Data Analyst Review

My role involved supporting the central Business Transformation Office (BTO) as they shaped the digital transformation across all functions of Sage using Microsoft technology. Working with Senior Data Analysts and Power BI Specialists, I developed creative apps and BI reports which supported projects from early decision making at initiation through to delivery and embedding into the organisation. I helped drive the organisation’s digital roadmap, by working with the Business Transformation Office to lead a centre of excellence for Power BI, Power Apps and Smartsheet. My specific focus involved gathering requirements and assisting my team in translating those requirements into measurable and attainable data metrics. It also involved designing, developing and maintaining business intelligence solutions and data gathering apps.

As part of my team projects, I learnt how to develop creative apps using Microsoft Power Apps, business intelligence reports using Microsoft Power BI, and designed project management sheets in Smartsheet. These support projects from early decision making at initiation through to delivery and implementation into Sage. I also developed my ability of business requirements elicitation to check that the solutions I was working to implement met the needs of the business.

I thoroughly enjoyed my training programme. I met with my mentor regularly and she set me targets on a 1:2:1 basis in order to reach the criterium of the apprenticeship. I was supported thoroughly by my team also. I did feel the apprenticeship scheme didn't create a community of apprentices across the business, I wasn't included in any of the monthly activities until the last month of my whole programme and felt I could not reach out for additional support outside of my own team and department.

My training programme was very well organised. The training provider was passionate about setting up a range of training opportunities that meet the criterium of my apprenticeship. As above, when starting my apprenticeship, I wasn't included in the monthly meetings so didn't have the chance to build my network and be part of the community of apprentices.

I had a lot of support available to me whilst on my apprenticeship. This included my manager, a mentor for Power Platform, a mentor for business analysis, a mentor within my function for my apprenticeship work and a Sage buddy. I meet with my manager every week for an hour to discuss my apprenticeship, workload and development, and my mentor and buddies for half an hour a fortnight. I did feel outside of this there wasn't much support from the wider apprentice community.

They offered plenty of support. My mentor worked with me on a 1:2:1 basis so really dedicated time to supporting my needs and adapting the apprenticeship to my level of knowledge. In turn, this allowed us to cover a lot of information and contents in a very short period of time.

The qualification is really helpful and the training provider has worked with Sage a lot to ensure that it meets the needs of my role. A long with this, they have worked together to ensure that when I complete training, I’m then able to use this in a project.

All Sage colleagues are invited to do 5 foundation days a year, in which I have participated. This included judging the FIRST Lego League national finals in Harrogate. Sage Foundation has a wide variety of different opportunities that aren't limited to judging kids' activity competitions, for example, in the future I plan on doing a beach clean with my team and judging the F1 in Schools national finals at Silverstone.

Yes

Overall I have had a good experience and my team and department gave me exceptional support, pairing me up with someone who has supported me throughout my full journey. My department was also supportive of me completing my apprenticeship early and pushing me to complete and progress into a permanent analyst role.

Complete your research about Sage - the hiring managers are always impressed when you have some knowledge of Sage operations. Always be open to trying new things too, you learn the most when you make a mistake and try something again. And finally, find yourself a mate, as cringe as it sounds, it makes a massive difference having someone to support you on a personal level and a work level.