Software Engineer Lead Review

I have worked in many different roles in my time at Capgemini. Currently I am working in a Live Service team, meaning I support code that is being used day-to-day by customers. Part of the job is to recover failed jobs, but also to make improvements to the jobs running in Live. This allows me to be creative and I really enjoy this aspect.

Absolutely. I started the apprenticeship with only very basic coding knowledge, so everything I do day-to-day is a skill I have learn on the job. These are "hard skills" like technical knowledge, but also soft skills like communication, leadership and teamwork. You aren't always supported as an Apprentice, and so learning how to conduct yourself professionally in the workplace is a must.

The work I complete in my day job is very enjoyable and I look forward to coming to work in the morning. The people in my team are always lovely and the atmosphere is good to work in. There are times I have felt alone/isolated, but this is as a result of the way the Apprenticeship is managed and not the working environment.

I do not think the Apprenticeship scheme is run very well. The GAP (Graduate and Apprentice) team is under-staffed and under-skills, and often does not communicate with Apprentices. The inner workings of the Apprenticeship is very opaque, and this often leads to confusion among the apprentices. This has been a cause of stress for me over the 4 years I have been here.

In my day job I receive all the support I need from my line managers and colleagues. I am made to feel valued and my welfare is taken into account. As a regular employee I would feel very satisfied. The GAP team do try and support all apprentices the best they can, with a strong focus put on mental health which I think is great. However sometimes it can feel like they are trying to protect the business more than trying to help you.

Aston University has supported me well in my studies. There is the occasion where a lecturer takes a week or two to reply to emails - as distance learners it is important for this to be punctual. I have been very happy with the managers of the apprenticeship from Aston, I feel they have my best interests in mind.

So far there has not been an awful lot that I have learnt through my course that I have then been able to apply to my job. This is mainly because we don't cover anything in-depth enough. There have been occasions where I have gained a skill through my day job and it has made a module easier.

This was a heavily advertised feature for the apprenticeship I joined, however I feel I was slightly mislead. There are indeed social activities organised, but these are between friends and are completely independent of the apprenticeship course. If you are not included in a particular friend group you are unlikely to be involved in any activities like this.

No

I would not recommend to join Capgemini AS AN APPRENTICE. I feel the apprenticeship scheme can be improved and have heard of much better run schemes elsewhere. However as a regular employee I would recommend Capgemini, as it is a very inclusive and satisfying place to work. As a second job it would be perfect.

Attend some of the insight events and talk to some existing apprentices about the scheme. Ask them to be honest and not to give you a 'sales pitch'. Definitely look at schemes provided by other companies and weigh up the pros and cons of each (e.g. amount of study leave etc.).