">Contact your local branch.</a></p>
<h2>What's it like to be a Waiter/Waitress?&nbsp;</h2>
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<h3><br>Video Transcript</h3>
<p>"A typical day as a waitress involves all sorts of things, going back and forth to serve drinks from the bar and meals from the kitchen, as soon as their ready. Clearing away plates and glasses and helping support the kitchen staff in different areas. Every job you do needs to be carried out at a fast pace. I think the best part about being a waitress is the tips, if your skills get better, you can really increase your earning potential.</p>
<p>If you love staying active and working flexible hours, then it's great work. It's not an easy job by any means, getting everything on people's orders right during busy times can be difficult and you're standing for long periods of time which can be tiring.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Overall though I love being a waitress."</p>
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