National Careers Week 2019: personal development and career tips with our apprentices and graduates

National Careers Week is a celebration of careers guidance and support. It’s about giving young people across the country important insights into the future world of work and what skills it takes to succeed…and inspiring them to make the right decisions about their future.

Now in its eighth year, National Careers Week (NCW) goes from strength to strength. Downloads of free careers resources are at an all-time high and their social media reach is soaring into the millions – we’re proud to once again be NCW’s headline sponsor. This year’s event runs from the 4th to the 9th March.

We talk about helping people find their path at RBS, and events like this are a great way for our colleagues to pause and reflect on what their career journeys have been so far and where their experiences could take them.

I’ve spoken to Moshope Salami and Nazmul Khan, a Technology graduate and Relationship Management apprentice respectively to find out their thoughts on their own development.

Tell us about your work experience so far.

Moshope: I joined the Technology Solutions graduate programme back in 2017 after graduating from Cardiff University with a Geology degree. I’ve completed two rotations, developed lots of different skills, and I’m studying professional qualifications to help my career development too.

Nazmul: When I joined the apprenticeship, I didn’t have lots of technical knowledge but that’s improving all the time. One of the most enjoyable parts of my experience is knowing that every day when I go into work I’ll learn something new. My fellow apprentices have also been incredibly supportive and we’ve built up a great network in case we need help, or just to share our experiences.

National Careers Week’s all about skills development – what sort of skills have you developed so far?

Moshope: Quite a range. Project management has been key, as I’ve been working with our change teams to deliver on several live projects, acting as lead on multiple projects too. My stakeholder management skills have undoubtedly developed, especially as I’ve been working with colleagues across the globe. I definitely feel like my ability to work collaboratively has increased too, it’s imperative as I’ve worked with a range of different colleagues such as Software Engineers, Scrum Masters and senior management.

Nazmul: During my short time, I’ve enriched lots of different skills and I feel that I’m really set up for a successful career here. My self-confidence has improved and my colleagues and buddy have helped me to settle in – knowing that I have their knowledge and support when needed is amazing. My customer service skills have definitely come along - as well as my verbal and written communication - and I’ve come across lots of different queries so my problem solving skills have also improved significantly.

Moshope, Technology plays a huge part in today’s world of work. How did you feel about joining a Technology programme?

Moshope: The graduate programme’s ideal for someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience because it allows you to immerse yourself in many different types of work. That’s useful because it lets you figure out exactly where your interests do or don’t lie – I now know I have a keen interest in cyber security and I’ll be able to develop in this even more in the future.

I was completely new to the world of technology when I joined the programme so I’ve learned so much technical knowledge. I’ve been involved in lots of tasks like security testing, cyber security, and incident response as well as cloud computing.

Early Careers provide training in each placement and, at the moment, I’m studying for three professional qualifications; PRINCE 2, Agile Project Management, and Certified Information Security Management.

After finishing the programme, I’ll have lots of skills that I can use in future jobs. Throughout NCW, I’d encourage people to think about all the different roles out there and the skills they’d like to develop.

Nazmul, how have you been supported with your own skills and careers development?

Nazmul: RBS has helped support my career development in different ways and through different channels, including workshops, online courses, regular performance coaching, internal careers fairs, and networking events. I’ve specifically enjoyed attending events hosted by our Multicultural Network, and would say it’s been an important part of my career development.

I’m looking forward to developing my skills to put me in good stead for a long and successful career. I’ve only just started to learn about all the roles available here and I’m looking forward to finding my next position once my apprenticeship ends.