Graduate Finance Apprentice Review

As a finance graduate apprentice I aid the rest of the regional finance team with the quarterly forecasts and closes, as well as the yearly 5 year plan and Annual Operating Budget for the whole of EMEA. On a day-to-day basis, I maintain our financial reporting files and collaborate with other teams such as Sales to ensure the team and I are up to date with the ever changing market conditions.

As part of my apprenticeship, not only am I developing my soft skills through on the job training, but I am also completing my CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualification. Not only is this qualification essential in my finance career, but it gives me the opportunity to develop skills such as organisation, time management and flexibility as I need to find the right balance between work and study, which I believe I have!

So far, I am really enjoying my programme and believe it was the perfect next step for me and my finance career after leaving university. This programme especially has allowed me to both study for my CIMA qualification and contribute meaningful work to my team as it has built in study days within the programme.

I believe my three year programme is well structured/organised. Right at the start of my programme, the training providers provided me with an outline of what the three year programme would look like and a schedule of when to take each of my CIMA exams. I have found this very useful in planning ahead and ensuring I stay on top of my exam. Similarly, I am able to plan with my manager and team if there is expected to be any conflict with any key finance deadlines.

As mentioned, being on an apprenticeship means I have study days built into my schedule and therefore had dedicated time within work hours to work towards my CIMA qualification. This has been really helpful with finding that work and study balance instead of having to use up my own annual leave or work continuously at weekends to complete exams.

The training providers have been great with helping me study towards my CIMA qualification. At the beginning of the programme I receive an Excel spreadsheet from them that had a clear plan of how the three year programme would be structured. Similarly, I have been assigned a personal tutor who I have quarterly reviews with and can email at any time if I have any questions.

Training for my CIMA qualification has allowed me to gain a better understanding of the finance industry and financial terms. As a result, I have been able to apply this to my role and get a better understanding why we perform certain tasks at quarterly closes and forecasts. Most finance roles now require an accountancy qualification so gaining my CIMA qualification is essential if I want to progress further.

At Disney, my team and I have had the opportunity to participate in the Rise Against Hunger Volunteer event. This is where we took two hours out of our working day to help pack meals, which were sent to Zimbabwean school children. Not only was this event for a great cause but it allowed my team and I to work together outside of our usual daily tasks.

Yes

The Walt Disney Company is a great place to work, especially if you have a passion for the media and entertainment industry. I especially love how collaborative the company is and have had many opportunities to network with several individuals from around the company, all in different areas of the business. This has allowed me gain a better understanding of what line of business I would like to go into after my apprenticeship as there are so many opportunities at Disney.

My biggest advice to anyone aspiring to work at Disney is to ensure you have a genuine passion for not only the company but the entertainment industry as a whole. I truly believe that my love and deep interest for the entertainment industry and Disney have helped me stay engaged and driven to push myself to be the best that I can be whilst overcoming any obstacles that come my way!