Apprentice to Recruitment Advisor

What’s your role and how long have you been with the company?

My name is Hannah Whelan and in 2012, I started with Fujitsu as a Business and Administration Apprentice within our Human Resources function. Since joining I have done various roles within HR, from the HR Service Desk team, Business Support, to where I am now as a Recruitment Advisor working within our Junior Talent space, recruiting our Degree Apprentices, Apprentices and Graduates.

What made you opt for an apprenticeship rather than university?

When it came to deciding what I wanted to do after my A-Levels, I was really stuck! I had always had it in my mind that I wanted to be a Primary School teacher, so I applied for 2 universities to study this. However, I still wanted to explore what other options there were, so I asked my careers advisor about apprenticeships. I mostly had to do my own research and then came across the apprenticeships available at Fujitsu. After a lot of research and talking to family and friends I decided that an apprenticeship seemed like the best option for me and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. It’s great having been an apprentice and now being able to help to recruit the next generation.

How would you describe the support you have received as an apprentice at Fujitsu?

Throughout my apprenticeship I was surrounded by a great support network of people at Fujitsu. Whether that was my direct line manager, my mentor or other team members, there was always someone to turn to. Over the years these individuals have helped to shape my on-going journey at Fujitsu and still do.

What do you believe you have learnt by undertaking an apprenticeship and how will this benefit you going forward in your career?

I feel like my Level 3 Business and Administration Apprenticeship at Fujitsu really helped me get a good grounding and understanding of the corporate world. My apprenticeship has helped me to develop as a person and it has opened up so many opportunities for me over the years. Such as travel, training, facilitating and ultimately helped me in finding a career that I love! I would encourage anyone to undertake an apprenticeship, companies really benefit from their dynamic points of view and there are so many different types available.