Personal Loan Underwriter Review

Item: Personal Loan Underwriter at First Response Finance Limited
Rating: 3.9
Author: Anonymous

at First Response Finance Limited

Degree Apprenticeship

Business Operations, Finance

Wigan

Review Submitted: April 2021

Overall Rating

3.9 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

3.5/5 - Overview of Role

4/5 - Skills Development

3.8/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

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

4/5

I work as an underwriter writing personal loans to existing customers. This involves answering calls through a line and taking cust through a phone interview to discuss their profile such as credit history.
As well as this, I work on a project which aims to improve the personal loan product for the company.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

3/5

I enjoy the program both in work and university. I have settled into the job now after nearly 2 and half years doing the program. I have also got used to the workload of the job and uni. It is tough this year as the workload is stepping up and will be tough that we still have one year left.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

4/5

A practical skill I have learned is underwriting and the basic skill of this. This is all about assessing risk of a customer and the chance they will keep up payments and also ensuring the loan is the right thing to do. This is a skill that could be used in different sectors such as mortgage underwriting.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

4/5

I think the organization is good in the program. It has been especially well organised in uni to get us all doing lectures online which are running smoothly given the circumstances.
At work, i am part of the first apprentice group in my office so everyone is still learning. The plan changed for me from the original plan to where i would be moving to when moving department but i am glad it changed.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

4/5

I feel I receive more than enough support from my employer. I have a dedicated uni mentor at work who is always available to support with assignments or my portfolio. My team leader has also always been supportive and given me help such as allowing study days and time out of work to do sessions which will benefit my degree.

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

3/5

I also get a lot of support from my provider. There is always drop in sessions outside of the specific lecture time and i feel lecturers are always there if i need to email them questions etc. They offer a number of resources which i can use towards my work.

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

4/5

My degree helps me get a wider understanding of businesses which helps me understand decisions my business makes. We do a lot of work from a management point of view but I am not in a management role at the moment. I feel in the future if I am in a management role I can take the learning from my degree into it.

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

4/5

There is extra activities such as internal courses which i am doing at the moment. The course is called business foundation and aims to see businesses from a different point of view and help companies become visionary companies.
There isnt formal activities such as sports teams but there has been times when collegues have played football for example.
There is also team nights out which take place quartely and are part funded by First Response.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend First Response Finance Limited to a friend?

Yes

Why?

I feel they are a great company to work for who offer decent salary, a number of extra benefits and i enjoy working with all my colleagues. They have strong values which they stick by from recruitment all the way through to management rolls. I havent had any bad experiences since working for First Response.

What tips or advice would you give to others applying to First Response Finance Limited?

Be aware of the values of First Response and see if you agree and fit with the values. They are driven by these values and if you don't fit with them you may not fit in at the business and it may get more difficult over time. I always recommend to be yourself for this reason as they recruit the person not their past experience or skills.

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