IT Apprentice Review

Currently, I attend meetings and workshops to listen to how people work together and what they get out of the meetings the steps after. Since I've gotten my feet under the table a bit, I am frequently given something to do for the next meeting.

I have learnt many skills since beginning work. This includes skills such as time management to a very pressured level, prioritising within lots of meaningful work and also learning people skills such as dealing with stakeholders and vendors.

I have enjoyed parts of it and not others. I find a challenge good fun but it's taken its toll on me as I often find my self too busy or fatigued to things outside of work I enjoy. But the people who help me are really good people.

At first, the apprenticeship was very well organised and had a good plan set up for my learning and experience. As of late and especially COVID, the organisation has drastically decreased for numerous reasons and a lot more proactive and independent learning has taken place.

My manager is an extremely talented person and offers a good balance of guidance and letting me figure out what's best which I really like and has proven beneficial but I believe this has to be done right to pull it off. I also have a mentor who I really look up to and is a really good person to chat to if I can't say things regarding work to my manager.

The support I get for my degree qualifications is mainly from the university but my manager has always offered support if I need, however, but I am told to focus on work as I will "learn more on the job"

I have found skills at university I have used in the workplace. They haven't been exactly the same but close enough that I can still work fine without too much disruption.

Unfortunately, there are not really any sports teams or many social activities. Even before the lockdown, social gatherings where few and far between other than of course Christmas.

Yes

I would only recommend a certain type of friend that is as the job is very demanding and people can be very difficult but it is a lovely place with great heritage, especially in my city.

Make sure you are ready to sacrifice a lot of time and energy past what's expected and what you think you'll give as they will be weeks when you truly have too much work and you need to be able to deal with everything.