Trainee Project Manager Review

My role as an apprentice PM generally involves lots of emails - whether that be chasing people, issuing minutes / pieces of information or answering queries from the project team / client/s. As I am still in my first year, a lot of my time is spent observing how projects are managed and the processes they have to go through when working with my line manager.

I have learnt how to conduct myself in a professional way - whether that be writing emails, speaking in meetings or on the phone, giving presentations as well as general interaction with my colleagues. I have also developed people management skills as this was something quite new to me going into the job

I enjoy the level of challenge that the role offers - I would say it is a very stimulating job and some days pass almost too quickly because you are so busy! However, given the current working environment - I have struggled adapting to a desk job and working from home can be a struggle sometimes.

The programme is fairly well structured. The uni side of things is very clearly set out and you know what you have to do to pass / what to expect in future years. On the work side, I have heard mixed things from other apprentices and I think it largely depends on the team that you are working with. Some people can be very supportive - but others can be too busy to teach you things. In my personal experience, my line manager is very supportive and helps by giving me tasks specifically designed to help my learning.

As in the above, I think this depends on who you get assigned to as a line manager. But Arcadis generally do offer support - whether it be that you are struggling with university or mental health etc, there is always someone that you can contact (on an anonymous basis if needed) for help.

With UCEM, each apprentice has an apprenticeship review meeting every 10 weeks. In this meeting your designated AOO (Apprenticeship Outcomes Officer) asks you how you are getting on with the learning and how it all links in with work. This is very helpful to have as it gives you time to really think and talk through how the uni side ties in with work.

The qualification is fairly well tailored to the role, and is designed to give you the background knowledge to help you understand things in work a bit more. However, I do feel that there is a lot of information given that is not needed and this is frustrating when you seem to be learning it for no real reason

Arcadis are slowly starting to recover from the pandemic and social activities are starting to become a bit more frequent. I have been to a few after work socials and I think there are professional networking events. Sports has been talked about - as this was a regular thing before covid - but there are not many opportunities as far as I am aware.

Yes

Arcadis generally looks after their employees - particularly when working from home there is the opportunity to do flexible working hours which makes a massive difference to me personally. There is a nice network with people who are always happy to help, making it a great working environment for someone who is starting out.

Be prepared for the interview stages, look into Arcadis and familiarise yourself with their values and make sure they tie in with your own. Think about how Arcadis could help you progress to where you want to be. Try to work as a team in the assessment day, rather than being too loud or too quiet.