Apprentice Business Analyst Review

I work within IT operations, working usually on projects which involves a variety of tasks. Communicating with stakeholders on a daily basis, Eliciting requirements, Mapping processes, Creating test scripts. Along with this I am also there to ensure a project meets all its intended requirements over it's lifespan.

I have been learning new skills since day one. I didn't believe I would learn so many skills during my day to day job, it seems to be everyday I learn something new and can begin to develop my understanding and abilities in the area.

Overall it's good, The training provider is great and is there to support you, and the support network Sage provides really make you feel comfortable and allows you to make mistakes to learn from. Combine this with the external learning and support from AssistKD, and the practical workload you are given I would thoroughly recommend it.

I would say structure is s strength of the programme. As said before the Apprenticeship provider is great and has a really well developed and structured plan to maximise your learning over the course of the apprenticeship. Even though I am not a fan of the learning provided Sage, it is really well structured and I can totally see why they would be really useful and insightful to someone who has not worked before.

A lot! I've been assigned a mentor who consistently checks in and is always open for any questions, or help I need even if they don't really have the time. As well as this my colleagues also offer a great amount of support, some of whom have already completed this apprenticeship, there is so many ways to get support you never feel isolated or lost. The only negative is the mandated learning courses the Sage early careers make you attend, I don't find them useful really and they sometimes take up time you cannot afford to spare.

AssistKD are amazing. They are by far the best training provider I have worked with, I've met several people from Assist over my time in the apprenticeship and I can't fault anyone. They are all friendly, approachable and supportive, as well as being knowledgeable and engaging when you are learning, combine that with the wealth of knowledge they hold and you have a winner!

It would help you greatly. Everything is broken down into display characteristics and skills every BA uses in a day to day role. It allows you to create your own plan to focus in on weak areas and identify your strong points, all of which are relevant to your day to day role. It also lets you gain skills in different areas such as data analysis and project management, allowing you to even further enhance your workplace skills and understanding.

Yes! There are so many to choose from within sage. Football, cycling, running and so many more are ran by employees. You also have the option to do foundation days, these are days you can sign up for and attend with other colleagues where you will go offsite to help small businesses etc. around the local area, a great way to meet new people and feel rewarded for your work.

Yes

I think it's a great place to work, the people really make Sage tick and you can learn so much from them. With so much support and an environment that fosters learning it's impossible not to develop yourself. As previously mentioned the only negative I genuinely find is the mandated early careers learning courses as I have been in work for 6 years prior, but even they would be extremely useful to someone new to a working environment.

Be yourself! There's nothing more to it, be natural and enjoy yourself through the application process. It's so easy to get caught up in nerves (a few nerves are great) but it's just about maximising your time and making the most of it.