Assistant Financial Analyst Review
at Greene King
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Accounting
Bury St Edmunds
Review Submitted: May 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
4/5
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Skills Development
3.8/5
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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:
4/5
I am an Assistant Financial Analyst within the managed reporting team. This ror involves reporting to the business on performance and providing commentary for this. My day-to-day responsibilities include:
Producing the weekly trading report and cost reports (sales and purchases)
Sales reconciliation of actual vs. budget
Updating sports fixtures for use in forecasting
Producing annual and half year forecast budgets
Ad-hoc reporting requirements for the business
Producing the weekly trading report and cost reports (sales and purchases)
Sales reconciliation of actual vs. budget
Updating sports fixtures for use in forecasting
Producing annual and half year forecast budgets
Ad-hoc reporting requirements for the business
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I enjoy working for Greene King and the flexibility I am allowed in order to complete my studies alongside my full-time role.
The company provides me with the support and time I need to minimise stress on me and to ensure I am meeting the requirements of my learning.
I enjoy learning and I have noticed a huge improvement and increase in my skills over the last two years.
The company provides me with the support and time I need to minimise stress on me and to ensure I am meeting the requirements of my learning.
I enjoy learning and I have noticed a huge improvement and increase in my skills over the last two years.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have greatly increased my knowledge of using Microsoft Excel, including the use of formulas, pivot tables, Macros and power queries to manipulate and process information.
I have also been building skills in financial analysis and have developed an understanding of forecasting and looking into the causes of results.
I have also furthered my communication skills both written and verbally within a business environment.
I have also been building skills in financial analysis and have developed an understanding of forecasting and looking into the causes of results.
I have also furthered my communication skills both written and verbally within a business environment.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The programme is very structured, I would say it is too rigid sometimes as there is little opportunity avoid large gaps between courses. I would have liked to have completed my level 3 and 4 quicker than I was able to, but I appreciate this structure suits other students.
There have been some issues with organisation from the provider and I do have to ensure I am on the ball with my admin to make sure nothing gets missed
There have been some issues with organisation from the provider and I do have to ensure I am on the ball with my admin to make sure nothing gets missed
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I receive a great deal of support from Greene King, they provide me with study days, days to prepare for my exam. Plenty of opportunities to practice the skills required to meet my course requirements.
There is a great culture of learning within the business and study is actively encouraged and viewed as important for all employees development.
There is a great culture of learning within the business and study is actively encouraged and viewed as important for all employees development.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
There is support from a skills coach however it is not tailored to the individual student so a lot of it is not relevant, especially when studying at a higher level. The course material is excellent and most of the tutors are engaging and helpful.
The student portal is not very user friendly which can cause issues.
The student portal is not very user friendly which can cause issues.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
Having a financial qualification is very beneficial to my role as it gives me an understanding of the processes outside of my role. It also prepares me to take on new tasks.
The extra curricular skills days provided my First Intuition have been very basic and I do not feel they have been useful for my role.
The extra curricular skills days provided my First Intuition have been very basic and I do not feel they have been useful for my role.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
Since I started my role as Assistant Financial Analyst, I have attended numerous networking and social events organised by Greene King. There is a very social atmosphere with opportunities to take part in the football team, charity events are frequently organised. The companies charity partner is Macmillan, I am organising a team car wash and there are multiple other events taking place across the year.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Greene King to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Greene King provides an excellent environment for learning. There are numerous opportunities to increase your skills and move into different roles for experience.
It is really interesting to be a part of the greater finance team of such a large business and to see all of the teams and work which goes into the day-to-day running of the business.
It is really interesting to be a part of the greater finance team of such a large business and to see all of the teams and work which goes into the day-to-day running of the business.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Greene King?
Role are advertised on the Greene King careers website, ensure you are thorough with your application. Be proactive and read through the job description, if there are any skill gaps, make note of how you plan to overcome these, is there a course you can complete online?
Also, writing a cover letter is a great way to make your application stand out.
Also, writing a cover letter is a great way to make your application stand out.
