Marketing Professional Review

The apprenticeship role involved rotating through different areas of the business each year. I gained experience at BT in various positions, including the project management office for public sector accounts, as a product professional in Wholesale MVNO, an Event Management Professional in Marketing, and an Account Manager in Wholesale.

I have acquired a diverse set of skills that align with the standards established by the Chartered Management Institute, which contributed to my achievement of a charter with the institute. These skills include project management, developing collaborative relationships, sales and marketing, strategic decision-making, and problem-solving, among others.

I thoroughly enjoyed my apprenticeship with BT, where I rotated through different areas of the business and worked on various projects and customer issues. This made the program exciting and unique nearly every week. On the academic side, I found the delivery from the learning provider to be quite challenging due to some issues, particularly regarding how my neurodiversity was addressed. However, I received strong support from the company in overcoming these challenges, and I ultimately graduated with a first-class honours degree. BT was fantastic in managing these issues, and I commend them for the overall delivery of the program.

The program was well-organised. Due to some organizational restructuring midway through, my access to certain roles within the apprenticeship was limited. However, I found that there was enough variety in the work to keep me engaged and interested, while also preventing any overlap with my previous experiences.

My managers were very supportive of my studies and helped me engage with senior stakeholders regularly for interviews and academic assistance. I was always encouraged to explore different areas of the business to enhance my academic assignments, and I found my colleagues and teams to be very knowledgeable in the subjects I was studying. When the academic demands of the apprenticeship became overwhelming, the business was accommodating in reducing my workload, ensuring I could meet my academic deadlines and achieve my first-class honours degree. Additionally, the business was supportive of my neurodiversity, providing me with the equipment and additional learning support to manage the issues surrounding it which made the programme manageable.

The support from the learning provider was lacking in certain areas. I found the learning support teams at QA to be fantastic in addressing my neurodiversity. However, I struggled with the workshops, and I felt that communication from the provider and some lecturers was insufficient in several aspects. However, the support during my major project was great! I found my supervisor very supportive and knowledgeable in the areas I was researching, find our conversations engaging. While I earned a first-class degree with the training provider, I would argue the support in workshops could be further improved.

The training program has greatly enhanced my understanding of the context behind various situations and experiences, equipping me with the tools to analyse and improve my work. Additionally, it provided the opportunity to meet and network with professionals from a diverse range of British businesses, including public sector organisations like the BBC and the Home Office, as well as private sector companies like Visa. These experiences have helped me learn about the challenges faced by these organisations and their approaches to overcoming them, allowing me to apply best practices in my own role at BT.

There are some early career groups and networking events you can get involved in. Additionally, each office hub has certain social activities like office drinks, 5-a-side teams, etc. I found the early careers team managing the programme always encouraged networking and social events, putting on a range of events throughout the year.

Yes

BT is a great organisation to work for, offering a variety of benefits and generally providing a fair wage. I have worked for BT for nearly seven years, both before and after my apprenticeship, and I have enjoyed my role and the experiences I’ve had at the company. Additionally, BT is a nostalgic brand that holds significant value in British culture, which creates exciting branding opportunities that I've been able to explore in my role post-apprenticeship.

Research the history of the brand and what values it stands for. BT is the oldest telco in the world and has offered some fantastic propositions. Currently, the business is undergoing a transformation into a technology company. Research what this transformation entails and consider how you can contribute to the business during this process. What are our customers saying and what changes can you see in the market? there are some big changes in the sector, such as 5G stand-alone, consolidation with the Voda-Three merger, and changes in the Wholesale MVNO area with the rise of e-SIM changing how people roam internationally. BT are looking for passionate people, so explore these areas and more and see what excites you about the industry. It will certainly come across in your applications and interviews!