Software Engineering Apprentice Review

I work with a team of developers to maintain applications and add features as required by the business through agile scrum practices. There is a daily standup where I give updates on what I've worked on. I work mainly with c# and typescript.

I learned gitlab (version control software), CI/CD pipeline, HTML, CSS, SASS, JS (ES6), Typescript, C#, MVC design pattern, OOP principles, scrum practices, agile manifesto, Jira (project management software), Visual Studio 2019 (IDE), command line terminal. Also developed my presentation skills as scrum master.

Although it was challenging in the beginning, my line manager has done a great job mentoring me into an independent problem solver. I have been given resources on Udemy to supplement my working knowledge and have progressed to work on real projects that impact the business.

There was a lot of trial and error in the beginning. For example, the course content by QA often felt outdated or did not relate to how the business worked on development projects. DCG provided Udemy courses to remedy this and now I feel I can work as a developer.

A monthly catchup session is provided by the company's Emerging Talent Adviser and my line manager continuously provides support when needed. If there is any issues, the company acted quick to resolve it and there is support offered for mental health too.

There are workshops held for each module. Most tutors were supportive however, there was one who did not have a professional attitude. My skills coach holds a catch up meeting and is supportive. In general, I do not enjoy the course content because it is either irrelevant or outdated.

Most of the modules have not helped me in my day-to-day role as a developer. The two relevant modules were outdated. The business modules helped show the bigger picture for key business decisions. I have yet to gain any further knowledge about the tech industry through the training provider.

I went on a business trip to Aveiro, Portugal for the townhall meeting in my first month at DCG. I also went to the New Relic office for a contract renewal meeting with my former line manager. There were regular company events in the Acton office. Free gym too!

Yes

It is a good environment for learning and understanding how applications are developed in an enterprise setting. My development team have been patient, supportive and understanding with me. The emerging talents team make me feel apart of the business through photoshoot opportunities and sharing my story with the wider business.

Make the most out of the resources offered such as Udemy to learn the tech stack. Do not hesitate to ask questions and be proactive in your learning. Always give feedback and enjoy getting involved with the wider business. If offices open up again, use the free gym!