Change Analyst Review

I work within Commercial and Private Banking Mandatory Change and my job role is a Change Analyst. I work within a Project Management Team in which has to implement mandatory changes within RBS. My team will be given a set project in which normally has a tight time frame and we will be responsible for analysing who the change will implement. We will then have to come up with a solution in order to implement a plan and put in place a solution which will result in the bank complying against the new law.

I have learnt a variety of new skills and on a daily basis have to learn new things due to working within Change. Key skills I have learnt or developed are telephone skills, minute writing, Problem solving, organisation, communication and confidence skills.

I do find my programme difficult especially that I was placed within Mandatory change which consists of constantly learning new laws and about different departments systems within the bank. I do enjoy certain aspects upon my apprenticeship such as socialising with people from a variety of different departments and not constantly sitting at my desk because having to commute to talk to different stakeholders within the bank, however I do believe I would find my role a lot easier if I had previous experience within different roles within the bank.

I do feel valued by RBS as they constantly look for new ideas and different opinions from young people. They are very proud of their apprenticeship scheme and are constantly asking for feedback from us apprenticeships to improve it for future apprentices.

It is organised fairly well. In terms of my learning with BPP I do find they are a bit slow at providing resources for exams and have many glitches within their systems however so far I've done alright which means the material they are providing is helpful when received. In terms of my work with RBS at the beginning of the apprenticeship it consists of a lot of back to back reading in order to get an understanding of the organisation and the department you are working in. Then onwards basic tasks are assigned and depending on your progress depends on the difficulty of work you progress onto.

The conversations with an assessor every other month are helpful to ask any questions or query about further material. I have had errors with the BPP student VLE site where for a week I could not access the material online but apart from that when asking more material they do go out of their way to provide it. Also when querying with the service line they are quick to respond and always eager to help.

At the beginning of my apprenticeship I received a lot of help from my employer. At my current stage I have one to ones every other week and can approach my employer when I like but sometimes I do feel more help is needed in understanding what everyone in my team is doing on a daily basis to keep up with the projects process and to help my understanding since I do find it difficult sometimes to keep up. In terms of my revision for tests when I have no work to do I make sure to revise until a next given task is assigned which my manager is understanding of and encourages.

I believe my salary package for an apprenticeship is extremely generous however my biggest expense is my travel to get to work which is at least a third of my wages. Due to having to commute far coming from Kent and being an apprentice I thought I would be eligible for the apprentice scheme ran by Transport for London which entitles you to a third off your travel, but it is only entitled to apprentices who live within London Boroughs unless the company you work for is involved on the scheme in which RBS is not.

In regards to socialising events outside of work I am luckily friends with some of the other apprentices based in London which gives me the opportunity to make friends within RBS in which are within the same position as myself. We often meet up on a fortnightly basis after work for a meal or some drinks just to relax and get to know each other. this also give us the opportunity to raise any queries we have with one another and learn about each others departments.

Yes

Although it may be difficult at times I do truly believe it is a great apprenticeship to get an understanding of how the banking sector works. Firstly you get provided education alongside working on the job giving you the opportunity to put everything you learn into action within your role in which doing similar courses at Sixth Form or University does not offer you. Secondly it helps you build skills such as telephone and meeting skills in which although can be nerve racking, its something that everyone will have to do within there career. You get the opportunity to talk to different people within a variety of different departments within the bank providing the opportunity to understand how everyone works together in order for the bank to operate on a daily basis. I do not think you understand how many different departments are within a bank until you work within one.

Although it may be overwhelming and knackering to start off with especially if you have only just came out of school, college or part time work just try your hardest to stay focused and not let the work overwhelm you, because once you have worked in the department within the first couple months it does tend to get easier to understand.