Associate Project Manager Apprentice Review

I work for one of Unilever's' Beauty & Personal Care brands in the hair care category, the brand is called TIGI. I report into the Assistant Brand Manager. I work in one of the brand teams within the marketing team. As I am working towards a Project Management Apprenticeship programme most of my role is project and operational based. I have worked on projects such as competitor research, photoshoot plannning, procuring props and helping governing projects. I also help with the brands social media and digital exposure with selecting, scheduling content/posts and helping with community management & engagement. I also complete admin tasks such as helping with budget management, raising POs and raising FOCs etc. I also have attended industry and market webinars, talks and industry shows to deepen my knowledge of the industry. I have had inductions with many different functions within the business and had inductions from hairdressers and education professional which helped me to deepen my knowledge on the professional hair category.

I have developed and learnt many new and existing skills including communication, professionalism, teamwork, organisation. I have also learnt industry relevant knowledge, such as the innovation processes/ funnel, Unilever processes, how to process PO and FOC orders, budgets etc.

I definitely enjoy the work I do. The company culture provides great opportunities and experiences for your own personal development. I also really like the flexible working and inclusive working environment that Unilever provide. My team is really supportive and friendly, and my line manager really helps to support me in my development and growth within the role.

The induction did not start to 2-3 months into my programme, so at the start there was a lack of direction on what to do on my study day. When the programme finally began there was more structure to it, however it was still a confusing structure and support system. After some time, they provided a more clear explanation on what was expected from us and who would help to support us (tutor and development coach). We have a webinar every 1-2 weeks for which we have to do online pre-reading for, after each webinar we are also asked to prepare a written question to send to our tutor to help us practice for the exam. We also have a meeting with our development coach every 6-12 weeks to check in with our progress and how far we have progressed with the coursework part of the programme. It is well organised now but at first we were provided little information on structure of course and what we were expected to do.

I receive lots of support from my employer. I have a weekly 1 to 1 meeting with my manager where we discuss my priorities, tasks for the week, my development goals and my progress with my studies. I also have access to a HR representative who I have asked any questions or queries I might have. The company's general attitude to supporting me and gaining as much experience is a positive one.

We receive support from our tutor with exam content, exam preparation and questions about the exam. We also have a development coach who we can ask questions about the coursework part of the course. With 6 months into the programme, there are contacts I can reach out to for support, however at the start of the course this was definitely lacking, as me and other apprentices on my course felt unsupported and in the dark in the first few months by our training provider.

My qualification in Project Manager does help me with my projects as it has given my guidance on how to better manage others and myself within projects and helping me develop skills such as stakeholder management, communications, consolidated planning, project reviews, risk management etc. This helps me to put the theory I learn into practice. I feel I know more about project management and how it can be used in marketing and in general from completing my qualification alongside the experience I gain from my role.

Unilever provides company events, in particular social events which helps apprentices to socialise together and has allows us to interact with senior leaders. Within 6 months of being at Unilever, there has been 2-3 of these type of events. Unilever offers the opportunity for you to volunteer with the local community. One of these being to encourage self-esteem in primary schools. Employees got trained to teach a lesson on confidence as part of Dove self-esteem project, and then employees would teach this lesson in a local primary school in the area. They do not offer events/classes however there is a free gym employees can use. Social events are mainly organised in groups and teams. When not working I try to attend social events with team or other apprentices. On weekends when not working I try to keep fit and socialise with out of work friends.

Yes

I would recommend Unilever to a friend as they are a great company to work for. They have great company values and provide great working opportunities and experiences to help you develop. They have a progressive company culture and allow you to work on great brands.

I would recommend to research Unilever and their brands before writing your application and make sure to include the company sustainability values and your own personality is included in your application. At interviews I think all you can do is practice questions and your soft skills in how you behave and how to act in a professional setting. For the assessment day, I think it best to just be yourself and not get to nervous by the other candidates as you never know what can happen as I left the centre not thinking I had got in to Unilever. With the on-boarding process I would take the time to socialise as much as possible and take all the opportunities that you can, as Unilever has a lot to offer you. I would have liked to been told how much you have to put yourself forward to be included in social events and opportunities, as these things are not usually sent out as an email to everyone and more happen on the basis of you asking to be included.