Relationship Manager Apprentice Review
at NatWest Group
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Finance
London
Review Submitted: February 2024
Overall Rating
4.8 /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!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
4.6/5
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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 have been placed in a Corporate Finance team, but it is imporant to note that all apprentices are places in different teams across the bank. In my role, I do a mix of debt capital markets for bond issuance and interest rate risk management for hedging. Some daily reponsibilities as an apprentice is to complete some tasks for some transactions such as indicative rates pricing, valuations, credit line utilisation analysis, bond issuance, private placements, client meetings, client events, and utilisation of innovative tools to stay competitive.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I do enjoy the programme, I like my team and my peers across the business. I like the fact that I'm still in contact with other apprentices and I like where I'm based.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Everyday I'm learning new skills, whether it be products, business processes, how to action tasks or just about the organisation as a whole. I've also learnt a lot of background macro economics, which has helped me in my role.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
I wish it was more structured at the beginning. I think there wasn't a lot of transparency during our induction about what would happen when we enter our teams. We started a week after the graduate programme started, and we couldn't help but compare their learning to ours, as it was much more structured and took a more practical approach to learning. I think the following training sessions were good, but wish their was a better timeline.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I've received a good amount of support. I haven't had to request anything extra, but they've been very accomodating to me so far.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
A lot! BPP has been great. There was a lot of thoughtfulness when considering how to structure our apprenticeship and it's clear that they've listened to feedback and improved year on year. I'm most impressed with my coach. I get to have regular meetings with them and my manager, plus I get a lot of direction about how I'm doing.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
Having the confidence to approach new situations (we worked on soft skills with BPP first). Building competency around subject matters and being able to evidence skills is a lot easier said than done, so being able to practice this regularly is really beneficial. Not all topics we cover are equally as relevant, but for the most part I'm really satisfied so far. It's complimentary to the desk learning that I've done.
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
There's a lot to do at NatWest. You could join the Junior Management team at the bank. There are plenty of networking opportunities, both casual and formal. There are volunteering opportunities available, and NatWest supports this with volunteering days allowance. There are friendly sports matches that happens right throughout the year. Lunch and learns for curious minds. There's something for everyone to do.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend NatWest Group to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Plenty of opportunities for growth and development. There's so much to learn and explore, but I think the culture of the bank is really welcoming and structured for professional growth.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to NatWest Group?
Be yourself. Be compassionate to others. Come prepared and ready. Not on the day prepared, but a 'gradual investment in myself' type of prepared.
