Business Analyst Review

I'm a software development apprentice and have quite a varied job in CGI as we work on projects which can have different needs, which is particularly good for me as an apprentice as I can learn about different things in CGI. During my time at CGI I have also had to do different QA work and training to improve my skills and knowledge which I am enjoying.

So far in my apprenticeship I have been learning Java, and whilst in work I have been learning SQL from Codecademy. I have also been put on internal courses for health and safety as well as things like security management.

I enjoy my program a lot as I am allowed to learn and work and get experience which is what I wanted and with CGI I am able to try several different things in the business and try different internal learning courses also.

I feel I have been made part of the CGI team and was put on a project on my third day here. I feel my manager, as well as my other peers, are always available for me to talk to if I have any questions or am unsure of anything and I also feel I have been recognized for the work I have put in to the project I was on.

I feel that the programme I have been put on is structured well and that everything is as good as I could have imagined. From a training and support side of things, I think the members of both CGI and QA have helped me tremendously and I feel I have someone that I could get a hold of and talk to if I was ever in need of anything or unsure about something. The only criticism I would have is that I think it would have been more beneficial for me if I would have been put on an SQL course before being put on a Java course - but I understand that this isn't QA's fault due to the times the courses are run and the teachers etc.

I feel I am given the support I need with all of the training and work that I am given by her. She is very friendly and has meetings with me and the other apprentices roughly once a month.

My employer gives me support I need when it comes to work; He has helped me with things like expenses with travel and has allowed me to get into a project very quickly. He has had an interview with me about how he feels I am getting on and I was given guidance with some aspects of work and I also received praise for my efforts in my project and my training.

I feel my salary is good at meeting my costs and is good for the work and learning that I am doing for CGI. My travel costs are quite high but I feel that my salary is bearable with these in place. I do not own my own home and so my overall cost of living is lower.

There are several opportunities outside of work to do including football during lunch every week and also company events take place in different areas (whether it be online or in a seminar). We have also had lots of local activities for our office like going to the pub for lunch and having Chinese and pizza to celebrate meeting our targets in our projects.

Yes

As the company itself is so broad and there are multiple things you could go into - and then once you are in that field you can start learning about all sorts of different things and take those skills with you into different projects. You are able to try new things and learn with experienced, helpful and friendly people.

Be able or willing to travel, as your projects most likely wont all be in the same place; you're likely to be traveling to different parts of London and outer London - at the same time if it is 2 hours away from your base location CGI can set up accommodation for you if need be.I would also recommend being interpersonal; being able to talk to people and not being shy or quiet I feel is what makes a good CGI member as you need to be able to speak to clients as well as be able to talk to other members of staff and communicate ideas. This also contiunues on to the interview you would have, because you will need to seem confident in speaking to people because above is the kind of things CGI are looking for in people, this being people skills (communication skills being foremost). Other than that I would also recommend having some sort of IT knowledge as some advice for others applying for CGI - having just basic knowledge of IT is very helpful as it would mean not having to go through basics - I think advanced IT knowledge is perhaps not necessary as you can be given courses to learn things like coding languages or networking procedures.