Degree Apprentice Review

Mondays and Tuesdays are spent at university with one day being dedicated to lectures, and the other for labs to apply what was learnt in the lectures. Wednesday-Friday are spent at the desk, working on any task which my manager has set me, and the work-objectives assigned for the semester. Initially the tasks I was given were simple and more research based, however as I learnt more about the team and systems, I was given more tasks with more responsibility such as coding on a project.

The most important skill which I have learnt so far is networking. Communication is a key aspect in every-day life, and my manager made sure that I booked catch-ups with people in my team, and teams we worked with in order to get me more comfortable. Now, I can easily introduce myself to someone new and set-up some time to get to know more about each other.

Although it may sound cheesy, this program has been the best thing I could possibly have imagined. It has helped me move out of my parents home and live independently with a flatmate (another apprentice). I have met so many new people and had many new experiences just from living in London such as going out after work with colleagues, or just to look around the area. My team have been very welcoming, and the Firm made sure to help us from day 1 with weekly meetings for the first few months. And most importantly, it has given me the chance to experience working in London, as well as the uni experience without any debt at the end.

Initially, I did not think I would be valued very much by the team having only just come fresh out of college. However, after the first month, I realised I was mistaken. My manager was giving me research tasks and preparing presentations for the team, in order to then have a better understanding of the systems used and help improve them.

The program was structured very well from the first day. We had constant support from the Firm with weekly presentations on a new subject, or to help us develop our skills. Having weekly meetings with our managers and being assigned a buddy in the team helped immensely as well, since it meant that if I ever had any questions, I could always ask them during our catch-up. When it came to university, we were assigned personal advisers which we also have weekly meetings with in case we find any problems with our course, however we could also talk about it with our managers who would be understanding if we had university deadlines.

My personal adviser at university helped when I had issues with coursework, or if I had any questions about the course. being given someone who we could go to with questions both at university and at work made me feel really comfortable since I knew that if I was ever unsure, I always had someone I could go to for help.

The first week of the program was structured perfectly well to introduce us to the Firm. This included meeting last year's apprentices, different people from across the firm, presentations on communication and networking, and slowly getting to know the team by spending a small amount of time with them each day, until the Friday when we spent the whole day with them. This way of introduction made me feel at ease, since I had already spent a small amount of time with the team, and was excited to spend the day with them.

I have been able to move to the east side of London, only 2 stops from the university. Initially, getting used to not spending money on random stuff was quite hard since I now had to cook and pay for my travel, however after a couple of months I got more into the swing of things and started to save up. Moving in with one of the other apprentices was a good idea as well since it meant getting a nice flat, and being able to support each other.

The firm provides a lot of societies which we can join, and outside events after work. The university also has a large range of clubs, and whilst I have not joined one myself, some of my colleagues have and they seem to enjoy it very much. So much so that some of them have become presidents of their respective clubs. This means that there is still time after work to do something which you are passionate about.

Yes

For me, Goldman Sachs has been an amazing experience so far and has improved my life. The people you work with are very talented and are a great motivation to want to improve. Finance is also, in my opinion, a very interesting field to work on, as there are always improvements being made and many complex parts to working at a bank. I am in a single division, but the other apprentices are in different parts of the firm, working on completely different things which shows how much of a range there is. And that's just tech. I have attended some of the internal talks about different divisions such as Global Investment Research, and it's so fascinating to know that those people work in the same building as you but are doing something completely different.

The application process and interviews all come in a short period of time, so it may seem like things are happening too quickly and it might become stressful, but make sure to relax. It's the cliche thing to say, but just make sure that you're prepared for some of the basic questions which are asked in interviews (Google them), and make sure to show you're enthusiastic. I had never heard of the Firm before I applied, and still did not know what they did when I was accepted. So just be yourself, and things will work out.