Chartered Management Degree Apprentice Review

Over the course of the apprenticeship we rotate every 6 months to different areas of the business. Currently, I am in Visa Consulting and Analytics - On a day to day basis my role involves: 1) Data extraction and analysis 2) Market research 3) Requirement gathering 4) Presenting my findings/insights to senior consultants 5) Working as part of cross-functional project teams in the organisation 6) General desk work/admin.

A few of the skills i have gained/developed are as follows: 1) Very advanced in Excel 2) Data extraction 3) Excellent presentation skills 4) Increased confidence levels 5) Commercial awareness 6) Ability to communicate complex/abstract concepts in a logical way 7) Advanced in all MS Office applications 8) Time management skills 9) Corporate vocabulary.

I enjoy my program more than anything i have done before... Although it can sometimes be hard work to manage work-load, university studies, and my personal life, I definitely do enjoy the program. Also, I enjoy the work I do in the office more than my university work - this makes me question how bored I would have been if I had chosen the traditional university route.

It is very well organised by Visa. We had a very thorough induction. We are given 1 day off (20% off the job learning) every week to dedicate to our studies. There are also lots of opportunities to speak to mentors from any area of the business that you are interested in. Also, there is an internal training system that all employees have access to - this is very useful as it includes courses from Harvard, LinkedIn and other highly reputable education providers. It is worth noting that our education provider (QA Ltd) is sometimes a little disorganised in comparison to Visa.

Support from my Visa is excellent. My manager is great, we have developed an amazing well-balanced relationship in less than 5 months. HR are also great - they are very helpful with any questions we may have. I have a few mentors - they all support my development in different ways and make me feel at ease. Support is easy to access, problems are dealt with efficiently and i generally feel as though there is positive attitude towards apprentices.

My training provider is generally helpful but there have been times when they are difficult to get support from. My tutor has changed a few times since joining, however this hasn't really impacted on the quality of my assignments. Support is easily accessible through Canvas (an online portal), however replies can sometimes be timely. Overall I enjoy my course - some more clear guidance could be useful.

My qualification (Chartered Business Management) has helped me to perform better in my role on numerous occasions. For example - I have put some project management theories into practice when working on a project in my consulting role. They were helpful and my team were familiar with these ideas. Some content isn't as subject specific to the industry, but I like the fact that there is a lot of transferable knowledge.

Lots - I will list them below: A variety of sports clubs which have regular meet ups/events/matches, a young professionals society which holds many events with senior and interesting people in the organisation (chances to network), apprentice events (all year groups of apprentices are invited) E.g. We visited Winter Wonderland, opportunities to volunteer for charities etc.

Yes

It's a dynamic environment where you will have the chance to learn a wide range of skills. It is a Top 100 company which will boost your commercial/corporate awareness and give you the opportunity to work with very intelligent, interesting and fun people. Regardless of your specific career ambitions it is highly likely that Visa has a role that you will enjoy and learn in.

When applying and in interviews: 1) Be authentic 2) Demonstrate why you, out of everyone else who applied, deserve to get the role 3) Show interest, do your research on the company 4) Be proactive For assessment days: 1) Prepare 2) Be confident 3) Don't worry about being judged, be yourself and you will stand out