Research Administrator Review

I am a Research administrator at Great Ormond Street hospital in the finance department. My role consists of coding invoices, dealing with expense claim forms related to research projects, invoicing for commercial and non commercial projects. Moreover, I also learn the accounting side of finance and will hope to study ACCA in the nearer future.

I have developed on my email communication highly as it was an area which I didn't have much practice on prior to this role. I have also bettered by time management skills as travelling into London is difficult sometimes do to the rush. In addition to the skills I have enhanced, my Microsoft excel skills have also gone highly better and I can understand how to collate data much better.

I enjoy coming in and looking forward to meeting my tutor and being able to be open with him and talking about any obstacles ive encountered whilst working on the module(s). I also like the way certain elements directly fit into my area of work, this helps me have a good balance of work/study time.

I feel like in terms of structure, at first it can be difficult to know where to start from however once you get your head round things, it slowly makes sense. It starts of easy and simple and then will get more complex as you go which I think is better than it being complex from the start.

I receive a high amount of support from my employer. My line manager shows a lot of interest in my apprenticeship which motivates me to do well. I have reviews every 2-3 weeks with my line manager to go through my work to ensure I have everything ready for my meetings with my tutor.

I receive a decent amount of support from my training provider however sometimes it is a bit difficult to complete tasks as certain modules can be rather confusing. Whenever I have asked for support from anyone at Lifetime they have always done their best to try and support me in my issues.

In certain aspects I feel like the role does not entirely link with my apprenticeship. In some aspects it will such as doing topics on SMART objectives will train me and enhance my personal self development. By looking through some modules that are yet to start it looks like they will have a stronger link with my day to day role which is a benefit to me.

Yes, the organisation do charity runs social activities such as team lunches as well as networking events where different staff from different trusts will meet and be able to socialise as well as enjoy an event together such as a biomedical research event. The trust also has a sports football event every now and then which I hope to take part in as it will be a great opportunity to meet new people and great for fitness.

Yes

From my experience, they are flexible and will support you no matter what. My line manager supports me and will ensure I strive for the best on the job or not. The annual leave is lovely. I feel like im not always stuck to my desk and can have a breather whenever I want without being questioned.

If you want to achieve and make it to the top, NHS will support you. When applying don't be to nervous thinking someones out there better because NHS are always training people from scratch and with zero experience which shows how they want long terms employees. Top tip would be to be yourself and just show dedication to work.