Analyst Review

I work in corporate coverage, which means my team acts as a relationship manager for large companies to help them raise money through various debt products. As a coverage banker, I talk to many different teams within the bank to make sure my clients have the best possible service. My day to day involves financial modelling, behind the scenes admin, managing CRM and records.

Absolutely, I have been in role for just over 6 months and have learnt new things every single day. I did not have a finance background, so this is all very new to me. Constantly learning can be tiring at times, but it is really rewarding when you realize you fully understand a concept you had no idea about a few days prior. NatWest really encourages learning and there are training sessions every week. Anything you don't know can be found out by asking a colleague. Everyone is happy to explain things to you, no matter how senior.

I'm enjoying my program a lot. I feel as involved with the day to day tasks as the other grads/associates and the qualification I'm studying is relevant to my role. We are very well supported by natwest and our training provider to make sure we know what we're supposed to be doing, how to do it best and when it needs to be done by.

There is a timeline of events/deadlines to follow, however in terms of a formal structure there isn't really one. You're kind of just left to get stuck in and learn as you go, which suits someone like me who likes to learn practically on the job - but if you're more comfortable with a strictly structured learning then this might be more difficult for you.

I receive a lot of support from my employer, more than I need. It is good in the way that the support you get is entirely flexible based on what you require. It isn't perfect - I'm aware of some other apprentices that don't feel they have as much support, but I think this is highly dependent on what team you're placed in and what you're like as a person.

We get lessons from our training provider every week. They are live and interactive but I choose to catch up on them as recordings. We also get check ups with our coaches which helps explain how the program works (apprenticeships can be a bit confusing in terms of what you need to do).

The qualification is incredibly useful, despite being a general qualification. It helps you understand some of the wider concepts of banking that you might not get sight of everyday in your role. Banking/finance can be quite complex, so this qualification helps understand how it all works together, as well as a bit of the history of banking,

Yes there are social events, mostly in your teams of wider team. Personally, I do not attend many of these but they are certainly available to you if that is your kind of thing. There are a wide variety on offer, from bowling and drinks to fitness classes. There is something for everyone.

Yes

NatWest is a fantastic place to begin your career in finance. It is a team working culture with a big emphasis on learning. There are a massive number of opportunities for promotion and moving throughout the bank. You can move into different teams for a few weeks or months if you want to see what it's like. The ability to do this is really useful early on in your career since you might not know what you want to do yet and there are so many roles in the bank that you might enjoy.

Be yourself, make sure you display a solid track record and most importantly show enthusiasm. Being truly excited about the role is so important, show that you're interested in finance and the bank by looking on our 'about us' page or checking our LinkedIn to see what we're up to. Doing this really makes you stand out.