Data Analyst Apprentice Review

I work in a data product team, the product is an internal reporting tool showing UL and competitor data including sales data and finance data. It is my teams role to maintain this product across the markets which use it and also to see which other countries an be onboarding into using it too. They should want to use our product because it automates the data gathering and visualisation of important data. Weekly I collect the usage metrics data to visualise and present to users. Monthly I do a similar task where the data is presented to the leadership team (I am not part of this call through).

I have definitely greatly improved my Excel skills which were pretty much non existent, plus learnt about SQL, Python and Microsoft Azure- competently enough to be able to use in my job roles! I had no idea about any of these until my apprenticeship. I have got much better at working with a diverse range of people virtually.

I do enjoy the whole programme and enjoy it more than my time and uni; I have picked up a lot of skills and had the opportunity to apply them in meaningful ways which is very important. I also enjoy working with others in my main team, reaching out and communicating with other apprentices and also having a cohort with my training provider with members from different organisations. To enjoy it more I would appreciate the opportunity to meet and work with others in person (my whole team are international) plus further support in my team as I don't feel like a valued member currently.

The program is well organised and structured, it is clear what we need to be doing and when the deadlines are, plus the training available tends to be sufficient enough to succeed. It is also nice that our contract extends for about 7 months after the completion of our apprenticeship so we can continue getting valuable work experience without being tied to a portfolio which needs specific tasks mentioning.

I received good support eventually from my previous line manager, where we got on about 2 calls a week and he would explain parts of the business/ work the team was doing so I could understand where I stood better and gain the needed knowledge. However currently my new LM is very busy and also in another time zone so there is a lot less interaction and I don't feel like a member of the team as much.

There is lots of support with regular training calls, revision sessions and bootcamps so we learn the parts we need to pass our apprenticeship and more (eg Python). My coach is available often and is happy to get on adhoc calls and offer his advice where needed. There are also internal training provider websites so I can learn from recorded sessions led by coaches, external people and other apprenticeships on skills they have or knowledge they are willing to share.

I definitely agree. I learnt the basics of Python through the Multiverse bootcamps and now will lead an automation task using Python as I now have the expertise to do this. Gaining a depth of knowledge, that was available through the training provider, was a great thing and I can tap into this when I need to.

Not many that I see. There are several things to get involved with during working hours virtually, such as being part of an onboarding team and helping to mentor new apprentices, but no social events or ways to meet other apprentices/colleagues external to work.

Yes

UL really care about all employees and have a strong CEO and ULE which strives to be diverse and representative. There are lots of learning opportunities, such as free access to Udemy and LinkedIn Learning plus can ask for reimbursement to certificates that will help you work. The work can be exciting and there is a lot going on with the potential to get involved with.

Make sure you know what Unilever stands for, its mission and values. Don't act like someone you're not. Make sure you encourage the other applicants, don't talk over others and put your ideas forward and ask questions. Make sure they understand why you are applying for Unilever and specifically the apprenticeship you are doing.