A Thirst for Knowledge - JET Journeys

19 Oct 2021

Why stop at one JET course when you can boost your knowledge (and passion) for the industry? We spoke to two students who want to further their education and grow in confidence.

Katrina Gill - Kendal Goldsmiths

Tell us about your JET journey

Before joining Kendal Goldsmiths, I’d no retail or jewellery experience, so they suggested I take the JET Essentials course to build my knowledge of the industry. It was incredibly useful, so next I took the JET 1. I recently enrolled on JET 2 and look forward to starting the assignments soon.

How has JET helped you?

Essentials gave me a great foundation, covering a wide range of topics, like precious metals, hallmarking and sales, which JET 1 then covered in much greater depth. The course’s sales and customer care section in particular helped me to use my knowledge to improve my sales techniques and become more successful in my role.

Having an in-depth understanding of the products I’m selling, including the materials they are made of and how they’re created, has made a huge difference to my confidence and ability in sales. The prospect of selling jewellery was quite daunting at first – I didn’t feel able to answer many of the questions customers asked. Now I feel much more qualified to provide informed responses and even put forward my own suggestions.

I’m very keen to see what I can learn from the Level 3 Certificate and how I can progress from there.

What drew you to the jewellery world?

I have a degree in fashion illustration and have my own portrait business, which I run part-time alongside my job. I’m very interested in all things fashion, art and design related, and I love jewellery!

The role was the perfect fit for me – it offered opportunities to not only learn new skills but also incorporate and develop my artistic side further through a new medium.

Do you work in a particular area of the store?

“Katrina began working for us around 18 months ago, her background is in art – she’s a fantastic portrait artist! The JET Essentials course provided a good basic grounding while learning the ropes on the shop floor. Her confidence with sales and customers grew quickly; I’m certain that the course played a big part in that. She progressed to the JET 1, which she passed with flying colours, and is now on the next stage of the journey, JET 2. The courses are very comprehensive and fantastic for building knowledge and confidence.

Andrew Dawson, owner, Kendal Goldsmiths

 

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Thomas Fox - Huddersfield

Why did you decide to take the JET courses?

I decided to do the JET courses as they seemed the best way to get some education in the jewellery business, which is what I want to do as my career. I have completed JET Essentials, and I’m currently doing JET 1. I actually found out about JET by Googling ‘jewellery/watch courses.’

Are you funding the courses yourself?

Err no, my mum and dad are!

In what ways have you benefited from them?

I have gained knowledge in areas I didn’t even consider, like security. Now when I go to a watch or jewellery shop, it’s interesting to see how they manage security, when before I never really thought about it.

I’ve also benefitted from all the information on gems, rings, different cuts and how to sell, which is important for me as I hope to be a watch salesperson.

What difference has JET made to your knowledge?

My knowledge has grown immensely. My main area of interest is watches, so I already have a good understanding of them. However I didn’t really know much about gems and jewellery. Now I can name different cuts of diamond and styles of ring, as well as look up hallmarks, it’s really interesting to see the ages of some of my mum’s jewellery. The courses are also giving me the confidence I’ll need to sell all kinds of jewellery ... not just watches.

What prompted you to consider a career in the jewellery and watch business?

I have a real passion for watches in particular, and I think I can use that passion and knowledge to provide a really good customer experience. For example, with a JLC watch, it makes a difference when trying to sell it if you know the details of the movement and the history of the brand as the watchmaker’s watchmaker. I believe this is what can help make a sale. I’m hopeful that when applying for a job, my JET qualifications will give me an advantage.

I collect watches and really enjoy learning about the brands, their history and unique styles and technical capabilities. I frequently visit watch and jewellery shops and enjoy chatting with staff about their timepieces. 

My passion was sparked when my parents took me to a jewellers specialising in watches to choose a watch for my 18th birthday.

The salesperson was fantastic, taking his time to listen to what I wanted and showing equal enthusiasm for watches at our more modest budget as he did for the likes of Grand Seiko. Once I’d chosen a watch, he spent time showing us his favourite watches and explaining their complications. He made his sale, created a family of loyal customers and ignited my desire to discover more about watches.

What are your hopes for the future?

I would like to work in a high-end watch shop ... so anyone reading this, feel free to get in touch!

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View The Jeweller Autumn 2021

Source: The NAJ