Finance Support Apprentcie Review

My job title is 'Finance Support- FBP Projects'. I work along side the Finance Business Partners as they assist the needs of the projects within the company. My daily tasks involve responding to queries in our joint mailbox, logging business cases, carrying out various reporting (twice each week), contractor approvals, updating our team SharePoint site- these are all tasks that are my responsibility. One particularly challenging project allocated to me was the SharePoint site set up- where I was tasked with creating a website for my team as a place for us to upload documents to improve the quality of the service we give out to our stakeholders.

Before coming into the apprenticeship I had only worked as a part time tennis coach, so I had no office experience. Therefore, I have learnt a lot- such as how to communicate in a business environment, I learnt how to navigate excel as well as how to use it to my advantage. I learnt the basic business behaviours, how an office works, and the different ways in which people can collaborate to produce strong teamwork with a successful outcome. I have also been presented with opportunities such a s an excel training course, which helped me to develop my excel skills further.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience so far. My team have been extremely helpful, welcoming and patient when they needed to be. The company culture here encourages people to accept everyone, and to actively collaborate where possible. They also have recently introduced themselves as a flexible place to work. This means that we have hot desks, sitting with new people every day. I also particularly like that the company encourages people to work flexibly, whether it means flexi hours or working from home, although this is not advertised to the apprentices. I would say that the programme has exceeded my expectations, mainly because I was unsure of what to expect- and I have been pleasantly surprised,

Due to the nature of my work, I feel like I am adding value to Santander. I have a 1-2-1 each week with my manager where I have the chance to show what I have been working on, as well as discuss my next tasks. The main thing for me is that when I am at work I do not feel like an apprentice, because I feel just as involved as everyone else. I am always busy, however I certainly feel there is room to push my further, broadening my knowledge as I embrace new tasks.

As I am the first year of the Finance scheme, there were many question marks- and there still are. The induction was brilliant and I really enjoyed meeting new people, and I feel that the work side of the apprenticeship was organised very well by my team. However, the studying side could have been better. We started the official apprenticeship in October, however we did not start studying until January, therefore the time we had allocated to studying was something we struggled to fill (one day each week). Although out of the company's control, I am still not completely sure of factors such as the end point assessment we will take at the end of the year. Santander allocated me a mentor, which was great- it was nice to talk to someone who had nothing to do with me or my team in finance, and I'm sure that he will continue to be a huge help to me- so I really feel supported in this way. I feel that I am still a little unclear as to how the apprenticeship will progress. We knew we were going to rotate roles, however it still has not been decided when I will rotate or where I will be rotating to, although I am in no rush to move from my team at the moment, it would still be nice to know- as well as how we will progress through the job bands. (Up the hierarchy)

We met someone from our training provider who took us through what would be expected of us over the next year or so. However, now I can look back and see that the information provided was not completely true, and what they advised was not something we always had the power to implement. For example, the lady advised that we study from home, in order to keep work and study separate. In my opinion this is great advise, as when I studied within the office I often ended up working instead. For some of us working from home was not an option, and I feel that if our training provider had also advised our workplace (who had never had apprentices before) then there would have been a lot less confusion and a lot more consistency. However, if I ever have any issues I always know they're only an email away- and they are most often quick to respond. When I was going through a particularly stressful time when my first exam was cancelled just days before I was due to sit it, the team at BPP did all they could in the attempt of getting me booked in as soon as possible. I also find the feedback on the reflective statements (an assignment we are required to write about each professional behaviour detailing specific examples of how we have demonstrated each one) extremely useful and informative. We also have a quarterly catch up with BPP- where we will talk to someone who will go through the apprenticeship with me, how I'm feeling, where I am at with my exams, reflective statements and so on. I particularly like how they involve my manager in this call.

I have received a great deal of support from my manager. Although she works full time, I still feel constantly fully supported by her. She has gone out of her way time after time, dedicating an hour to me each week out of her busy schedule to sit down and give me a 1-2-1. I feel like I could approach her with anything. Although I do not hear much from the HR team now, they were extremely helpful at the time of recruitment. The EmergingTalent team were there with very fast communication. In fact, it was the support of the Emerging Talent team that struck me the most- as they got back to me within days, where other employers took months. This was particularly important to me as it made me feel important and involved from the very start. As mentioned before, I have been allocated a mentor who is not within my team. I find him very inspiring as he has many interesting stories to tell about his career path- opening my eyes to the idea of travelling the world with my job. In terms of guidance with problems and accessibility of support- again, I feel that my manager offers this to me- she has a very good attitude towards supporting me.

I should point out that money is not my motivator. The experience and the opportunities are worth far more to me. Having said that, I, like everyone else, have costs of living, traveling, daily and social costs. I live a 40 minute drive away and the petrol and parking costs do add up. My salary does cover my costs.

There are plenty of opportunities outside of work. A few times each year there is an offsite with my team, which is part conference part socialising. We had a charity sports day which was a great opportunity to meet the whole of finance. My team are also taking part in a discovery day, where we are going to do some gardening at a village hall. I also took part in 'MoneyWise', a programme where we visited the local school and taught pupils about the different ways to spend and save. Santander also offer a discounted gym pass- encouraging us to be healthy and keep fit.

Yes

I feel that the opportunity I have been given is one that most people looking to go into accountancy would struggle to refuse. I am doing the exact same qualification and therefore the same exams as the graduates do- just without the debt of university- plus I am still only 18 years old! I really feel like I am getting ahead of the game, building my experience and making relationships that will help me in the future. It has also pushed me to be more independent, as I now can confidently approach people who I think can help me. I may also be required to work and study in London, as I am pushed further out of my comfort zone.

During the application process, I would say relax, be yourself. Santander don't expect you to know it all when it comes to banking and finance, they want to know more about you as a person, as they are trying to see if you would cope in the busy environment. I quite enjoyed the assessment days, and would advise that candidates don't try too hard, as it is noticeable. The panel are interested in observing how you are with other people, how you can lead a group: allowing people to speak as you enthusiastically listen in order to work as a strong team. The onboarding process was absolutely fine, I would say make an effort to meet new people, smile and be friendly- first impressions matter! The whole experience is great, but of course challenging at times.