Relationship Manager Review

The program involves 4 rotations, therefore 4 different job roles. At the moment I am a relationship manager. My role includes crating spreadsheets, replying to customer emails, going out to customer meetings. In addition it involves doing projects and contributing in strategic plans. Also filling in forms and processing various documentation.

I have learnt a lot of new skills, some of them which I did not even realise straight away as they developed over time. I am now able to write very professional emails and I am better at talking to clients directly whilst being professional. I learnt how to manage my time and also to prioritise tasks as needed in addition to paying attention to details, which is a key requirement in many jobs.

Although in my current role I am doing very long hours due to staff shortage and because the business is booming, I get quite tired and it is not always easy to study for the qualification after work. However my team has been supportive and encourages me to take time off for studies if I need to and in several other ways. I am enjoying the programme despite the fast paced work.

There have been issues with the learning provider: BPP university regarding some tight deadlines, however the issue was escalated and we are in a better position. On the work side of the apprenticeship, I would say that it is fairly structured and I am learning a lot. In addition the various rotations across different departments will allow me to learn a lot.

I received very good support for my employer. Apart from my line manager, I have been provided with a formal mentor, a placement manager (which will change during different rotations) and several channels of support. I am learning a lot of useful skill sets and the pay is very good.

although there have been some issues regarding deadlines, I am receiving a fairly good amount of support: I can call my skills development manager when I have questions or email him and I will hear back quite quickly. The training provider asked our feedback and now changes are being implemented.

It helps me to understand better the regulations and various implications of my industry, which I can then consider and apply to my job roles. For example my first module involved a lot of regulations and ethics, which helped me a lot as the customer that I deal with (companies) are often regulated by the FCA, PRA etc.

As part of my learning plan, one objective is that of doing community work at least once a year, which I have done. I am also very encouraged to participate at networking events and there are other activities available such as sports events. We are also given discounted gym pass to be more healthy.

Yes

Because this bank is very different to other banks, and as it is not as big as the "big 4", often we are given opportunities to participate and contribute t large projects. I had the chance to meet people very high up in the hierarchy, and from the experience of other colleagues who worked in other banks, they said that this was not possible there.

To apply to Santander if they are willing to take big responsibilities as they will be treated equally as other employees and not apprentices, therefore expectations will be very high. There are lots of training opportunities and the process to get into the program is very hard, therefore they would need to be resilient and pro-actively prepare for it.