Analyst Apprentice Review

I work on a variety of different tasks each day, at the start and end of each week I complete reports that are used by other teams to help with data in areas of the business. I also help other members of my team in tasks that they are working on, this gives me added experience from the my normal day to day activities.

I have learnt plenty of new skills, one in paticular is being able to code SQL scripts in a much more professional manner, such as annotating each line of code for future reference. I have also learnt how to use a programme called R, which works in a similar way to SQL but the formaqt and layout is slightly different.

I find the programme to be an amazing journey, it has allowed me to spread my wings and really get to grips with data analysis. Before hand I didnt know much about the area, other then what i had learnt at university, but working at Virgin Media has showed me a massive variety of different types of data. what makes the experience even more enjoyable is the team that I work with, friendly and helpful, whenever am stuck on something there is always someone willing to help out.

The programme is structured excellently, from university to in work activities there is always work to do and areas to advance. The tasks that my mentor gives me especially are taliored to my capabilities, am never given something I dont know what to do, even if I like i dont know it, my mentor knows I do.

Since starting in September I have received tons of support from my co-workers, it loads of different varieties aswell. Work support, outside work support, mental and emotional support, there has been someone to help me at some point since ive started. In paticular I recently recieved help with getting myself organised in the work place, this was a member of the team came and helped me to organise myself a little better, this turned my work around in a instant. I felt more confident in my work and overal felt better about myself.

Again the support is amazing, when it comes to doing university work there is plenty of time in my diary to book time out, although I am expected to do work from home aswell, there is times were this isnt possible and working form office is needed. Although there is a priority list in work and some things do take over your university work, there is still support for this, more so if a deadline is closing in.

My time at university has taught me loads about how to conduct myself better in the workplace, I learnt new and interesting programmes that although I dont use on a day to day basis, still taught me some interesting techniques. I also got to make some new friends, from a variety of different areas of data related roles.

I went to London to take part in a IET presentation that described what a professional body is and does and then a few points about what I would get if i joined the IET, which i did decide to do in the end. I am also attending a graduate install and service training session in Brimingham, which am very excited for.

Yes

As a workplace it is very relaxed, the enviroment you work in is friendly and busy, there is always work to be done and as a result everyday feel different then the last. There is also plenty of opportunities within the company, plenty of direction for you career, you can take a secondment once your apprenticship is completed.

Be confident in knowing that asking for help is not a weakness, from personal experience I struggled because I wouldnt ask for help when i got stuck, this meant that tasks took longer for me to complete. However once i started asking for help i started to complete tasks much quicker and i found i was learning things at a much faster rate. Also talk to people, out of every job that i have done in the past, working at Virign has been by far the best, for a ton of reasons, but the main reason being that the people i work with are friendly and are always willing to help you out.