I was looking for an organisation that could offer me stability and security. I have been with the business for two years now and remember when I was looking into other schemes within the industry, it was the investment into my professional development that really stood out.
I was interested in understanding what learning and development programmes were in place and what sort of progression and ongoing support I could expect. I also wanted to understand very clearly timeframes for advancement.
Also, I didn't want to feel like a number and wanted to have my potential recognised. I certainly got the feeling that I would receive plenty of focus and support and can confirm it still feels like that today, as I progress my career with Santander.
During the time I have been here, I have been nominated for a 'Be the Best' award. This is a recognition scheme within Corporate Banking - it was brilliant to be nominated and I felt more motivated than ever!
I found the assessment process really interesting and enjoyed the assessment centre. It gave me some great exposure to senior managers and I also met some people who I am working with now.
The Induction was really thorough. We got to meet with senior people and understand first-hand the business model and strategy. We felt quite special, that these people wanted to meet with us and help us on the start of our journey.
Having worked in a variety of locations and teams, I am currently working with the Education and Healthcare team in Nottingham. It is especially interesting as you gain different sector experience. I currently report into a Relationship Director and feel that I am being constantly developed. I think I am very lucky and that my personal objectives are linked closely to the business objectives. My manager has a high level of interest in my career and I really appreciate that.
I feel incredibly proud to be part of Santander, it is such a strong brand and I feel really empowered by it. Santander is a growing organisation and I am growing with it.
Being Portugese I was familiar with the Santander brand and really wanted to be part of it. Santander is a powerful organisation with plenty of career opportunity. I also thought I would feel at home with the wider European culture!
The recruitment process was brilliant. It was fast-paced and really well thought out. I enjoyed every step and the feedback was incredibly useful in helping me to prepare for each subsequent stage. The team at the assessment centres were friendly and approachable, they helped us to feel calm and confident and worked hard to get the best out of us.
The first part of our induction saw us all getting together at our Milton Keynes office. It was a great feeling to be part of a bigger whole – we all felt so proud. It was a great opportunity to meet other graduates from other parts of the business and to start creating networks. There was loads of information to absorb – the size and scale of the organisation, the challenges ahead. It was so exciting. It is clear that there is a high degree of focus on the graduate community and that there are high expectations.
There are still high levels of support and interaction, from having lunch with your manager or drinks with the team, to support from your buddy or mentor. We also meet with our Head of Audit regularly to make sure we’re progressing well.
I am in the process of having placements within different business areas. We will be spending time in the contact centres in Belfast and Glasgow and also within the branch network. This means we truly understand the business areas that we’ll be auditing.
I will be working towards the ACCA qualification. It takes three years and it’s fully supported by Santander. I really feel that there is an excellent balance of life and work and this evidences it – we’re encouraged to study but in a measured way.
The best thing for me has been the welcome we received and the ongoing support. I’ve also enjoyed the challenge, we’ve had real responsibility in an audit setting from day one.
I would absolutely recommend this programme, I feel that I am working towards achieving my personal and professional goals.
Abbey appealed to me because of a real determination to be the best bank on the high street. Lots of organisations allude to a desire to be the best – Abbey came out and said it! I was looking for an organisation with a strong management scheme and I was impressed with the scale and scope of Santander. It’s a strong brand and growing.
The recruitment process was thorough – in a good way! From the telephone interview onwards, the process felt personal and I clearly understood what I needed to achieve at each stage. I felt very encouraged at the assessment centres and really enjoyed the experience.
The way the business has received the graduates has been so positive! We’ve had exposure to some very senior Directors and there is the sense that they are really pleased that we’ve joined. Having this focus from a senior level sets a high expectation, which we’re all really determined to live up to.
We’ve had plenty of formal training too and have individually assigned trainers to push us through the branch-related training. I’m due to attend a management skills workshop and I’m really looking forward to seeing all of my fellow graduates. There is plenty of opportunity to study for a further qualification, I need to decide which career route to take first though.
I am working on a project currently with Santander Universities. We’ve opened a new branch on Southampton University campus and I helped to set up the branch. I am also there now a few days a week raising our profile on campus and catering for the banking needs of students.
In summary, I feel really supported and excited about the future. I would definitely recommend this scheme to others. The programme has really stretched my ideas of what I am capable of.
I have recently returned from a 3-day business trip to Santander’s headquarters in Spain. This was an incredible opportunity to see first hand and appreciate the magnitude of the company I work for and the strength it has amongst its competitors. I left Santander knowing that I am part of a company with a customer base of 80 million, and I play a role that helps make that happen - I am Santander.
What stood out to me about Abbey was the rotational element of the graduate scheme – it was really well thought out. It comprises four six month placements and I felt that it would give me a real breadth of experience. I had read plenty about Abbey, its position in the market and the strength of Santander. I thought that this programme would give me great options for the future.
I enjoyed the application and recruitment process, it was very speedy which was ideal. I felt relaxed throughout the stages and much of this was down to the way I was interviewed. At the assessment centre, I met people from the Finance team who had joined at a graduate level over the past couple of years, we had lunch and it was a chance to ask some honest questions! I enjoyed the group task and felt that we all had a good chance to speak and discuss our ideas. Another benefit was the constructive feedback at each stage, it was really useful to hear. I heard the next day that I had gotten the job – I was so happy!
I had a two day graduate induction at Milton Keynes and we were able to see how the whole company fitted together. It was quite inspirational, we got to hear about how senior managers progressed through their careers and we could see those achievements and think about how to relate them to ourselves.
