Data Analyst Review

My day to day role includes liaising with stakeholders from different internal departments to gather information around what reporting they require, create a hypothesis to base the reporting on. From this point on i will gather, cleanse and manipulate data before migrating this into a visualisation tool such as Power BI or Tableau in order to present the information back to the stakeholders identifying any key performance trends or areas of insight which may require further attention or training.

Yes. I have 100% developed new skills, when i joined the company as i joined on the basis that i would undertake the apprenticeship my knowledge was very limited. I had never previously used either Power BI or Tableau, but am now comfortable using both tools. I am also booked on to advance my knowledge on both these tools through different training programmes over the next couple of weeks. I had knowledge around excel, and had previously used pivot tables, but this knowledge was very limited and i am know able to use excel much more efficiently though the many shortcuts and features available.

I have enjoyed my programme, and in terms of in the workplace, both my immediate and wider team are extremely friendly and encourage me in everything that i undertake to make sure i take the most amount of information possible. As i have only recently started my apprenticeship however, this has been affected by Covid-19 so all of my training has been completed online, both through internal company training and external training with industry visits and the designated training company, which has proved difficult at times.

The programme led by firebrand is very well structured, with clear goal dates for each of the tasks, exams and training courses we are due to undertake. I attend monthly catch-ups with my training mentor to ensure i am on track for meeting my deadlines, and am clear about what i need to do to succeed. The training courses themselves are also very well organised, however due tot he online nature of these at the moment, the typical 9 - 5 structure may need review as concentration levels for 7 hours over a laptop can prove difficult.

My employer is very supportive. My line manager and I have weekly catch-ups to check what projects i am currently working on for the workplace, and what i am working on for the apprenticeship to ensure my development is progressing and i have enough time to manage everything on my pad. My manager has put me in contact with several other employees to assist with my development and is always looking for new ways to help me achieve my goals.

The support from my personal mentor is great, we have monthly meetings to check in on my current progress towards project goals. They have also provided me with several different help sheets for advice when writing up my project work. These have proved very useful, finally they review my work within a short space of time and provide any feedback required. They are very supportive in me achieving my goals through the apprenticeship. The training itself however as usefully as the information is, the sessions are not extremely interactive, due to their current online nature. If this interaction were to be increased i would feel that the training courses provide a higher level of support than they currently do.

The qualification i am undertaking links directly to my current role, so this 100% helps me to perform better in my role. I had very limited knowledge when beginning my role, and have since through both help within the workplace and the content of the training provided developed significantly from where i began. There are elements of the apprentichips that cover areas beyond what is required of me in my day to day role, however leaning these will inevitably be useful for the future when i progress into different roles.

Due to Covid-19 all activities currently taking place are virtual, however there are still lots of extra-curricular activities available. We often attend online zoom quizzes to keep entertained. I am also currently participating in march the month with over 60 different colleagues raising money for our partner charity. We have a joint leader board app on our phones which tracks each of our steps to encourage each other as well as some friendly competition. I am also attending a network event on march 8th for international women's day.

Yes

As a company Lloyds are very supportive of colleague development which is extremely important to me as i am at the beginning of my career journey. The company and all of the managers regardless of status that i have engaged with are very concerned with colleague wellbeing and encourage colleagues to take wellbeing time for themselves when required and are very accommodating to flexible working hours where required to support you balancing you wellbeing, your personal life and your work life.

Have a passion for development, not only for yourself but for the company. If you wish to see the company grow you will grow with this. Be honest to yourself in the interview process, showing that you are human, friendly and a strong communicator. This allows a level of trust to be developed, which is something i feel that i have with all of the stakeholders i have engaged with so far in my career at Lloyds.