assistant relationship manager Review

I support my relationship manager in commercial banking dealing with clients turning over between £2m-£25m and support day to day banking activities as well as look to gain new clients and draw down deals that will help clients grow their businesses. I get involved in annual reviews as well as manage excesses and also liaise with product partners to ensure our customers are receiving best customer experience.

I have learned new skills in my role due to my supportive office team. The actual role is enjoyable, and allows you develop further communication skills, team working skills and also the ability to gain independence (especially in these uncertain covid-19 times where lockdown has forced colleagues to work in isolation for some time).

The apprenticeship programme itself, has been boring, repetitive and has not improved my skills or role in the slightest. You are expected to produce work as if you are speaking to a child, and provides no value to the role you are doing. The programme run by BPP has been absolutely shocking.

It has not been well structured at all. You get passed around by different BPP coaches have different coaches marking your work every week which isn't organised at all. The programme itself is nothing compared to the actual role, where you are in organised teams and able to enjoy the role.

In your designated office and role, you are supported massively and are surrounded by colleagues who are willing to help, even if you do not know them. working for the bank has been really enjoyable, with support there whenever you need it which has been very comforting working in lockdown.

BPP provide you with support, which will do nothing but drive you insane. You are expected to produce work as if you are talking to children, needing to explain every little detail. You will produce a great piece of work, only to be asked to add information that provides no value to the work produced. You will be repeating yourself with every single task. You will undoubtedly prove you are capable of doing the role, meeting the criteria quite clearly...but yet because of a few missing words or its not in the order they want it to be you have to add amendments constantly. I have learned absolutely nothing from the training provider. Doing the assignments for BPP was one of the most awful experiences I have ever had.

This qualification and training provider does nothing to help you perform better in your role. None of the tasks I completed I can look back on and say I learned from. The role itself and the office you are working in will provide you with all the development you need. The apprenticeship side is a mental challenge to take on given how poorly its ran, assignments involved and how their criteria is produced.

Yes, there are plenty of activities you can do outside of the workplace. There are networking opportunities as well as charity events/fund-raising opportunities you can get involved in to allow you to get your name known within the business. Once normality returns following covid, hopefully more events are available.

Yes

The colleagues are welcoming, friendly and polite across the whole bank. There is opportunity for growth. The role is not a standard 9-5 as you are out visiting clients which is great. More importantly, the company is very supportive of well-being and I have never worked for a company where they value employees so much.

Be aware that BPP are the training providers, so you won't enjoy that side of the programme if your experience was anything like mine. However, the bank and the role you have within the bank and the enjoyment in the role, somewhat makes up for the awful experience of having BPP run the programme.