Rating

9.2/10
  • 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
  • Providing financial support to postmasters across the country, including the provision of service awards, leaver awards, ledger reconciliations, VAT corrections and advice. Taking inbound calls relating to financial queries and using multiple finance systems to resolve them. Production of high level reports covering 11,000 branches for upper management covering demographics, financial information.

    10/10

  • 2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
  • The program so far has helped to solidify my understanding of the VAT process from a postmasters perspective and allowed me to better help them in regards to our contractual relationships. Advanced Bookkeeping modules have provided new skills relating to the recording/depreciation and disposal of non-current assets, improved my ability to perform ledger reconciliations.

    10/10

  • 3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
  • It can be challenging at times as i currently study remotely however on the whole i look forward to the opportunity to spend a few hours learning new skills that are applicable to my role as I can see immediate results. The lack of communications and meetings (Emails etc) allow me to go at my own pace which fits better in my current role.

    10/10

  • 4. How well organised/structured is your programme?
  • As i'm working remotely there is little structure beyond the pre-set modules available on the website / hard copy books. I have regular meetings with my talent coach who provides support and advice regarding the overall progress of my course and gives some targets which help improve the overall structure.

    7/10

  • 5. How much support do you receive from your employer?
  • My employer is actively supporting my apprenticeship, providing me with dedicated time to complete work, sourcing opportunities to take on more finance focused roles and shadow experienced employees who can provide practical daily applications of the knowledge learnt. They also provide financial reimbursement for travel and exam costs which help a great deal.

    10/10

  • 6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
  • My Training provider has a range of online modules and hardcopy books that cover each topic in detail, covering presentations, questionnaires, case studies and mock exams. Regular checkups with my talent coach allow me to stay focused and the provider also has dedicated experts who you can contact regarding issues you may be having with the learning.

    9/10

  • 7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
  • At present i have only completed 2 modules however this has already greatly improved my work ability which has contributed to my teamwork skills (which in turn provides more opportunities to learn and apply my knowledge), I am also able to provide more accurate and detailed information to our postmasters, create more detailed reconciliations thus saving other staff time.

    10/10

  • 8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
  • Our employer participates in the local Pride events which people are encouraged to join. Our manager takes time out to provide us with social events both during work time (the most recent being a nature trail walk) and after work (meals etc). These all contribute to a more relaxed and friendly team/department.

    8/10

  • 9a. Would you recommend Post Office to a friend?
  • Yes


  • 9b. Why?
  • Flexible working opportunities, above average salary for the local area. Policies that provide organizational support coupled with supportive management who cater to your needs first rather than those of the company. They provide opportunities for self-development, from internal courses to financial support for external ones which reward us for loyalty to the company.


  • 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Post Office?
  • Applications are done online so can be tricky to find, interviews tend to be very relaxed rather than interrogations, following the standard star method which with a little experience are easy to ace. The onboarding process itself runs very smoothly and you're provided with all the information needed before starting the role, this will always involve coming to the office for the day to do a meet and greet and provides first hand experience of the role you've be taking on. With internal/external learning opportunities there is a great deal of self-development opportunities and you'll find staff are very flexible, switching to alternative teams/roles as the need arises. Only downside is if you're not working there yet you don't get all these advantages.


Details

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Finance

Bolton, Greater Manchester

March 2022


View More Reviews
Recruiting? See how we can help you