Software Engineer Apprentice Review

I am a software engineer. This means I am writing code and working on technical projects for my company. I've worked on projects such as creating websites and moderation systems. The day-to-day life of a software engineer involves attending meetings to plan/review work and picking up tickets (small pieces of work) to do. In my team, I work a lot with other software engineers to develop code and complete tickets together, which is know as pairing. The BBC is really good with easing you in as an apprentice but giving you more freedom and responsibility in the later years. I'm now in my fourth (and final) year and I run multiple meetings, write the tickets for my team and lead a small project. As a degree apprentice, I do all this for 3 days a week as the other 2 days I'm at University completing my degree. This involves attending lectures and doing labs, coursework and exams.

Many! I've learnt multiple coding languages, including Java, JavaScript and Python to a high level. I've been exposed to many different services on AWS, such as EC2s and Lambdas, and the commonly used tools like GitHub, JIRA and Confluence. I've also had to implement and use a variety of databases. Outside of the core software engineering skills, I've had to develop leadership skills by running projects and other business-related skills that can be applied in many scenarios. All of this has been learned whilst working but the BBC also provide Academy courses that I've attended to help teach and further these skills. They were all very useful. As a degree apprentice, I also attend University and learn a lot from the modules in my degree, such as Object-Oriented Programming and Security Engineering.

I really enjoy it. The BBC is a great place to work and being able to still attend University and get a degree at the same time helped ease me into a working lifestyle (as I work 3 days a week compared to 5) and ensured I didn't miss the joys of University. My team are full of really nice and helpful people and I'm always learning and working on interesting and new things. I have a manager that constantly checks in with me to make sure everything is fine and a mentor that is always available and willing to help with anything I need. There's also a lot of social events within my team. Before lockdown, we were always going out for lunch and so on. Now we play weekly games online together. Whilst this all sounds great, having to work and do a degree at the same time can be a lot, especially during exams. There's been times where I didn't have any time to relax or have a break as I'm working for the majority of the day and then spending the evening doing coursework. I also end up doing a lot of University work during weekends.

The BBC side of the programme is incredibly well-structured and organised with me having bi-weekly meetings with my manager. However, the University side isn't and instead it's a complete mess. Queen Mary University of London fail to prioritise degree apprentices and they squash everything into two days of University with no care about us. I've had timetables where I had lectures and labs for over 5 hours without any breaks. They also constantly fail to even move everything into the 2 days and so I have to catch up with lectures that are held during work in my own time instead of my designated University days. The degree has also changed since when I first started, with some modules being replaced and us having to do extra work that we previously didn't need to do.

The BBC give a high amount of support to all apprentices. There's a system of having a manager and a mentor to ensure there is always someone checking in with you and is available to assist you with anything. Everyone in my team is super helpful so even normal team members will help me out with things, such as problems with work or even doing questionnaires for my coursework at University. As an apprentice, I'm not expected to know everything and my team and the BBC as a whole understand that.

The lecturers for modules are always approachable and willing to help students. I also have a tutor assigned to me that is involved with degree apprenticeships. He is able to help with any issues I have and acts as a middle-man between the University and my company. However, the University side of things is a mess compared to the BBC and they fail to keep in contact with my company, leading to me always having to get information and pass it on.

I've rarely been in a scenario at work where I was able to put theory from University into practice. What I've learnt on the job is much more useful and at a much higher level compared to University. The modules in my degree cover outdated practices and theory that just doesn't apply in a modern working environment. They do help with gaining a rough understanding of something though. That being said, sometimes it can actually confuse me instead of helping me perform better in my role though.

Plenty! With COVID-19 and everyone working from home, this has of course changed so sports teams and so on aren't a thing right now. However, the BBC made it a priority to ensure that we would still be connected and be social despite being stuck at home. There are multiple social channels for people to talk in and events hosted online. My team also have weekly "meetings" where we play games and do quizzes. They're really fun!

Yes

The BBC is a globally recognised company that stands out on your CV. This might never be needed though as so many people stay at the BBC for their whole careers. There is a reason for that and it's because it's such an amazing place to work. It's much more relaxed compared to the other big tech companies and everyone is super kind and helpful. The BBC also helps with improving everyone's careers with courses and job moves.

I had to do an application and then an assessment day that involved an interview, exam and a group exercise. It's important to just be yourself and show skills beyond academic grades. Don't be nervous during your exam (it helps that it's in a really relaxed environment to begin with) and in the group exercise it's important to include other people by asking them questions and considering their points. With your application, try and stand out from the others as there are 1000s of people applying.