Describe your role and what it entails

I’m a Degree Apprentice, so this means I work towards a Degree Apprenticeship whilst working a full-time job role. I luckily have a study day each week, which is dedicated time for my studies, this includes attending lectures, writing assignments and logging all the things I’ve learnt along the way.

The Degree Apprenticeship lasts 4 years, meaning I get 4 different job roles throughout my time as a Degree Apprentice, each role lasting 12 months.

Within my current job role, I support a variety of projects and complete regular customer insight analysis, covering all aspects of Customer Experience activity. This involves collaborating with colleagues across areas of the business both within the M&S Bank and the wider HSBC group, to provide effortless experiences for our customers.

What have been your highlights?

I’ve personally had so many highlights whilst on this programme. I’ve taken part in charity challenges, learnt new job roles and met so many amazing people.

One of my main highlights that comes to mind, has been assisting with early careers events. I have taken part in numerous question and answer sessions about my experience as a Degree Apprentice. When I was in high school, Degree Apprenticeships weren’t as common as they are now and I love spreading awareness. I’m excited to participate in many more events to continue the awareness of Degree Apprenticeships in the future.

What have been your challenges?

Finding my work life balance alongside a degree definitely took some getting used to and was definitely a challenge to begin with. When assignments have an upcoming deadline, I now effectively plan my time, so I know how much time I need to dedicate to my assignments and my own personal time.

Another challenge for me personally has been learning new job roles, new teams and new people. I always get very nervous about starting a new role and doubt myself being able to fit into a new team. However, every time I surprise myself and it has always been fine! All the teams I’ve been in have been incredibly welcoming and supportive within the job role and the Degree Apprenticeship.

What have you learnt from your experience in the role?

I have learnt so much within my role as a Degree Apprentice and I’m only halfway through the programme, so I’m sure there is more learning to come!

A key learning has been how to network with stakeholders within the bank and also third party companies. I know that this will support me in my future career.

Another key learning is to self-reflect, this really supports me to see how far I have developed and how much I have learnt. The apprenticeship side of the programme really supports with this as it encourages me to write down key tasks I have completed and what I’ve learnt. This learning also assists me with problem solving as I can reflect back and see how I have previously overcome a similar challenge.

What advice would you give to a student following in your footsteps?

A piece of advice I would give is to not be scared to ask questions, if you don’t know the answer then someone else definitely will. Worst case if someone doesn’t know they will definitely point you in the right direction!

The entire Degree Apprenticeship programme is built around learning and development and you are not expected to start in a 12-month job role knowing everything.