Test Engineer Review

Over the course of my apprenticeship, I have worked in two roles day-to-day. The first role was a cloud developer where I did full development, admin and testing work for a number of clients, either independently over as part of a team. My second role is my current role as a manual and automation tester, running manual and automation testing.

When I first started my apprenticeship, I had no technical background. Since joining Accenture I have learned how to programme, test and learn how to function in a mainly agile development environment. As well as this I have learned how to be professional and talk to clients calmly and confidently.

I feel very happy coming to work as well as attending university for my degree. It has been a very enjoyable experience for me personally and has made me into the person I am today. I will be forever thankful for the opportunity I had to work for my company and earn my degree and will continue to enjoy and development in my career.

I would say that the educational side of things has been very hit and miss. Some things are good one year and bad the next and vice versa. This has nothing to do with Accenture and is more an educational provider thing. The programme with work is very good and well organized, I have always felt supported by my company.

I have always received full support from my employer during my 3 years on my apprenticeship. Anytime there is an issue, be it in my role or educational wise they are always willing to help and support me, as well as speak to the educational provider to try to improve the situation.

To get taken seriously by my training provider I normally have to go through my employer to get any reasonable resolution. It has often been hard to get into contact with my training providers for support, and this may be because of the limited contact, but it is hard to normally get replies from emails.

I have learned mainly about the software development lifecycle as well as development throughout my time in my apprenticeship. I know how to work better day to day because of this and how to perform my job properly. This mainly comes down to experience after learning the concepts taught in my qualification.

Yes, my company does many networking events, as well as hosts weekly/monthly quizzes. They also host 5 a-side football often, normally once a week, as well as other sports-themed events. Social activities often include social mixers and team spotlights to promote different areas of the business, as well as try and help employees relax after a long day.

Yes

It is an amazing company with many benefits for apprentices and grads such as competitive salaries, a free university degree and a lot of areas for development. As well as this it helps you get your foot into the IT career ladder, meaning after the apprenticeship if you decide you need to go elsewhere to better your career you have the experience to add to your CV.

Be proactive, enthusiastic and outgoing. As well as show that you really want to work for Accenture. This could be in your body language, the tone of voice or just how you express yourself in the interview. When applying as an apprentice, anyone can apply, its the people skills as well as how you present yourself that will make you stand out.