Content Coordinator Graduate Review

I am responsible for the creation and sharing of internal stories, news and announcements, in the form of video. To do this, I work alongside a wide variety of colleagues across the organisation, including members of our Executive Committee. More recently, as I go through my apprenticeship programme, my role will evolve to encompass more elements of digital community management. This will enable me to apply more and more of what I am learning during my programme in my daily role

As part of my apprenticeship programme, there is a module about 'Communication' which I am finding incredibly useful. I have been able to take some of what I've learnt during the module and apply it to internal news stories that I need to write, and it has also helped me identify gaps in my knowledge that I need to develop. This has been useful as I've booked in meetings with colleagues who can help me minimise these skills gaps as well as help me improve my written story telling skills.

I thorougly enjoy my programme. At first I was a little nervous because as I joined very late on, but I'm part of a very small cohort of learners which has meant that we've all become quite close very quickly. This has meant when it comes to writing our assignments or doing any of the assigned work projects, we all come together to arrange study sessions or video calls, where we can have a chat, socialise and get the work done together.

My programme is well organised and very easy to follow. Every Friday I have my apprenticeship session where I am 'out of office' and am part of a day-long Teams call. The sessions themselves aren't too dissimilar to a university seminar, so it's something that I am used, albeit in a virtual format. There is a lot of active discussion and my tutor makes sure that where possible, he isn't just talking at us for too long and makes sure we all have a chance to participate.

My employer is tremendous when it comes to the support I receive. My team know that I am not available on Fridays, so when it comes to any big projects that are upcoming and will require my help, we talk through the workflow, identify key dates, and negotiate deadlines, so that my workload is manageable and won't overwhelm me. In addition to that, I enjoy coming back from a Friday session and sharing what I've learnt with my team.

My training provider is very supportive. I appreciate that during the sessions he is very clear about asking questions if we feel like there's something we don't understand, or even challenging some of the points he raises. I feel that this way of learning suits me because each session features a lot of active discussion where everyone is encouraged to participate and isn't just a full day of staring at a screen, listening to someone talk at you.

There have been several things I've been able to take from the first module and apply it to my role, e.g. reporting and presenting analytics. This particular exercise has helped me perform better in my role, because as a visual learner I am able to better understand information when it is presented in a visual format. Now, as I work through the Communications module, I will be able to apply what I am learning to my role as it evolves and includes more and more written communication pieces.

I truly value the extra-curricular activities Newcastle Building Society put on for their colleagues, especially during the pandemic and lockdown. At the start of this year we had a month-long health and wellbeing initiative, where there were various activities timetable across the month of January during our designated wellbeing hour, and this was so well received that it has been extended across February and into March. During a time of lockdowns and not being able to see people, these activities have been a great way to see colleagues who I saw in the office, when making coffees, or in the corridor, but now don't get to see as we don't work together or have meetings together. They've also been fantastic for mental health!

Yes

I've been with Newcastle Building Society since my placement year and the support I've received since the beginning of my career with them has been second to none! The person I was 4 years ago is completely different to the person I am today, and for that I have my team to thank and the Society's Early Talent Manager for the development activities and projects she's been responsible for. I've gone from someone who was very quiet and didn't have a lot of work experience - especially in an office environment - to someone who isn't afraid to speak up, ask questions and just have a natter with anyone!

Don't be put off from applying if you feel like you don't have majority of the skills they are looking for. The role I came into during my placement year, I had zero skills for - I had never done a day's video editing in my life - but I showed them that I am ready to learn what my role would entail. I also showed them a lot of my personality during the recruitment process, especially during the assessment centre, and this helped convey that my character and values would align and fit in with the Society's culture and values.