CBB Developer Apprentice Review

Monday, Wednesday and Friday I will be working with my team completing tasks they have set me to do, currently I am working on a project involving the creation of a client site as ours is outdated. I will also attend various app dev meetings with my team, as well as having a regular 1-1 with my manager and project lead. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I spend the day with the rest of my cohort studying towards my degree, the current topics are programming and professional practice. Once a fortnight I will have a meeting with my mentor and buddy who will give me advice as to how progress best within the company.

Throught the apprenticeship scheme I have learnt how to code in Python through a task where we had to manipulate an excel sheet, I have also completed a multitude of online courses ranging from word basics, to Linux red hat fundamentals and VSI Power. I have used various sources to complete this including code academy, udemy and the expertise of professionals onsite. I have also learnt to public speak.

I very much enjoy my programme. I find the work to be challenging but within my capability. I enjoy the fact that the answers are not just put in front of me I have to search for them. My team are great, they make me feel welcome and are always willing to help me as I am so new to the firm and do not know the way some things work. I like to get involved with some of the extra 's including women in tech clubs, speaker series and lunch and learns. The apprenticeship met my expectations and I enjoy it.

I feel valued by JP Morgan , they are always keen and happy to teach me and help me out with any issues I have, whether it be with my degree work, extra training, projects or day to day activities. My manager is a very busy man but always makes time for me on a Friday to go through what I have achieved that week and my goals for the nxt week. I am involved with tasks and feel that I am contributing.

The induction was good. The training being provided is really good and useful to me, there have been a few issues along the way with this being the first year the programme has been run, however any problems have been thoroughly discussed and attended to appropriately. We have regular meetings with out support team and I do have a mentor who I feel I can trust and who helps me when I need help. Task delegation within my team is hanadeld perfectly, I always have something to do but am yet to be overloaded.

My tutors are attentive to my needs, occasionally the lecture content appears to be too fast but I have no trouble emailing them and they often respons promptly and help me with whatever the issue I am facing is. I do feel like the attitude towards us is good and the difficulty of distance learning is acknowledged. I do enjoy it, however I do feel that it would be beneficial to have some contact time with a tutor, but I knew that the learning would be a challenge and something I needed to get to used to when I signed up for the programme.

My manager is very supportive, he has his own tasks for me to do but is always willing to give me time for my degree, apprentice events and other tasks when needs be. My mentor meets me once a fortnight, she always has bright new ideas as to how I can improve my experience at JP, she has scheduled trips for me to go to other branches to meet managers of teams who I have an interest is and she puts me in contact with people who will be good to network with. General guidance and support comes from my apprentice buddy and my apprentice leads, they are always keen to listen and help with any sort of problem. I feel confident and comfortable that any problem I have I can go to someone about.

My salary and package meets my costs because I currently live at home. I spend minimal money on travel as I drive or walk to where I need to go and I rarely need to go far, thus costs here are slim. As I live at home my only real outgoings are in the form of lunch times and entertainment, thus the salary I receive is plenty big enough giving me opportunity to grow my savings, However I think I would struggle in this area to afford to live on this wage if I had to fund everything myself.

Yes there are loads of opportunities outside of work. As an apprentice of the most recent year, we are heavily involved in events that aim to attract people to the scheme. I also get involved in a coding dojo that is like a club where we can improve our coding skills and learn how to programme robots. My friend and I have also started a club where we teach young children at a local primary school how to code, which is very rewarding and is a contribution back into the community. When I am not working I like to go to the gym, the cinema and read.

Yes

Its an absolutely fantastic company to work for, the work itself is interesting, relevant and you always feel appreciated. Another nice thing is that if oyu can't do something the other employees are always super keen and happy to help you. The apprentice social life is also very nice so for those who are torn between uni and apprenticeship the social aspect is not affected by choosing to work. The support hear is amazing. I feel like I will go far and develop as a professional and a person much more through this scheme.

I would advise that people applying to JP Morgan are confident, sure of the ability and ready to learn. A big part of JP is about networking and being keen and interested in other people and their roles, thus an inquisitive nature is desirable. Another tip would be to act as you normally would as likelihood is that you have been selected for interview because of that. It is a good idea to have taken part in an open door event, work experience or summer school before you apply because it may not be what you expect, the experience of being here is second to none aand will help you greatly in the process.