Project Manager (Apprentice) Review

My role is heavily based around working on various different projects within Hs2, undertakings lots of different activities such as creating logs/trackers, using various softwares to communicate with contractors and transmit various documents formally between each other, lots of scheduling in terms of setting up meetings, recording meeting notes, recording what actions need to be done after certain meetings. Also lots of document work such as pland, terms of references, change papers etc.

One of the key skills I have gained is communication skills, as being in this role I have been given various chances to speak in front of crowds and also to continually develop how to speak to audiences, such as the speed of my speech and the tone. Another big skill I have developed is organisation skills, as in this role you have to be prepared and organised to be able to complete alkl your day to day activities without being strayed away or being distracted/forgetful, so you learn things which can keep you organised, me personally through my line manager teaching me things such as to record what i am doing in my calendar and to plan ahead on what you will do each hours of the day, ensuring that I get all my tasks done in a timely manner.

I enjoy my programmed a lot, as while at times it can get stressful and sometimes you may have to do things your not necessarily looking forward to, the experience, qualification and skills you are getting out of it overcomes anything like that, and what i find is that once i have done something i have less fear or i dont mind doing it again.

My programme is structures very well in my opinion, with clear outcomes that need to be achieved that ae set. This was done initially by telling us how our programme will work, showing us what exams we will need to do, what competencies we will need to complete etc.

In terms of employer itself I feel I receive an acceptable amount of support, in terms of my line manager always supporting me and setting me tasks that are always well explained and understood and I always am never afraid to ask questions if i am unsure of anything. On trop of this within my team there are various colleagues that i know i can talk to if i ever need any support or if i have any questions. On top of this there is a mentoring/buddy scheme which is in place which is also very good which enables you to speak to other people in the business so you gain more expertise and knowledge on peoples past experiences and how they overcome this, but also having the person to ask outside of your team is nice as they can give you more of an outsider's view on things which can help with clarity and understanding of some key ideas/points that we raise within the team.

we have fortnightly college sessions that help us learn and gain more understanding of the topics that lie within project management which i can use in my day to day activities, for example learning about change management through my training provider enabled me to understand more about change within my job role when it is mentioned/discussed in change panels/reviews etc.

I think that it helps learning the core understanding of the topics which can be helpful when learning new things, as you may understand it more when hearing it in meetings etc, however the qualification itself does not in my opinion enable you to learn and understand the core day to day activities of a project manager. by this i mean if i had no experience as an apprentice project manager and was just taking the qualification, if i passed the qualification and went in a project management role, i feel i would be flustered as it is so different to just learning the topics, as you need to really understand the day to day activities of a project manager in person not just the core topics. However being an apprentice it is positive as i can use some things i learn through the training provider and link it in with my on the job apprenticeship work.

yes there are, every wednesday there is weekly football sessions which any hs2 worker can join and attend, on top of this there are always networking events being run which get emailed out if you want to apply to take part, and on top of thsi we have apprentice learning weeks every 6 months, which allow us to have 1 volunteering day at an external site which is a good experience.

Yes

i feel that hs2 is a very good place to gain more knowledge, experience and skills all at the same time, and ontop of that you can gain so many netwroking opportunities through hs2. I would say in terms of experience it is unmatched, you are working on the biggest project in europe and the work we are allowed to do is brilliant alongside the qualification we are setting out of it to continually develop yourself, i think it is an opportunity you cant refuse. On top that I have not had one bad experience 8 months into the programme, showing how all your colleagues are all here to support you and help you progress, it really is a place where you can develop yourself with no-one judging or treating you in any negative way

preparation is key, when i applied i used all the guidance which hs2 offered prior to the interview, and i spent hour on hours learning what i can say and do which can show why i am perfect for the role. This is as simple as learning and understanding the STAR approach which they recommend you to use, which is a brilliant way to explain situations in the best detail without missing anything out. On top of this rehearsal is key, as you will be able to prepare yourself in what you are going to say, however what i will say is that you should always be yourself, do not try to act like someone your not, it's much more flowing and easier to be yourself and that's something to not be shy of, in a way what you were doing is promoting yourself to hs2 in terms of why you are the perfect candidate.