Finance Apprentice Review

I am a Finance Apprentice in the Chief Accountant's Department. I work in the Central Bank Reporting team supporting the risk and control aspect of our monthly deliverables as well as assisting on an operational level. Daily interactions include with other members of the team as well as within the larger department. Outside of this I have daily interactions with our teams over in India who complete a lot of production work before it is handed over to the Edinburgh teams for Review. I am responsible for a large variety of tasks from timetabling and ensuring daily deliverables are met to facilitating the completion of electronic sign off logs and compiling monthly KPIs for the team.

My experience with Microsoft Excel was rather limited as I had not used it since high school however I learned quickly that Excel is an important tool in an accountant's arsenal and even those in supporting roles need to be proficient in the use and background of how spread sheets run. I use the programme on a daily basis and am now confident in everything from pivot tables to VLOOKUPS. I have also had opportunities to volunteer at primary schools and with young people through the Prince's Trust during office hours and it is an extremely rewarding experience. I have taken up a post as one of my office's First Aiders and achieved the First Aid at Work qualification. I am currently completing my CIMA Cert BA exam before moving onto my professional CIMA exams which will allow me to become a charted accountant over 3 years.

I really enjoy working in my team and department within the finance function as well as working with others across the bank. The organisation has far surpassed my expectations and offered me a safe and pleasant environment to work in. The culture at RBS is very positive and every employee is seen as an individual with valuable input to the business. There is an attractive aware structure and the bank is extremely supportive in offering additional opportunities on a regular basis.

Internal and external recognition is prevalent in RBS. There are awards and recognition schemes which are awarded throughout the bank whereby a colleague can be nominated by another colleague or by management. As well as this there is a great appreciation throughout the bank for others and their opinions. A reward structure also exists in relation to pay and any excellent performance is reflected in the annual pay reviews which take place.

Not particularly, if I'm honest. There has been lots of fumbling around trying to get ourselves organised within our teams and with our line managers. I feel a lot of time could have been saved if more attention was payed at the beginning of the programme to ensure there was more structure in place for us, I suppose though, that this is due to the programme I am on being brand new in the bank and we have been the testers for the programme going forward. I am about to roll onto the next part of my apprenticeship and don't even have a clear idea of what will be happening in May when my first part of the apprenticeship is over.

The training provider, BPP, attempts to help and provide support however there is a huge lack of organisation in some areas and there seems to be a lot of missed communication between people at the training provider office - leaving the apprentices in the dark and wondering what is going on a lot of the time. There have also been several incidents where we have waited months for assignments to be marked and there quite a lax attitude towards work.

RBS have been excellent at providing support and always ensure that there are people around and available to help and assist wherever necessary. I have really enjoyed working with a variety of people within the business who have been happy to offer insight and advise when it comes to exams and the apprenticeship. Lots of people will enquire as to how I am progressing and if they can provide any support for me within my role.

I will be honest - Edinburgh is expensive and though I am lucky enough to have a mortgage with my partner - I struggle to meet monthly costs and knowing how hard I try at work and how much effort I put in, I do, occasionally, feel that I'm working very hard and barely scraping by. My travel costs are not cheap and living costs are hugely inflated, even outside of the city. The salary is decidedly low and in comparison to graduates whose work is definitely on par with the finance apprentices, is relatively low. a 10% increase and I would not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from after my entire salary is eaten up with living expenses such as mortgage, gas and electric, taxes and insurance etc.

There are a wealth of opportunities inside and outside the bank. From volunteering to extra qualifications both professional and recreational. As well as this, the benefits we get as employees allow us to join other training courses and to get the best out of every opportunity we can. I have really enjoyed the opportunities to join groups such as the Bike Users Group and the First Aiders Forum.

Yes

As an employer there is an excellent reward package and benefits that come along with the role and the workplace is extremely well equipped. Every effort is made my colleagues to support one another and a huge amount of other opportunities are available to gain additional qualification and to gain experience with such a wide variety of personalities. There is always an excellent atmosphere and the culture at RBS is a positive one which encourages other.

I would advise you to not try and give them what you think they are looking for in way of your answers. I would advise anyone to be open and honest and show how hard a worker you are. Don't worry about a lack of experience and RBS is not looking for people with a wealth of experience in the financial sector - they are looking for hard works with drive and passion who can provide a fresh outlook.