Mortgage and Protection Manager Review

My current role is as a Mortgage and Protection Manager, on a day to day basis I see clients to help them with their holistic needs, specialising in their mortgage and protection needs. I will give them advice on the right type of mortgage for them, the type of property they can afford, how best to protect themselves if the unexpected should happen etc. I am completing the Apprenticeship to be promoted to be a Premier Relationship Manager, this will involve seeing clients but providing advice on a much wider range of needs, for example giving them advice on their investments, pensions, inheritance tax liability, protection etc. I am currently spending 4 days a week as a Mortgage and Protection Manager and 1 day a week training for my new role. The training could involve shadowing, attending learning days arranged by Kaplan, revising for exams etc.

I attended a workshop which was around being part of a team. I have many years experience working as part of a team, but I found there were still things I could learn. For example, it was good to go over the importance of drawing out members of the team who might be shy or more withdrawn so you get everyone's input. I have only started my apprenticeship, so this is the main thing I have learnt so far. However, there are plenty more workshops for me to attend. I have also learnt about investments from my revision for my next exam.

I am enjoying having the time set aside so that I can learn new skills that will be essential for my promotion. Also, I have a talent coach and it is helpful to have her as a point of contact for any questions that I have. My next exam is quite a bit one and Kaplan have organised for me to have a day spent with an instructor face to face, which will be really helpful.

The program is very well structured. I have a talent coach that I have regular calls with and that I can refer to if I need to. Also, I have 20% of my time away from my usual job so that I can focus on the Apprenticeship.

My employer has agreed to give me the 20% out of office time that I need to complete the Apprenticeship. I haven't needed any more support from them than that. They let me be relatively flexible to take the day off per week that I need and I appreciate that.

I have received the full learning pack from CII, so I have not just the work book, but also audio and practice exam papers, which is very helpful. They have also organised a face to face day with a specialist in the subject, which I am really looking forward to.

My qualification will enable me to gain a promotion, which I otherwise would not be able to obtain, as the qualification is mandatory for the new role. However, what I am learning is also helping me in my current role, as there are a lot of transferrable skills between the 2 roles.

I have met the other candidates that are on the same Apprenticeship as me. We will be meeting up at various times to go through exam preparation and any training courses together. It is helpful to have contact with other people who are experiencing the same process as me at the same time.

Yes

I love working for HSBC. I like that is a huge global organisation, so there is a huge amount of opportunity to explore different roles. I also think that if you work hard and add value to the business then you will be appropriately rewarded and recognised. I feel valued by my boss and my team and that's important to me. The have also been proactive in paying for further learning for me and offering me promotion.

Try to get a mentor who works for the bank already if you can. Do some work experience and try to find out about the role. Always answer your interview questions in the STAR format - Situation, Task, Action, Result and give clear answers as to how you have made a difference in that scenario.