Business Analyst Review

I am a business analyst, working on several projects. My usual day is spent looking at the requirements for projects, writing up JIRA tickets, writing acceptance criteria for the tickets. I also do data analysis in order to aid in the development of changes ensuring we fully understand the changes required. I also attend calls with the areas we are making changes for to ensure they are kept up to date with the analysis of the project.

I have developed my skills as we all learned new skills. I have new skills in acceptance criteria writing, Jira writing, creating various diagrams such as use case diagrams. I have also developed my skills in stakeholder communication, keeping organized and priority management. I have also gained skills in various softwares such as Microsoft packages and Balsamiq (used to create wireframes)

I enjoy my programme. I feel the programme is excellent at concept and there is plenty of various roles an apprentice can see themselves in. I have gained a lot of knowledge from my colleagues and many skills which can be transferred to other roles. The programme is 4 years in total which provides excellent experience in working in this type of enviroment. However, the programme sometimes seems not well managed and many improvements could be made to provide a better overall experience.

The programme structure on paper is great. 4 years working in the field as well as obtaining the degree. However, it can take a long time to fully understand your role and get into the swing of things. This is mainly due to lack of resources available to fully train apprentices. More focus should be put on a complete development plan for apprentices for the 4 years which can be measurable to ensure development.

I receive quite a lot of support from my employer. My current LM is very much on the ball and we have bi-weekly catch ups to discuss progress. However, this is not the experience for all on the apprenticeship within the company. It very much comes across as your luck as to how much support you will receive. This requires a major improvement so all apprentices have a great chance of success. Other than my LM I get a small amount of support from 'career coaches'. These catch ups are very infrequent and usually short. The are in a different location and therefore there is no hands on support in that sense in Glasgow.

The training provider does not provide great support. Most lecturers seem unsure of 'flipped classroom' learning and have vocally spoken about their distaste for it. We have even had lectures who have confessed to have been 'drafted' in and are teaching modules they aren't familiar in. Again, depending on module lecturer the quality of teaching ranges from very poor to excellent - there really is no consistency.

I feel specific modules have helped me understand my role a bit more. However, we are often taught dated methods which are not always used in the workplace. I feel the module materials need to be brought up to date and to be more aligned to what actual businesses use. Many of the modules have absolutely zero relevance to my role - which is not the fault of the university provider and is something the company need to look at as one degree does not suit all on the apprenticeship, it is very much dependent on role.

There is a big focus on citizenship within the workplace. Colleagues are encouraged to be involved in charity events throughout the year. There are always many on the go people can get involved with, or can even start their own. There are also monthly networking afternoons (pre-covid) which were informal. These provided opportunity for wider teams to catch up informally as well as give the opportunity to talk to colleagues you may not otherwise speak to.

Yes

I find Barclays has a great culture. The population of colleagues is diverse and encouraged. Barclays also is quite flexible and even pre covid working from home some days really was not an issue. In particular my team has a great sense of team spirit and there is plenty support amongst the team. I find in my area of work the office is quite relaxed however most colleagues are professional.

If you are applying for a Barclays apprenticeship be prepared for a challenge. A lot of the skills you will learn are almost self taught and you should push for support whenever you need it. Do not be shy to challenge the processes, a lot of improvements are made from colleagues being vocal. Take the time to learn about the various roles you could be assigned prior to joining as these are not clear upfront what your role will be when you join. So understanding the available roles in the apprenticeship before joining will be a great aid to yourself.