Employer profile: Experian, a global information services company

Global information services companies analyse lots of data to help people make smarter decisions, but what is it like to work for them? In this guide, you’ll learn all about working for Experian, what apprenticeship opportunities are available, and how to apply.

Experian at a glance:

Amy Hart, who is a Talent Acquisition Partner, tells us what it’s really like to work for Experian.

What does Experian do?

We are the world’s leading global information services company. This means we use data patterns, analytics, and technology to help people make smarter decisions.

We’re well known for providing people with information on their credit scores, which can help them take out a loan or make big purchases like a house. But we do so much more than that! For example, during the pandemic, Experian helped the NHS predict spikes in covid cases by analysing different sets of data, which helped them to prepare accordingly.

Where is Experian based?

Our head office is in Nottingham but we also have offices in London and Glasgow. Most of our employees work on a hybrid basis, which means they spend part of the week in the office, and the other part working from home. The amount of time employees spend in the office really does depend on the team. For example, our sales apprentices will come into the office at least three days a week, but other teams may come into the office less. Generally employees work 9am-5.30pm and our head office in Nottingham can hold over 500 employees. We also hot-desk, which means that we book a desk to work from each time we go into the office. 

What is your workspace like?

We’re really proud of our modern office spaces, which have been renovated to support the wellbeing of our employees. Our offices are mainly open-planned but with meeting rooms that employees can book whenever they need. We have breakout spaces and games areas where teams can take time out together, and relaxing lounge spaces that people can use when they need some quiet time. We also have a canteen and kitchen (with free hot drinks!) on every floor. 

We’re passionate about sustainability, so our Nottingham office also has an eco car park with a vegetable patch and bee hives!

What are the top five work environments that best describe what it's like to work at Experian (taken from the Unifrog work environment profile)?

• Often working with others
• Indoor or sedentary work
• Having to act professionally
• Needing high skills
• Lots of oral communication

What are some of the most common roles at Experian?

The most common roles we recruit for are software engineer and various IT-related roles like service operations. Our software engineers use different technologies to build, design, and code for the future. Our IT roles support our business and customers on exciting projects, and work to resolve any issues that may arise. For example if a system crashes, our IT service teams are there to get us and our customers back online. 

What are some of the most common entry-level roles at Experian?

One of our most common entry-level roles is software developer degree apprentice. Alongside their role, our software developer apprentices complete a fully funded degree in BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions through block release, which is when they have periods of time off work throughout the year to go to university. The duration of the course is four years and in addition to a starting salary of £23,000 per year, our apprentices benefit from fully-paid tuition fees. 

Software developer apprentices learn how to design, code, modify, and test more complex programmes. They also learn how to provide basic technical support to users and customers.

Experian is at the start of one of our most exciting transformation journeys, where we are moving from old ‘legacy’ platforms to Cloud native services. So our future apprentices will be joining us at a time where they can genuinely shape how Experian operates! 

How can someone join Experian at entry-level?

We have apprenticeship roles ranging from Level 3 through to degree apprenticeships, where Experian will fund your degree whilst you earn a salary working for us. We have apprenticeships across a range of areas including project management, software engineering, sales, customer service, and IT operations.

For students who decide to go to university outside of the apprenticeship route, we have industry placements for those on a sandwich degree. We also have graduate programmes for those who want to join us once their degree has finished. 

All of our programmes provide the training and development you need, so we don’t always require you to have studied a specific subject, Applicants just need to demonstrate a real passion for the role and the work that Experian do!

What are the entry requirements for these roles? 

Entry requirements for our programmes differ depending on the role. For example, to join us on our software developer degree apprenticeship you’ll need 120 UCAS points from three A levels at grade C or above, and one of your A levels must include either maths, science, or IT (BTEC IT is also considered). 

However, to join some of our other apprenticeships you’ll need 96 UCAS points from three A levels (or an equivalent qualification) at grade C or above, and you don’t need to have studied a certain subject. Generally we look for individuals who are passionate, proactive, and eager to learn. 

What skills does Experian look for in applicants?

Some of the key skills we look for in our recruitment process are teamwork, communication, adaptability, ability to innovate, and time management skills. We also look for people who are driven and passionate about the role and working for Experian. We look out for these skills in CVs, video interviews, and during our assessment days. During the assessment day you’ll take part in a group exercise, where you have the chance to demonstrate how well you work with others. You’ll also have an interview where you can explain how you’ve previously demonstrated the skills we’re looking for.

What is one top tip to help an entry-level applicant succeed at getting into Experian?

Make sure your CV matches the role you’re applying for. We often receive generic CVs which could be used to apply for a range of roles, so they don’t demonstrate your passion for a particular opportunity. Make sure your application reflects the role you’re applying to - it’ll help you to get through to the next stage of the process. Maybe ask a teacher, friend, or family member to look over your CV before you submit it too; they might be able to look at it with ‘fresh eyes’ and have some suggestions for you.

What work experience or internship opportunities are there with Experian?

We’re currently running insight days with local schools in Nottingham. This is organised by the school and a group of up to 20 students from Year 11, 12 or 13 visit our Nottingham head office for either a morning or afternoon to find out more about Experian and get an insight into working with us!

What can students be doing right now to build their experience?

Build up your skills with extracurricular activities and work experience. This could be a part-time job or volunteer work, but regardless work experience can really help to make an application stand out as it can demonstrate your communication, leadership, and teamworking abilities. If you’re interested in one of our software or IT roles make sure you build up your knowledge in this area too, for example with an online coding course.

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