Business and Technology Apprentice Review

I am doing a business admin apprenticeship for a world-wide company. It is a level 3 apprenticeship. Within my role, I work as a Finance Apprentice. Daily, this involves many tasks which are given to me by my Line Manager, or other members of my team. I can receive these task via emails or interactions with team members. Jobs will include reporting, room booking and helping around the office with tasks such as printing and photocopying as well as providing resources to other team members as required. My regular responsibilities include monitoring customer reports and holding files on an internal website I have created.

Whilst being with this company, I have developed many skills such as understanding the basics of Microsoft Excel; this is due to the reports I do within some of my daily tasks. Also by using Excel, I have managed to pass the necessary IT Exam included in my qualification, first time. I have also learnt to prioritise my workload in order to meet deadlines set by either my Line Manager or team members. I have also learnt that it is not considered a negative factor if I ask for help. An external training, is when I have visited major stores which stock the company's products as I learnt a lot about how important it is to the company to spend money on how our products are presented. I have made a national visit to a factory producing our products as a form of internal training. From this I got a better understanding of the time and effort many people put in when making the products.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working as a team to achieve the goals set by the company and I have been made to feel that my opinions are valid and useful. There is a positive vibe from working as a team to accomplish targets and it is encouraging that the company trust you to work from home if necessary. Another thing I have loved is the fact that all the people in the company are able to help you and do not get frustrated with you if you don't understand a concept. The company as a whole I found are quite advanced in the way they treat their employees - for example, providing flexible working times, and as mentioned, trusting you to work from home.

Yes. Even although I am at a lower level within the company, I feel that my opinions are valid and treated with respect. I feel that my age helps to provide the company with a wide range of age-related opinions. My Line Manager is extremely positive and helpful with his feedback and has always encouraged me to ask if I am not sure. I have been praised by various members of my team for work I have done, in particular with regard to the website I had created to hold files for my team, which received positive comments from a colleague in South America!

I found the initial induction programme, provided by the company, extremely useful and it helped to ease my first day nerves. I have also attended a number of courses which I have found complemented the work I am expected to do within the company. A major part of my studying so far has been for the IT Test. My assessor was able to provide me with useful links, which I was allowed to use within office hours to help my revision. To be honest, whilst the training by the company has been extremely useful, until recently there have been issues with the coursework. This included issues such as deadlines suddenly appearing, coursework not being marked, coursework given to use a month or two late, when I first started. This resulted in marks and percentage rates being inaccuracy reflected. Happily, a new moderator has recently been put in place, and things seem to be much improved. My Line Manager tends to be the one who tends to delegate the jobs and I have found that he has reasonable and fair deadlines and expectations. I am encouraged to discuss any issues I may have in meeting these, and they have been adjusted accordingly, to take into account other tasks I have had to prioritise. Sometimes, my Line Manager's Manager will ask me to do certain tasks for them. Depending on the task, and their priority, I make the decision to choose which task to deal with first.

I have found that the training sessions that we have been given are extremely useful in enabling me to get a good work/life balance. For example, recently we had a session on how important sleep is to our work output. It reassured me of how important a regular sleep pattern is. We are also encouraged to organise events in order that we, as apprentices, can socialise and bond better in a less formal environment. If I have any problems with my coursework or well being, I am easily able to talk to my training provider in order to get advice. This is met with respect, confidentiality and a quick response. Any problems I have had have been met with helpful guidance from my training provider. For example, he helped me managed to clarify whether I was exempt from the IT Exam or not.

I have found my Line Manager extremely helpful and encouraging, whilst he appreciates that I am not in the role I had hoped for, he has gone out of his way to make the role more diverse and interesting for me so that I feel that I am achieving something. The HR team are also very supportive and easy to contact. They send out emails regularly to keep me updated and are very quick to respond to any questions/issues (which are treated with respect).

I feel that it is a fair salary for an apprentice, although I have been hindered by the fact that I did not receive any pay following an emergency operation. This coupled with the fact that I have been paying tax when I shouldn't have been, has meant that finances have been tight recently! I appreciate the fact that the company covers extra travel costs and that this is done quickly. I also appreciate the fact that I was given a parking space near the building due to where I live and the fact that public transport is not a viable option. I even appreciate the fact that I can make use of the cut price shop, salon and gym that the company provide. In terms of the location, it could not be easier for me as I live in the next village - thus cutting down my carbon footprint!

Sadly, the main company event so far I missed due to ill health. However, we are encouraged to participate in different events particularly amongst our fellow apprentices. For example I helped to organise a social event to Air Hop in Guildford which was well attended and very successful. Within my team, I also helped to organise the Christmas Social Event in London to go out for a meal and drinks. Sadly, I am not aware of any voluntary/community initiatives although I do have a few ideas of my own. We are very lucky that we are able to have the use of the gym on site - for free as many of my friends don't work for a company that provides this! I feel that Unilever is aware that we have life outside work, and is keen to promote our physical and mental well-being. I have enough time to socialise with friends outside the company without feeling that I should be doing extra work.

Yes

The work is interesting and varied and I feel that I am making a good contribution to the overall ethos of the company. My opinions and ideas feel like they are appreciated and I am encouraged to share any skills, that I have, with others. For example, I produced a presentation using Prezi and from that, I was asked by members of staff to train them so they could use it (within limits due to confidentiality of the company).

Remember to include any voluntary work you have done in the past few years, and jobs where you have had to prove your reliability. Any job involving contact with the public, or charity work, is helpful and don't forget to include anything you've organised within school! Your ability to work as a team member is important and this can include tasks you've had for GCSE or A-Level. On Assessment days, be yourself and make sure you have got yourself noticed! Don't fall into the trap of being too false about your aspirations! When you finally start, remember to be yourself. I'd liked to have been told before I started, that you aren't expected to know everything as it would have stopped me worrying as much! Also make sure you get noticed by your team - as they will support you through the apprenticeship. If you're not sure, ask!