Administrator Review

I am a personal assistant to a manager in my department as well as a team secretary to my team. My work includes diary management, keeping on track of IS requests, arranging meetings, travel and being an approachable member of the department. I also cover for other members of my team when they're off, including cover for other managers and the Head of Department for R2.

I have learnt many new skills being in an investigative department. Throughout my time as an apprentice it has given me the exposure to different types of cases in the department and the procedure of a case from start to finish. My English skills have developed especially from the written tasks I have had to complete for my apprenticeship missions as I now feel confident in drafting and sending emails to other stakeholders too.

I enjoy my programme and has given me the opportunity to work towards a qualification whilst gaining crucial experience for my role. I think the tasks from my programme have been transferrable to my day-to-day role which has boosted my confidence and encouraged me to go above and beyond any task given.

Overall, the programme is structured well however is not communicated very well. I have sometimes been under pressure to complete a piece of work with a two day turn around after waiting one month for feedback. I sometimes struggled in situations like this especially due to the workload too. It was useful to be given the times for the webinar's and reviews at the initial stages of the programme.

I have received a lot of support from my employer and I have been able to allocate a working from home day to focus on my studies. This has worked well with the business support team as we use a rota system and they are aware that every Tuesday my focus is on my apprenticeship.

I have reviews every 5 weeks with my skills coach and on the whole this has gone ahead. My skills coach has been very flexible if I am on annual leave or need to reschedule. She has also assisted where appropriate in managing stress or other issues if I have experienced where it may put more pressure on completing the work set.

I think the qualification has really helped me perform better in my role. For example, I have enhanced my understanding of various processes such as PON procedure and the structure of the organisation by incorporating these into missions set by BPP to ensure I am comfortable in undertaking this in future with little assistance.

I have attended various skills days with the other FCA apprentices and other apprentices across the UK. Additionally, in the workplace, I attend PBS forums and other social activities organised by my department and social committee in my organisation. I have also attended a BPP networking event where I have met other students working towards business related qualifications.

Yes

It is a very good place to work and the environment is very friendly. Working flexibly is useful too especially if I need to attend an appointment. I enjoy coming to work and speaking with colleagues on both a professional and personal level. I have gained new skills and enhanced my interpersonal skills in order to build and maintain relationships with others.

I would advise others to go into the role with an open mind and be comfortable learning new things, also being open to lots of training helps as this made my confidence grow and feel more comfortable when I first joined. I would also advise understanding the values as I incorporate these into my objectives and the organisation relate back to these regularly.