Trainee Review

Working within diversity and inclusion, I both handle my own projects and aim to support the team as a whole - especially as we are quite a small group. I usually will spend at least part of my day reviewing documents sent to me by team members, part making progress in my own work projects and some time responding to emails/attending meetings.

I have learnt important communication and team-working skills that are hard to really craft without direct exposure. I have grown more comfortable in my ability to edit and review other people's work, and have been able to take ownership of my own tasks that contribute to the teams overall goals.

I have enjoyed learning about the operations of a globally influential company in an industry I plan to spend a chunk of my future career working in. I have also enjoyed the freedom of being able to handle my own tasks whilst being a part of a close-knit team that work together cohesively.

The program is well organised in that we work in our team roles on a day-to-day basis, thereby learning on the job practical skills, but are still set apprenticeship tasks on an easily accessible website. This works well as it means we can get the experience of working within a company but still make progress towards a qualification.

Our team, being quite small, works in such a way that we all help each other with tasks and provide advice. Whenever I have been ill my manager has supported me and even encouraged me to take more time off in case I wasn't feeling fully recovered yet. I have also been assigned a 'buddy' who has helped me with other practical issues.

To begin with I was just acclimatising to the training and could maybe have done with a better overview of what was expected of me and how I should approach the tasks (from a practical perspective) that had been set. However, I now feel more comfortable and in control of the work I am doing - in part thanks to the flexibility from the training provider.

I feel that my training qualification is helping me to give greater thought to how I approach tasks within my job, and value the upcoming experience of presenting to other trainees on an issue of my choosing, as this will provide a useful opportunity to practice delivering a presentation - something which will be useful in almost all future jobs.

abrdn has done a good job of providing me with opportunities to unwind outside the office. One of those that I have taken advantage of is the 'Next Gen' networking events which pay for food and refreshments and offer a useful time to get to know others within the business.

Yes

abrdn has thus far provided me with a whole host of opportunities for personal development - it feels that although I am actually working and endeavouring to help my team with our tasks and responsibilities, the company is still very aware of my age and need for personal development opportunities and experiences.

I would first of all say that although the process is somewhat lengthy, it is undoubtedly worth it. Those interested in pursuing the traineeship should think carefully about previous experience that would be relevant to abrdn - even the loosest of connections can be displayed in such a way that at least highlights useful personal skills. There are multiple steps to the process, but I would recommend devoting a little time to each as they come, even if they seem daunting at first. When it comes to interviews candidates should think about experiences they have from their CV's that underline their fundamental abilities.