Backup Team Apprentice Review

I work within a team which oversee and manage backups and the services that support them within the organisation. This generally entails assigning incidents and projects to various resources in the team to keep queues organised, troubleshooting backup failures, completing data restores for organisation employees, ensuring there's enough storage media for backups and server demands and also pursuing additional learning in my free time within the role.

I've learned a lot in terms of using command line based UI's, particularly UNIX though some brief experience with windows cmu. As someone who has primary interacted through gui's I feel much more confident using relevant commands and navigating through systems in UNIX. It's also acted as a good basis for further learning in UNIX which I am beginning to develop now I am further into the apprenticeship. I have also learned how to use various technical systems and software specific to my role and backup technology in general and pick up new knowledge on a regular basis on a variety of technical subjects.

This is the best job I've ever had. My manager is kind and understands that I need to balance a few aspects of the apprenticeship. My team as a whole have provided me with tons of help and are all really supportive of my growth. Plus the commute and hours fit my life really well which is beneficial for a good work life balance. The pay is also incredible when compared to similar apprenticeships which I feel shows how much RBS values apprentices specifically which is not always the case from some other businesses that exist.

I feel incredibly valued by rbs. There are plenty of inclusive opportunities as an apprentice and I've had the opportunity to meet some highly skilled and qualified staff who have expressed interest in investing in me as a member of the organisation. Feedback on my contributions are also very constructive and I feel very grateful when my actions are noticed and thanks has been given from senior staff. I always feel comfortable asking questions and know that despite the knowledge gap my teammates appreciate my wiliness to learn.

The induction was extrememly organised and covered all areas which were required. Past this I was given support on travel arrangements, getting used to the work culture and the role in question. Learning from others and studying were originally based upon shadowing more experienced colleagues but this developed as I become more familiar with the technology to the point where I could work independently and ask for specific knowledge when required. Task delegation was structured in a very loose fashion when first starting so I could become familiar in my role, as time went on my business as usual responsibilities grew to encompass my new skills which continues to be the manner in which I work. Over all I feel like the programme was structured very well, with minor gaps in between which could be benefited by a specific long term plan which covered progression on a bi-weekly or monthly basis

I received loads of support from my advisor [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] from QA, he frequently provided useful information on subjects outside of the data already available which I was personally interested in. Any problems experienced with paperwork, travel to courses etc. were also dealt with in a very fair and prompt manner as well. Additionally I felt that he was constantly in a positive mood and always expressed a great interesting in me completing my course while providing his own insight in various subjects which was valuable due to his past experience in technology. I really enjoyed having [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyApprenticeship Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] as my advisor, my one stipulation towards QA as the training provider is that they need to update their paperwork to reflect the individual aspects of each apprentice that exists, as some sections were irrelevant, formatted poorly etc.

My manager has always been a continuous source of support throughout my entire apprenticeship. He has always had great empathy towards me and an interest in developing my abilities. Whenever I have worried that I am not learning fast enough or am lacking his has providing reassurance and evidence which shows I am doing well. I have had no real interactions with HR team aside from doing mandatory paperwork, learning units but I'm sure they'd support me if any issues arose which required them. As mentioned before I have always received brilliant guidance from others in the organisation and feel very grateful to have such dedicated colleagues. Similarly everyone I have interacted with has had a positive attitude to supporting me.

The salary at RBS is great for an apprenticeship or entry level position. I commute through bus and train as I don't drive and it's very affordable and there's a free shuttle bus which runs to and from the train stations near it. Daily costs, living costs & location etc are all covered well by the generous salary.

There's lots of opportunities for voluntary work outside of work and even dedicated time to perform volunteering. There is also a gym facility which is well equipped on site and the area is well kept and beautiful too. In addition the company frequently has events such as Christmas gatherings, sleep under the stars for charity, Robert Burns celebration etc.

Yes

The pay is great, the work culture has to be the best I've ever seen and all of my colleagues are really good people who care about my development. Additionally I feel like there's a huge amount of room for growth and a real future career path especially in a tech oriented role.

Try to be specific. Don't answer the questions with vague catch all answers, if you want to stand out I highly recommend trying to put yourself across in the answers. Obviously common sense plays a part but when the opportunity is there to show off something with a relevant personal touch do it. Show passion for the area you're applying for (if tech express your interest and aspirations in this field for example). If a question like why do you want to work in this area comes up and your genuinely passionate about it then it'll show. Do your research on the organisation, for example when applying for a tech apprenticeship I showed interest in RBS's AI projects and the future of machine learning concerning financial services or customer interactions. You don't need to dry factoids but it's good to have a grasp on work culture and organisational aims. Give yourself lots of time to get there if you get an in-person interview. I'd say 30 minutes so you can relax and get yourself comfortable before the interview if you get it. Travel plans are fickle when it comes to a something important especially. SMILE. Be enthusiastic and people want to hear you speak, they'll listen with interest and remember you. Nerves are natural but if it's in person, over the phone or through video conferencing sounding happy to be doing so goes a long way.