Project Management Apprentice Review

Daily tasks will see you meeting and communicating with team members about current tasks and projects, attending meetings about the development of your team and even having the opportunity to conduct your own meetings and projects to heighten your interpersonal skills and skills within the team to aid your understanding of what your role means.

Public speaking was definitely a weakness of mine, but I have had endless opportunities to work on this already; the chance to conduct my own meetings, construct and oversee my projects has given me a newfound independence and has also allowed me the opportunity to build my confidence levels, especially when it comes to presenting my work to team members. The frequency in which you are given this independence increases as you elevate in your career, so you will have plenty of time to work on your professional skills. I've also been able to build my skills through platforms that Vodafone offer, providing me with essential training that is needed within the workplace.

The culture at Vodafone has really exceeded my expectations; it can be very daunting to crossover from sixth form or college straight into the workplace, but the people in my team and those at Vodafone as a whole ensured that that crossover for my cohort and I were as smooth as possible; here, taking care of your wellbeing is really emphasized and so everyone makes sure you're comfortable! There are even endless opportunities to get to meet with people outside of a work environment, with loads of socials and even trips to get to know one another better.

Vodafone offers a really organised programme for Apprentices; we had many insights to Vodafone before we even started the Apprenticeship, with an official induction week put into place before we started working. When I was put into my team, my manager ensured that I was comfortable and had a good understanding of my role before I started to work on anything serious. We have days dedicated to university lectures bi-weekly, and so have formed a solid schedule that works around this. I also have frequent meetings with my manager about my development in my role and how this can change, giving me a really positive scope about the future - I also have a skills coach from my university who I meet with frequently to talk about the academic side of my apprenticeship.

My manager and team are really considerate of people's situations, and how this can sometimes change the scope of work; Vodafone highlight that work is important, but so is your personal life. There are many ways for employees to reach out if help is needed, and there are even talks and training courses that teach you how to respond if someone happens to share their problems with you and how you can accommodate them accordingly.

I enjoy having a personal skills coach that I can set a meeting up with whenever, and who I can talk about my worries with. My skills coach ensures that I am up to date with the academic side of my apprenticeship and is very good at giving me advice that makes my work better - However, I'm not too sure if the way that we are taught in lectures is the best way for me to learn proactively so I like to look over content myself and communicate worries to my skills coach rather than my lecturer.

The content that I learn at university correlates to what I learn on the job, and vice versa; when asked to provide real life context in my assignments, I like to use examples of things I have experienced or are in charge of in the workplace as it matches what is asked of me in the specification.

There are so many social events to get involved in outside of work, both in person and virtually; we have a dedicated Youth Committee that ensures we have loads of things to look forward to, including going to parks, restaurants and even online cocktail making and online networking that gives you the opportunity to meet new people from different backgrounds.

Yes

Though managing university and a full time job may seem daunting, degree apprenticeships are the better alternative to university, and working at a company like Vodafone really highlights this. There are so many opportunities to elevate personally, professionally and even socially, and everyone is so welcoming and considerate of other people. The emphasis on wellbeing is also highly important, as Vodafone fully advocates for the work-life balance, and knowing you aren't under constant pressure makes the job so much easier and enjoyable.

It's so important to be yourself! Vodafone aren't looking for people to be perfect and polished; the only important thing is that you're ready to learn and are confident in your skills and talents, and accept that there is always room to improve. The application process can be very long and sometimes scary, but remember to take your time, especially in interviews and when questioned about things in the Assessment Centre, as it's easy to let fear take over. Getting the job is just the beginning; a good tip, especially for the Assessment Centre, would be to remember how far you've come, and that you're there for a reason. I wish someone would have told me to not be so scared, as all you need to do is be yourself and remain calm, which really does set you apart from other people.