Knowledge into practice
In the last of our apprenticeship spotlight series, we’re speaking with Finance Apprentice, Will Howkins, who is currently completing his Level 4 Association Of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Apprenticeship.
This week we’ve been celebrating National Apprenticeship Week by shining a light on some of our brilliant apprentices from around the organisation. Visit #NAW2024 on Workplace to meet other apprentices and see what vacancies we have on offer.
Meet Will, a double AAT Achiever, with a Level 4 AAT qualification in the pipeline and an aspiring Chartered Manager Institute Qualifier. The AAT qualification is internationally recognised and provides a solid foundation for a finance, accounting or bookkeeping career.
We spoke with Will to see what skills he has obtained to get his qualifications and the challenges he had when first completing his apprenticeship.
What apprenticeship are you currently completing or have completed at Royal Mail?
I have completed the Level 2 and Level 3 AAT apprenticeship and recently completed my Level 4 AAT qualification as well. I am now working towards Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification.
Why did you choose an apprenticeship at Royal Mail?
I knew I wanted to do an apprenticeship to learn on the job. It was a brand I was familiar with, and I knew had a long history, the pay was also more competitive than other companies
What are some of the skills you have gained from your apprenticeship and how do you apply these to your current role?
I have increased in my communication and interpersonal skills which was a drastic change that I saw in myself as I became a more confident speaker and led communications effectively. I have led presentations and hosted calls to large groups of people that I couldn't imagine myself doing even last year.
The apprenticeship has also taught me a lot about how a Finance department runs due to the experience gotten in different teams. By having a greater understanding of finance and the processes, I can use that knowledge to pick out problem areas that may occur and assess risks in a process before they happen, this helps to prevent a risk rather than to detect it once it has happened.
On the confidence side, I now speak up about issues I see rather than assuming other people know more than me. Everybody misses things and makes mistakes and that's human, but by pointing it out you can either learn about it or fix it.
What was it like for you starting your apprenticeship?
I was terrified for the first week especially and even for the first couple of months. It is the biggest step I've ever made coming from school with no previous job experience straight into the workplace, but my colleagues are friendly and helpful, and you aren't expected to come in knowing anything finance-related. They understand that you are here to learn, and they appreciate the help. The best part for me was seeing the change in myself slowly happen as I went from being very reserved and quiet, to opening up to the team and becoming more confident in myself and the role.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
For my current role on the Finance Controls and Compliance Team, I enjoy the analysis the most. I will run through a process that a team completes with that team and find areas where there could be a risk for an error to occur. From there I put into place a plan to combat this so that we can be confident the financial statements we provide to the stakeholders of the business are accurate and complete.
How did you approach new challenges and solve and problems you may have encountered on your apprenticeship?
For me I often try to look at an issue independently for a while, see if I can work it out myself as I learn better by doing something rather than watching or listening to someone else. If I'm stuck, I always ask for help, this is something that took me a while to gain confidence to do but once you start doing it you realise it is a lot more beneficial than sat struggling.
How does 'Be Positive, Be Brilliant, Be Part of It' align with your goals and values?
To me "Be Positive" is being friendly, ensuring you aren't rude to colleagues and trying to look at things from a more optimistic approach as I believe this helps solve problems.
I think that "Be Brilliant" means trying. You don't have to be better than anybody else, be your best self. It's easy to compare yourself to others but a lot of my colleagues have been doing their roles for 20 years or more, even 40 years in some instances. With that in mind I try my best to learn from them as they have a lot of knowledge to share.
Finally,"Be Part of It" is all about teamwork. Helping colleagues with issues, if my role is not as busy then I'll help a colleague with their work. To me it's also about taking part in extra activities, there are a lot of opportunities at Royal Mail for example I attend careers fairs to promote the apprenticeship and raise awareness of our program.
What are some of your career goals and how has Royal Mail helped you achieve them?
The first would be gaining my AAT Level 4 qualification, Royal Mail helped give me the workplace experience to put my knowledge into practice which made the theory side easier to understand. My main goal throughout my time at Royal Mail has been to improve my communication and confidence and although I think this is something that can be continually improved, not achieved, Royal Mail has offered me many opportunities to do presentations, assist on calls and host events that have all improved these skills for me.
Thank you to Will for taking the time to talk with us. Well done for your qualifications so far and best of luck for your Level 4!
Interested in learning more about our apprenticeships? Visit Early Careers (royalmailgroup.com) for more information.
