Finance Apprentice Review
at Matalan
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Accounting
Liverpool
Review Submitted: March 2023
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!
4/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
3.2/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
I'm currently in between roles at the minute transitioning from payroll, where I oversee and partake in admin tasks for the payrolls for our warehouses and our lorry drivers. This job includes running deductions reports, answering queries from both staff and employees and inputting anything onto payslips. My new role will oversee all of the finance for these same payrolls however I will be partaking in budgeting, variance analysis, weekly calls, completing tasks that are month end and year end specifics.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
I do enjoy the content itself, especially as I did maths at uni however I feel like I have had very little communication regarding development and next steps from the talent advisor yet they will correspond with my manager rather than directly with myself and it's not the manager taking part in the course. I also feel like I don't receive much support from my talent coach apart from 1 call every 6 weeks.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I had no previous experience in finance so I am now competent in running payrolls, completing payroll calculations, data loading information, completing bank recs, completing weekly reports, I have become more efficient in excel using pivot tables and add ins such as analyst and Oracle, I can now confidently lead calls.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Again, the content itself is pretty well structured and flows quite well however I feel like I am using other websites such as Astranti and OpenTuition to help alongside as Kaplan's resources on it's own is not enough and personally I wouldn't be happy if I was self funding. Luckily the two other resources are free to anyone.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
As above, I feel like I have had very little communication regarding development and next steps from the talent advisor yet they will correspond with my manager rather than directly with myself and it's not the manager taking part in the course. My manager has been amazing however it's the talent support I feel there is lack of.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
2/5
Again I feel like I don't receive much support from my talent coach apart from 1 call every 6 weeks. I don't think this is sufficient enough in terms of being set the KSBs to get them finished in time for gateway and I feel now that I am approaching that stage I feel like I am now being rushed
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
This has 100% helped as I started in payroll and without the content, I'd be walking into my new role with no prior knowledge. Fundamentals of Management Accounting has been particularly helpful as I am stepping into a trainee management accounting role on completion of my level 4.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
Finance have their own nights out which are amazing itself! There are quite a few extra curricular activities and things like walks for charity and we also have vendors come in to sell different things each week, however I feel like the extra curricular activities and things like walks for charity are largely dominated by HR who I (and others that I work with) have already found to be quite clique like so I stick to what I'm comfortable with.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Matalan to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I love working for the company, in general my manager and everyone I've come across in finance at least have been very supportive and patient with me. I feel like I fit in well and I do enjoy my job in general however I am going to try and negotiate a pay rise as fair enough I am an apprentice but I will be doing level 7 CIMA eventually, just like every other trainee accountant in the company so I do not see why I should be paid/treated differently.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Matalan?
Be yourself! I think that was one thing that made me feel like I had the job in the bag at the interview stage. Don't pretend to be someone you're not, I fit in well in a very diverse team and we all have lovable qualities in one way or another
