Finance Apprentice Review

As a finance apprentice, my role is to assist my team whilst on different placements with any jobs they need doing. My day-to-day jobs change depending on the time of the month (i.e. month end gets a lot busier than the middle of the month) and the location of your placements. My current day-to-day jobs range from creating and sending invoices to closing off projects and amending and updating spreadsheets.

I have both learnt new and developed existing skills during my time at the company. For example, I have had to learn the various processes associated with invoicing, as well as having to learn how to run different reports on different applications. I have also developed my communication skills whilst on my placements as finance come into contact with various people from different parts of the business.

On the whole, I thoroughly enjoy my programme as it is allowing me to explore the different parts of finance and how it fits in to the overall running of a business. The programme has also given me lots of challenges which seem tough at first but, once tackled, benefit me greatly.

The programme has a clear structure for the duration of the 5 years. It sets out where you're going to be placed and how long you're going to be placed there. Although the taking on of more apprentices than in the past has meant that the structure has suffered slightly. Despite this, the programme doesn't feel disorganised.

I receive lots of support from my employer, mainly in the form of putting me through a professional qualification. This support is vital as without it I would have to do this myself and arrange it around work. However, my employer allows college days to be taken in works time, as well as exams to be taken in works time which is encouraging.

The training provider for the programme changed the year I joined which I think has effected how much support is received. Despite this, we are provided with personal accounts that allow us access to an online version of the course, including mock tests and module specific tests. It also allows us to directly email the tutors which can be helpful, although this does rely on the fact that your tutor is available to help when you need it.

I feel the qualification helps me perform significantly better in my role as it gives me an understanding of why we do certain jobs and who we do them for. It also allows me to have a broader understanding of where my role fits into the business and what it can impact going forward.

At the beginning of the programme, there are lots of social activities arranged as a way to get that year of new starters familiar with each other, as well as allowing us to build a network of people we can contact both inside and outside of work. However, this tends to stop after the first couple of months, although I believe certain functions keep it going among themselves. As well as this, there are always sports clubs being advertised inviting you to join, as well as charity sporting events happening.

Yes

I would recommend BAE Systems to a friend as they provide you with an above average salary for your age, as well as putting all their apprentices through the qualifications relevant to their jobs. This allows you to gain both practical experience alongside your qualification which is very important as you progress in your career.

When applying for the company, it is well worth taking the time to ensure your application is perfect as one simple mistake can result in you application being turned away. I would also be truthful as, if successful, you could be questioned on some of the content in your interview.