Software Engineer Review

My role within the company at the minute is a resourcing support analyst. On a day to day basis i am resourcing candidates to propose to clients in the hopes they are taken on for various roles. This involves screening CVs, setting up informal chats with candidates and preparing them for client interviews.

While on this role i have developed my excel skills considerably. This is due to using an excel worksheet daily and having to become more familiar with it to keep efficiency high. I've also developed my time management and interpersonal skills as there's alot of work that is under my ownership, and it is important that all these documents are to a high standard and delivered on time.

There are definitely plus sides to the job i am in, such as the variety of roles i can be put into, and the roles that i have already done. Its intersting to work in different parts of the organisation and get experience with different processes and procedures. I enjoy the work as the people i started with are good company, and there is a good social environment at work.

When i first started i felt very valued as we were constantly told how important we were to the company, and how we were the future. Upon joining, i did experience some negative attitudes towards apprentices, and dis trust. There were a lot of roles i was put into where there was no technical work to be done, and it was very mundane. This involved things such as filtering through documents to pick up key words, and taking minutes from meetings and updating spreadsheets.

The programme was a shambles at the beginning. Because of that the start date of the degree programme was put back by 6 months and this means that we will finish our degree later than we were told. Now though things seem to have recovered and a structure is in place. The college group have done really well in getting us back on track.

The first semester of college was not good. One of the training providers was not helpful to us, and this did put alot of stress on a majority of the students in regards to then getting work done for deadlines and getting prepared for exams. Since then, theres been a reshuffle in the organisation and the course is running alot smoother, albeit a couple of months behind the original schedule.

There is a drop in session held every month and this gives us the opportunity to speak to our Apprenticeship Lead and also air out any grievances we have. We also have the ability to organise a 1-1 session whenever needed, as long as both parties are free, and again we can talk about things that might be easier when its with just the Apprentice Lead and without other apprentics being there.

The salary is very good for an apprenticeship. It is higher than some others i have heard of, and it is enough for my day to costs. There are other companies such as DXC who are offering apprentices more for the same programme. Everything i need for my job is basically provided so there are no costs which have to be placed on me. Anything that is needed for my laptop, can be ordered from work, and a charge code is given for the cost of the product.

There are alot of opportunities outside of work. There are quite a few apprentices who have left to go to another company and complete their apprenticeships. This is due to an increase in salary. There are a alot of opportunities to take part in volunteering events, and there are frequent team night outs and meals.

Yes

I would invite a friend due to the opportunity that is on offer. A degree with experience at a global leader in consulting. However sometimes the work environment can be unfriendly and for that reason i would also think about not referring someone. There is favouritism with certain apprentices, and people who underperform can be saved from being taken off a role because they are popular or because they have a relationship that extends further than work with the managers/team leads of the projects they are on. This means that there are times where people who are doing good work will be overlooked for someone else. This is detrimental to the persons development as they are not being given the chance to continue doing the good work they are doing, which will help their CVs. They will then be shifted to another project which may not be anything like what they were doing, and means they were not able to solidify their experience in that project.

Research into reviews from former emplyees. Be prepared for a popularity contest like environment at times. There could be long periods of time where you are not assigned to any project and you are on the 'bench'. This is a place where you are expected to apply for positions that are open within the company, but also to upskill yourself via video tutorials and worksheets.