Apprentice CDR Analyst Review

I have joined Prudential and entered a new, small team called CDR, and my job title is 'apprentice CDR analyst'. My day to day responsibilities are mostly administration based. For example, the majority of my work is done on Microsoft Excel. Although it is good experience working for a big company in a large office, I do not enjoy my role as it is repetitive and dull.

I have definitely further developed my skills on a computer, both in general finding my way around and also in depth knowledge of various programs. I now fully understand VLookup, for example, which is a difficult and rare skill to learn on Excel. I have also developed my organisation, as having a calendar on Outlook allows you to plan your day and prioritise workload.

I do not enjoy the work, because as mentioned above it is dull and repetitive. My team have welcomed me warmly, as have the teams that surround us in the office, for which I thank them but at the same time I am still unhappy. Everything about the job is great; the hours; the pay; the flexibility; but the most important thing for me is to enjoy it as I have to turn up day in day out, and this is where this job fails me.

Being a part of such a huge company, with offices worldwide, makes each individual ever so slightly more insignificant, especially being an apprentice. Therefore, I do not personally feel particularly valued by Prudential, but it is understandable in such an established company.

The programme is successful in my opinion. This is the 4th year that the programme has run, and each year has proven to be rewarding, both for the apprentices and the company. The apprenticeship co-ordinator, Maria Wilcockson, does a fantastic job catching up with all apprentices at all 3 sites in the UK. She is more concerned with our individual progression than the profits of the company, and puts her foot down when certain areas of the programme aren't living up to expectations. Our qualification provider (for me, BPP) have lived up to my expectations. I am delighted with my assessor, Lee Price, as his organisation is outstanding, with such a full diary on a day to day basis yet he always finds time to support us.

The support is there when you need it, but it is us who has to ask for help, more so than being offered it. However, my assessor is always at the end of an email or telephone call to handle any worries I may have or any questions I feel I need to ask. He is very in depth with his reporting, which is better for us as we can learn a lot more from our mistakes. There is also a safeguarding hotline, provided by BPP, should you feel the need to contact them.

Similar to the question above, support is there when you need it. It is available at all levels, from your own manager to the HR department to the apprenticeship co-ordinator.

The salary here at Prudential is very good for a first year apprentice, especially as the requirements to apply for the roles does not include A-Levels. Living close to the office, travel costs are minimal and living costs for me are also easily manageable. Therefore, I am happy with the salary here.

As an apprentice, we are required to undertake activities outside of everyday office work. For example, we are currently organising a community day where we are planning to go to a care home and spend some time with the residents, as well as doing some ground work to help keep the premises in good condition. We are also currently organising various careers fairs at our local schools and colleges around Reading. The idea behind this is to educate the next generation about the options they face past mandatory education, as nowadays teenagers feel pressured in to going to University, when apprenticeships are a great alternative.

Yes

As jobs go in 2016, this is definitely up there with the best. The benefits included with a job here are better than most jobs of similar nature, especially for a school/college leaver.

Take the application process slowly. Take your time with the initial stage, the CV upload. If you're CV is successful in getting you to the next stage, practice interview-style questions wherever you can. It could be with a parent, sibling, or even yourself in the mirror. Practice your answers so when it comes to the real thing, you sound confident. A big thing in the applications at Prudential is employability skills. Therefore, sell yourself using the skills you have, and offer your skills to the company.