Production Services Analyst Review

I am a production services analyst. I work in the Control Services department. Currently working on Incident & Problem Management reporting, creating a Service Review Pack for CTS-PS (The department I work in). I am also working on various other projects which involve the implementation and UAT of ServiceNow, a programme used extensively across Nomura's Wholesale Technology side. As well as the migration of a website onto a confluence page which would require the use of API and PHP. As well as this I was also a part of the A2P project. This is where we had to onboard applications from one portal onto another. My key role was to get the account information from the account owners and then forward this information onto those who onboard the applications and then keep a track of those who have responded to the account information request and those who haven't. I have meetings related to ServiceNow, Service reviews for various departments (i.e. CTS and EIS - this is known as the CTS EIS Service Review - where we go through actions and changes related to these two departments, and whether they affect both or one of these). I mostly work using Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint, ServiceNow and Confluence.

I have gained 3 out of the 4 MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate) qualifications from QA so far. These are Networking, Operating Systems and Server Administration MTAs. I am yet to receive the complete City & Guilds qualifications that are part of my course. These will be awarded to me after I complete all my coursework and assignments that come along with my course (three optional coursework/assignments to complete). I have learnt a lot about the programs used at the workplace, i.e. Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint, JIRA, ServiceNow and Confluence.

I enjoy interacting with other people part of the team, getting to know about their role, how I can be a part of various projects and how this can hone my skills as well.

I get to work on projects which are integral to our team. I get to show stats of the way the department is currently working, create presentations, all of which really provide me with helpful skills as well as making a difference in the department I work in. In this way, I get to show how well our team - CTS, as a whole is doing and what sort of progress we are making, etc.

I feel, the induction, or start of the programme could be improved greatly. We could have a taster day of sorts before starting work and then being given a new starter pack, which includes all the information we would need to know about the company and our department. This new starter pack should also include information on what our role is and what we would be doing on a day-to-day basis; this could be in the form of a day in the life page, where team members briefly explain what they do. This will give the apprentice an idea of how work is done in a certain department, what their role is and how that would impact the other team members too. The induction pack should include key information on equipment and programs etc. that would be used on a daily basis. This for example could consist of how to set up the computer, how to set up your telephone, how to request an item you need for your desk, etc. These packs could be created by team members, or the previous person who was in that job role or by the manager, providing a brief on what is required off the apprentice in terms of work, work ethics, etc. This would be really helpful to an apprentice in starting off in the world of work as it would provide them with a clear set of instructions and explanations of what will take place once they start work. Training, from QA has been very good. They have provided us with books that we can read over to understand each topic better. The training is on a week/two-week basis. At the end of each training, we take our MTA exam and give in our assignment that we have been doing over the course of that training. The way the lessons and training is organised could be improved greatly, if all the training sessions had a set organisation rather than each of them being different, dependent on the teachers that are teaching that training course. Support from both Nomura and QA has been excellent. We have been provided with guidance and help from them in terms of mentors and our colleagues providing us with help in whatever we are unsure in. Overall, the programme is organised well and aims to make the apprenticeship go as smoothly as possible for us- this from both QA and Nomura's end.

QA provide a lot of support in anything we may need as apprentices. We have an assessor, who visits us, approximately every 6 weeks and we sit with them and go over what has taken place so far at work, what we enjoy, if we have any concerns or questions, and we go over the course. Overall, this is a good opportunity for us to discuss anything we would like to with our QA assessor.

Nomura provides a lot of support from the team's side as well as HR. The team are very helpful and ready to provide guidance on whatever we may be confused with. Everyone, in general is very nice and supportive at all times. They help us solve issues and always treat us equally to the other members of the team. The working environment is very amicable and supportive. Overall, it is nice to work at Nomura.

The salary meets my needs extremely well. It meets my travel costs, which are my seasonal weekly tube passes. It also meets my daily costs, i.e. be it of buying food or anything else that I may need. This is a great salary and I have no qualms with it. It meets all my costs.

Yes. From Nomura, there are various events, we can attend. These include the Women in Nomura group for example. This allows us to network with other women in the company, and speak to them on how they got to where they did and help apprentices like myself out in finding what space is right for them, in the company. We also have various opportunities to volunteer, at schools for example, where you can read to kids. Nomura also have a Connect IT program. The Connect IT program encourages young women to join IT and get further in the industry. It can also be used as a means to promote IT as a viable option to work in for women. I took part in the Halloween Bake-Off. In the bake-off I baked some cookies and took part in the contest. This was a fun experience as I enjoy baking and it was all for a good cause, as all the proceedings from the bake-off contest went to charity. Overall, Nomura have a great number of opportunities outside of work you can take part in.

Yes

Nomura is a great company to work in. It has a great environment, i.e. the culture of the company, the diversity in teams. Because it is a global company, you are constantly in touch with many people from around the world in relation to projects that you may be doing. And so, you get to know a lot of people, learn about the different ways in which work can be done. Along with this, you can interact with those in other parts of the company, and get to learn what their job is, how they carry out their job. We can also do shadowing in different departments. I would recommend Nomura to a friend because of its friendly working environment, diversity and the integration of many teams in projects which encourages you to learn more and also how you can work in different ways and environments. I thoroughly enjoy working here.

For the application process, make sure, on your CV you include all the skills you may have (because these will be considered, even if they do not match the job spec you're looking for). Also include all your past experience and mention it in detail, as this will come up in the interview process. Know the current economy and what's going on in the financial world, as this will be beneficial, come interview time. For the interview, be prepared for a number of interviews, back-to-back. Also be ready to have knowledge of Nomura that you may have garnered from looking at its website or reading about it or by speaking to others. When they ask you questions, be sure to refer to things you mentioned in the CV, as well as letting them know you are keen to bring your skill set to their team and how you would do that too. Make sure you ask a lot of questions, during or after the interview. This shows that you have a keen interest in the company. Overall, this should help you in getting the job, keeping in mind you are willing to learn and contribute to your work as well as help others.