Business Administration Review

I work in Design and Change within the bank, this involves designing, and implementing new products and systems within Commercial and Business Banking. My role is very varied which allows me to learn something new every day. One day can be writing the changes which are being made and another day it can be testing these changes, I also help writing training materials for these. Since starting I have been able to oversee small projects, engage with stakeholders during these projects and work with teams within the UK and abroad. Within the role, I have also travelled to various locations around the UK to support the teams who we work alongside with.

Stakeholder/ customer engagement- I have developed skills in hosting audio meetings, how to handle expectations of customers and using that to deliver products of use to them. I have learnt new systems and how to use these confidently. On a personal level, I am more confident and have learnt a lot since starting. At the same time I am sitting Business and Administration Level 3- the modules tie in with my job role which allows me to learn and reflect what I could do better in the role and put it into practise.

Since day 1, I have loved my role. I was put in a team where everyone was welcoming and have been helpful when I have questions or do not understand something. I love learning something new everyday and seeing the changes we work on put in place and used by customers. It is a challenging role in the amount of learning needed but I have thrived on that. RBS is really good to work for- they promote learning and development from my level to senior level. I am enjoying the apprenticeship course despite a couple of issues with coursework submission. As mentioned previously, the course ties in with my job role.

It took us a while to actually get started on the apprenticeship course itself as they gave us some time to settle in the job role. Getting started was a bit slow and getting set up on the course providers system had its problems. Once the course was started properly it is easier to get in a routine. The apprenticeship programme is 18 months long which is more than enough time to complete the course.

Much support, my manager will arrange time for us to sit down and go through coursework where she gives me feedback on answers and work completed. This is valuable and helps me recognise what I can do better. Despite being a busy department, this is never made to feel like an issue.

My assessor has been good in arranging audio catchups and face to face meetings to help go over coursework. There has been some problems in coursework submission but the training provider has been accommodating with kept contact to give updates on this.

There have been modules which relate directly to my role such as feedback and customer service. This has helped me value feedback more ( from colleagues and customers) and take it on as a tool for improvement. The customer service module was helpful in how I engage with stakeholders and customers within my role and made me more conscious of how to make meetings more effective and use their input effectively.

The company holds different employee engagement activities which mostly are in work time but sometimes host social events for after work. These have provided a relaxed atmosphere for networking and getting to know colleagues. There is also volunteering days where you help at a community project. These are really good and allow you to get to know new people while also giving something back to the community.

Yes

RBS has so much to offer employees in terms of employee networks, learning and development, work flexibility and employee support. Since day one I have been made to feel part of a team and my colleagues around me have been open to helping me and taking time to help me understand different aspects of the role and support me within that. Things that I would have avoided in previous jobs like getting involved with employee networks, I now participate in and the role itself has helped many personal skills like confidence in interacting with different people. It is a challenging role but one i really enjoy as no day is the same.

A key part of what helped me was to read up about RBS- through twitter channels and other social media- I got a feel for what the company was about and what content they posted online and was able to relate these to my own experience. There is always a focus on doing what is best for the customer, along with innovation and technology which are all areas that interest me and I could speak about these with enthusiasm. I came into the bank with most of my previous job experience based in hospitality- don't let lack of experience put you off applying- as long as you can tailor previous job or life experience to the company values- that will be to your advantage.