UX Professional Apprentice Review

My role as a UX designer varies so no two days are the same. Currently, in order to help deliver a new feature, I have been working on service design, visiting branches for user research and now UAT testing. Internally, we have regular scrum meetings as my team work agile.

Working in an environment where I manage my own workload and work schedule has helped me to improve my organisational and time management skills. In order to succeed in my role I need to be proactive and be actively engaged in meetings and presentations which has helped to build my confidence.

I enjoy the programme because the my work and uni syllabus overlap so they are both applicable to each other. This helps me apply what I'm learning at uni to the workplace and vice versa. I enjoy the variation of learning on the job also because it prevents me from getting bored.

Quite organised. Lectures are consistent every week and the deadlines for assignments are clear. Blackboard is very useful because resources are easy to access and find. However, sometimes when there is issues such as not receiving my timetable or general issues, it can be difficult to find out who to escalate issues to.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. I have regular catch ups with my manager and I can comfortably reach out to any member of my team if I need support with tasks. During our catch ups and weekly team calls I can also call out if I need any help with uni work specifically or exposure to tasks to meet KSBs.

I receive a lot of support and guidance from my skills coach which has been very helpful. I have regular calls with her after every module. In between these calls I can email her if I need any support. Sometimes when asking our lecturer about assignments and topical work, his answers are quite vague.

Very well. Every module I've completed so far has been directly and practically applicable to my role. So the research and tasks I do have been useful to my day to day work as well as my assignment. By doing research and task on these topics, it helps me to feel more confident which translates directly into my work.

We have occasional networking events at work to meet other apprentices. We also meet once a year at the headquarters for two days for team building events and conferences. My workplace also have volunteer days where we will go out as a group to help the community. I get involved with all of these.

Yes

From my experience, management are very easy to talk to, realistic and supportive. There isn't any micromanaging so you can work at your own pace. There's always something new to learn which is great because you won't be bored. The company have a strong culture of respect and staff are friendly.

Focus on behaviours that are favoured in the workplace such as a good attitude to learning, flexibility, good communication etc. NatWest use key behaviours to assess their staff. Some of them are flexibility, critical thinking and communication skills. Research NatWest's values as a company and focus on what resonates with you.