Apprentice, Financial Services Professional (Chartered Financial Analyst) 2022 (Regulated) Review

by NatWest

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

7.6/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

I work in a Financing Team within the Front Office of a Bank's Investment Banking arm. A typical day will involve liaising with Colleagues, Clients and Third parties to analyse and structure loan facilities for Clients.

7/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

As part of my apprenticeship I completed Level 1 of the CFA qualification along with 7 Assignments and an End point Assessment (EPA). The main skill I have developed during my time as an apprentice would be my Analytically skills, the majority of my work is carried out using Excel, with some use of VBA and Python.

8/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

Considering how demanding a role within Investment Banking can be on it's own, at times it has been stressful having to work additionally hours and weekends to complete work. With that said, the course has been enjoyable from a learning perspective and has provided me with a good opportunity to get my foot in the door at a Bank.

7/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

There are some suggestions which I will be providing feedback on in regards to structure, the main suggestion being to teach parts of the CFA course earlier on, however overall I would say the course was structured well and worked for those willing to go above and beyond to succeed.

8/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

Sufficient support to complete the apprenticeship.

8/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

Good support to complete the apprenticeship and CFA level 1 exam.

8/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

CFA Level 1 provided a good grounding for the basics such as Asset management techniques and Economic which are relevant in the Banking/Finance Industry. In terms of Assignments, I found at times the learning objectives were very generic and not always relevant to my specific role.

7/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

No.

8/10

9a. Would you recommend NatWest to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

Generally a good place to work, friendly and relaxed culture and sufficient support to get you through the Apprenticeship and into a career.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to NatWest?

Have a genuine interest in the role you are applying for and most importantly to be yourself so your personality can shine.