Currently I am working on year end accruals. This has fitted in well with my ACCA modules , so I was able to take what I have studied and use it in practice. We’re also looking at budgets for 2009. I study for my ACCA at the weekends, we’ve just had a block of seven weekends then we have a big break until March. You also get to meet people at college from different organisations and expand your network there. Other colleagues at Abbey are doing ACCA or CIMA, so we all talk about what we’re doing and which modules we plan to do next, it’s very helpful.
I would say that it’s a really supportive environment and a great place to join. I honestly feel that despite working in one business area, we really have a sense of how the whole company works and how we can pull together.
Despite taking a degree in architecture, I realised what I really wanted to do was run my own business. I owned and managed a Post Office prior to being accepted on the graduate scheme and I really enjoyed selling the financial products. Although I enjoyed doing this, I had decided it was time to spread my wings and specialise. There was a lot of media coverage about Abbey and Santander and the stability of the organisation made them really stand out to me. I didn’t know much about the Santander history but as I researched the market I realised the size and scale of the organisation.
Working as part of Abbey within Santander means that we have lots of recognition internally and it’s great to be part of something so substantial. You absolutely have the sense that there are plenty of opportunities and that Santander are very excited about the graduate scheme, which makes you feel good!
The recruitment process was great. The team were really accessible and helpfully answered any questions. I enjoyed the assessment day – it felt quite nerve-wracking at the time, but it was great to meet such senior team members. We did a group challenge whilst being observed as well as a presentation.
The high point of the induction for me was meeting lots of senior people, we really felt that the organisation as a whole was committed to the graduate scheme. We learnt so much about the company. My business area also created a bespoke induction programme for us and we travelled to Belfast for this for three days. It really brought our business area to life and we thought it was great.
I am working in a team of ten Mortgage Advisors, performing the job itself but also working with the Team Manager to learn more about sales team management. We had a great Academy session which lasted four weeks in Belfast to teach us all about the mortgage products, benefits, policy and systems – everything you need to prepare you for the role. I then spent a week sitting with an Advisor for a week who was my buddy, so when I took my first call, I felt confident. Next, I’ll move on to being a Mortgage Consultant. I’ll then move into another sales business area to gain more experience, take on more complex project work and then move into the Team Manager role. It’s great to be able to see the logical career progression.
The best thing for me about the scheme is the flexibility and opportunity it offers. It’s the first time someone has ever really asked me ‘what do you want to do?’
In January 2009, I visited Santander's global headquarters, just outside Madrid in Boadilla del Monte. This formed part of the graduate induction to the business and afforded us the opportunity to meet some senior members of the global leadership team. While we were there we had a tour of the site and a local branch, followed by presentations by a number of senior managers from Santander. When returning back to work in the UK, we presented to our managers and colleagues about the trip. I felt I was bringing back with me knowledge and an experience, which would add value to my business area. I found the trip to Santander City really made me feel part of the global business.
Anyone who visits Boadilla cannot help but feel proud to work for Santander.
Santander is a global leader and I knew I could progress in such a strong organisation. I had worked within financial services previously, so knew of Santander by reputation. Applying for the scheme also meant I could fulfil a personal goal of moving to London. It’s an exciting time to be part of Santander, we’re growing impressively within difficult market conditions.
I found the recruitment process very straightforward and informative. The resourcing team was quick to provide feedback and regular updates on the progress of my application. The assessment centre itself lasted a day, in which we completed group exercises, presentations and interviews with the various Heads of Audit.
Our scheme provides us with the opportunity to experience various business areas around the country. We’ve recently completed placements within Telephone distribution and Branch Network which will be invaluable as we commence audits, allowing us to add value from the outset. I’m really impressed that we have had the chance to get under the skin of each business area.
As part of Audit training, we’re required to complete the ACCA qualification. This incorporates both professional examinations and on the job experience that you develop within the department.
During the induction, what stood out for me was the pride the members of the team felt for the brand, which is reflected throughout the organisation. It was really inspiring! It was also a great opportunity to meet senior managers and other graduates. We really feel part of a community.
I knew when I graduated that I wanted to work with a high profile organisation. I knew the Alliance and Leicester brand and took a look at the website. The scheme offered the opportunity to learn and develop on the job, which really appealed to me. The website also had profiles of graduates from the previous years’ intake which was really helpful. I could see that the scheme was rotational and this aspect appealed to me as it would give the opportunity to experience different business areas and gain a greater understanding of the organisation.
Being part of Santander is an extremely exciting prospect. As part of the graduate scheme I was able to go to Madrid to visit Santander City – it was at this point that I really grasped the global scale of Santander. I feel that Santander is an organisation that brings different nationalities and cultures together and I’m excited to be part of this. I’m proud to work for such a strong and successful brand, with clear business sense and a history of sensible lending. I’m really pleased that these organisational cultures are also closely aligned with Alliance and Leicester, which will hopefully make the integration a smooth one.
Day one of the graduate scheme was an induction about the organisation and each division. We had the chance to meet our CEO, which was a great opportunity on our first day. We were able to speak informally and ask questions. We also discovered more about our individual schemes, career pathways and met our ‘graduate mentors’ (graduates from the year above). My Line Manager continued my departmental induction in more detail. It brought it all to life for me.
Currently, I work as part of a small team in Financial Operations. This is for the first nine months and then I get to work within another business area for my second placement. They’ve done loads to make me feel welcome, very friendly and I’ve been involved in all team meetings and gatherings. Over the last few months I’ve been working on a procurement project which has involved cross-departmental networking. I feel I have had some real responsibility here, co-ordinating the project and making sure we hit our deadlines.
The best bit for me has been seeing the types of roles that grads are given within the organisation. There is genuine responsibility and a great quality and variety of work. I really appreciate the support I have been given and feel that there is a great opportunity out there for us. Culturally, it’s a really friendly and open environment, which I find to be refreshing.