Life at Bunnyfoot
I still remember my first day… It was my first time ever getting a train to Sheffield, and despite Google Mapping my route from the train station to the office (a 5-minute walk), I still struggled to find it!
It was my first full-time job and I had no idea what to expect. I remember sitting in this really cool office, with all this really cool technology and writing my initial introductory email to send out to the company and within minutes I had people replying to me! There were so many warm welcomes and friendly messages. That is one thing about Bunnyfoot, the people make the company. We have a great culture, and that is simply because we have great people!
My first few days consisted of some admin work such as filling out documents and signing contracts, it also consisted of many colleagues arranging calls with me to introduce themselves and their roles – which really helped me to get to know everyone. Somehow, almost 2 years have slipped by – I guess time flies when you’re having fun (cringe I know, forgive me).
After joining Bunnyfoot in 2021 as an Associate Consultant, I have gained a multitude of experience by shadowing and supporting a range of projects with expert consultants. In this role, I have been able to help conduct and observe various research methods such as usability testing, in-depth interviews, workshops, card sorting, and diary studies. Subsequently, I have had opportunities to work with a range of clients from some of the largest charities, retailers and banks!
…and many more!
Along with developing my skills in project work, I have also completed the majority of Bunnyfoot training courses such as:
- Behavioural Science
- Practical Accessibility
- Customer Journey Mapping
- Modelling and Information Architecture
- Rapid Prototyping with Axure
…whilst also gaining a nationally recognised CPUX-F certification.
All these resources have aided my development tremendously and with the support of my line manager, consultants, project managers and university, I am able to continuously develop my skills and knowledge.
I cannot forget to mention that I was one of the first degree apprentices at Bunnyfoot along with Alishba, who started at the same time as me. Out of the hundreds of applicants for this role, she and I were the chosen ones! It has been so nice to have someone on this journey with me and as much as we have learnt, so has Bunnyfoot. Completing the apprenticeship with Alishba has given us both a support network where we can discuss any struggles or concerns we have, and I can’t wait for the day we can both say…
‘WE DID IT!”
A bit about me
I always knew I wanted to do a degree apprenticeship – from the moment I heard about them I knew it was the perfect option for me. Working and earning a wage whilst learning, gaining a degree and having no student debt sounded like a win-win to me! Having a part-time job, I was used to balancing work and studies. I did my A-Levels in Psychology, Philosophy and English Literature (which was a lot of writing). I also did an EPQ along with my A-Levels in which I wrote a 5000-word essay on the positive perspective of Buddhist philosophy.
Even though I liked the sound of a degree apprenticeship, I didn’t know what I wanted to do career-wise. I had no set passion or industry I wanted to go into, which is why I never saw the value in going to university. I have always had an interest in all things to do with people, the mind, and existence as a whole. I also love the world of tech as it is a prevalent industry and definitely one worth getting involved in. However, prior to this role, I had never heard of User Experience; the first time I heard about it was when I saw the application. When I delved more into UX, I thought it was so intriguing, and I couldn’t believe I had never encountered it before. After many failed attempts at applying for degree apprenticeship roles, I was close to giving up, but I took my chance and applied for the Bunnyfoot role… and here I am!
University
Being able to work in the industry has massively increased my confidence in applying the theory, which helps me complete the assignments set by Manchester Metropolitan University. My time is split between 80% working and 20% studying towards my degree – Fridays are my designated university days at work. The units in my Bachelor’s degree cover a range of topics such as UX Methods and UX Human Contexts, Ethical Considerations in UX, Coding, Psychology and Behaviour, and UX in the Business.
This is how the university side works:
- I attend Manchester Met six weeks out of the year, and this is done in ‘sprints’.
- Sprints are a week of in-person lectures from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, which occur every month.
- They happen in ‘triads’ twice a year with a few months’ gap in between each.
- These ‘gaps’ align with school holidays/university breaks.
- We have roughly two assignments a year, which correlates with our triads. In the first triad, we learn the content for our first assignment(s), then it gets submitted during the gap between the next triad, and then in our second (and last) triad of the year, we learn the content for our second assignment(s) and submit it during the next gap.
Then we do it all again.
The reason why the education is scheduled this way is to ensure it is manageable as we still have to work full-time whilst completing our university work. Two triads every academic year make it manageable alongside our job role commitments. To further support us, we have skills coaches whom we are able to contact about any issues or queries related to both work and university. We also have scheduled meetings with them to review our progress and well-being, which we also have with our line managers at Bunnyfoot. Throughout the four years, we are required to collect evidence of meeting certain pieces of knowledge, skills and behaviours as set by the Institute of Apprenticeships, which will be used at the end of our four years during our End-Point-Assessment.
However nerdy it may sound, I love it all. Our course is a small number of 30-odd people ranging in age from 20’s to 40’s, and we all get along like a cute little UX family. They all work for different companies like Barclays, NHS, Autotrader, Bentley, JP Morgan, etc, and we are all so close, which makes university super fun and enjoyable. As the course is small, we are also able to talk and support one another when it comes to assignments.
Bunnyfoot provides support by covering university expenses of travel and accommodation in Manchester, which helps me to focus on learning. I remember our first time going, Alishba and I felt like royalty! My little 18-year-old self was screaming inside! During our first week of attending university, we explored Oxford Road and then went back to our hotel rooms. I remember looking out my 10th-floor window at the beautifully busy city of Manchester and thinking, “Wow, this is once something I dreamt about”.
Biggest lessons learnt
Starting my apprenticeship at 18, I moved to Sheffield for the first year so I could be in the office as much as possible. This meant that everything was new to me; living alone for the first time, new responsibilities, a new city, a new job, a new industry, new people, new friends – a totally brand new start. As exciting as it was, it was also quite scary, and I have learnt a lot along the way.
I learnt a lot about myself; you tend to reflect a lot when you are in a totally new environment and have a lot of alone time. I learnt that I am capable of many things I previously doubted about myself. Very importantly, I learnt that you can have fun whilst being in challenging situations, these challenges soon become experiences that are later reflected upon as achievements – my advice would be to try to appreciate them.
Well, since it’s been nearly 2 years, I must be doing something right, right? So, here are some of my biggest lessons learnt:
- You can do it! Whatever it is, whether it be moving out or starting a new role – if you really want it, it’s yours.
- Stay organised. If you are someone looking to do a degree apprenticeship, this is very important. You will have to learn to balance work, university, home life and social life. Create systems that support you such as a routine, documents, conversations etc.
- We all have to start somewhere. Everyone is on their own journey. Never be scared to ask for help and support if you need it!
- Take advantage. This applies to your personal and work life, especially as a degree apprentice. Ask to have that call, ask to attend that training course, ask to shadow on that project, ask ask ask! Make the most of the resources and opportunities available to you.
- Be proud of yourself. As good as it is to keep challenging yourself and progressing, remember to reflect on how far you have come and show gratitude. You are doing amazing, make sure to applaud yourself once in a while.
A special thank you
I am so grateful for the opportunities I have encountered along the way. Being able to learn on the job whilst completing a degree in the same industry was once upon a time a distant dream. Now, I can proudly say it is a dream come true. I would like to take the time to thank all those involved in helping me get to where I am; Alishba (for being on this journey with me), my family, my friends, my colleagues, my lecturers, my mentors, and most importantly, Bunnyfoot, for creating this opportunity. I hope my story can inspire someone, somewhere, to realise that whatever your dream may be, nothing is ever too far-fetched 🙂
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