Service Integration Analyst Apprentice Review

My daily role as a Service Integration Analyst apprentice involved interacting with different teams globally. The projects were mostly internal which meant I was communicating with people from Unilever across the globe. My role involved creating reports which were primarily about services and were presented back to management highlighting key points.

I have learnt many new skills as well as developing existing skills. I completed a BTEC level 4 in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals and a foundation degree in Computing and IT Practice. As well as the qualifications, I also had the chance to apply this knowledge practically in my role which helped me to learn the theory side easier. I have developed many interpersonal skills which I will use throughout my career.

The team I worked with was really friendly, supportive and welcoming. My manager was really supportive, making sure I had the right amount of work, so I would say it did meet my expectations.

My manager made me feel like a very valued member of the team and I have received some internal recognition as a result of work I have completed within my team and projects.

The induction was good and taught us the basics. 1 study day a week is allocated which helped to complete qualifications. The programme was fairly well organised, and I think this improving as it is becoming more established. Mentors are also available which provides more support from someone outside of your team if you need it.

The support from our training provider was good. They were happy to support us when needed, although sometimes it could take a few days for a response over email and the guidance was ok.

My manager was really supportive and helped me to grow in confidence. I also had a mentor who helped me to understand the wider business which was really useful. The HR team were also good if I had any queries. The general attitude was very supportive and people are willing to help.

The salary is great for an apprenticeship, and easily meets living costs as well as travel costs with money left over for social events.

There are a number of events that Unilever take part in, I was involved with a lot of outreach events which aimed to promote apprenticeships to young people so visited a lot of schools and careers events in the local community.

Yes

Unilever is a great company to work for and the apprenticeships give you great experience working for a global company. My apprenticeship helped to increase my confidence tenfold and develop many interpersonal skills that I will use throughout my career.

The application process is fairly long, but stick with it if it's something you are genuinely interested in. Prepare for interviews and practice with someone if you can. Try not to be too nervous and make eye contact with others.