Service Support Analyst Review

I am part of the Mobile and Devices Service Line, in which my team is customer facing. My team is responsible for the in-life performance and quality of the mobiles and devices deployed to all of the workers across Unilever.

I have had the opportunity to complete an ITIL Foundation course which has helped me greatly in my day-to-day role as it has given me a broader knowledge of service and what we should expect from the customer as well as what they might expect of us.

I am really enjoying my programme at the moment; I have found that it is very varied and I have had the opportunity to connect with people not only from my team but also with people from around the world, such as India and South America. I have found this really interesting and it reminds me of how global Unilever is as a company, which makes me very proud to work here.

I feel very valued by my team and Unilever as a whole. A few months ago, our CEO Paul Polman visited our site and he spoke of how he appreciates and values apprentices and how he supports the apprenticeship programme. My line manager has also been really supportive and has helped me a lot to settle into my role and the team.

My programme is well-structured and Unilever has made its expectations and intentions clear in terms of what we will be doing over the course of the next few years. I have found that everybody who I have come into contact with has been extremely welcoming and approachable, meaning that there is not really a feeling of hierarchy or a feeling that certain people are more important than others. I really appreciate this because I feel that I can approach anybody for help and I do not feel intimidated by anybody because of their role.

We receive support from our training provider through frequent reviews with our assessors during which we can raise any issues or concerns, and also tell them a bit more about our role and how well it is going. My assessor makes sure that the work that I am doing for my BTEC is tailored to my knowledge and my job, so that both the work and the study elements of my apprenticeship fit together very well.

I have frequent reviews with my Regional Development Support Officer in which I can discuss any concerns or worries with her and also discuss what is going well in work. These meetings are really useful as it shows that our employer is taking an active interest in our programmes which I feel is really important.

My salary meets my costs very well at the moment; I was surprised and happy to discover what my salary would be for this apprenticeship, as I think it is at a competitive rate.

Our company and team tries to create many opportunities outside of work, such as the Outreach programme in which us apprentices can speak to sixth form, college or school students to promote our apprenticeship and increase awareness.

Yes

I would absolutely recommend Unilever to a friend. My experiences so far have been second-to-none and I would not hesitate in recommending it! I find that everybody who I have come into contact with has been nothing but supportive and welcoming which is so important, especially for apprentices for whom this may be their first full-time job - like myself.

I would say to relax during the assessment days. The speech that we make can be a bit stressful but honestly on the day everybody is so encouraging and welcoming so you do not have to be worried about it at all.