Software Engineer Review

My job title is a software engineer and where I work I am learning something new every day. There is a huge range of different technologies available to me so my daily tasks can vary significantly. Myself and one other colleague are the accounts main Adobe LiveCycle resources so I am very active in that area but I am also building my knowledge in SQL, Java, Spring Framework, application performance monitoring and IBM's ODM rules development.

As part of my apprenticeship I have taken part in a number of courses such as project management, advanced sql, test driven development and systems analysis and design. As part of my day job I have learned basic java skills and I hope to build on these. I have learned and become fairly competent in the use of Adobe LiveCycle Enterprise Suite. SQL is a vital part of my day job as everything we do requires interaction with the numerous database tables. I have created and maintain a number of stored procedures which interact with the java and adobe systems to produce documents for the clients customers. The only small fault I have found is that as I am required to work in so many different areas I do not get the time to learn the technologies fully. Sometimes I feel like a jack of all trades but in this environment that is not always a bad thing and I have plenty of time to solidify my knowledge.

I have enjoyed the apprenticeship program a great deal with cap even though we did have some very big issues with our apprenticeship providers. It does seem to be all working out in the end. I enjoy working for Capgemini and on the account I have been allocated. The amount of daily travel has started to wear me down but it is something that has to be done if I want to learn all these new skills. Capgemini have done very well in meeting most of my expectations but the apprenticeship providers have fallen very short.

Capgemini and more specifically my account manager have made me feel very valued. I have been given great opportunities, worked overtime for the account and received an award for providing excellent service to the client and have been asked for specifically by the client on numerous occasions.

The induction was extremely well organised and run. Our training was very enjoyable although some of the exams asked for work which was above our levels at the time but with a little extra work we managed perfectly fine. The support from mentors has been acceptable and I was lucky to have someone who is on the same account so I could easily ask questions or raise issues. From the point of our apprenticeship providers, we had a very bad time due to the loss of assessors and being left out of the loop entirely for a great deal of time. Luckily extra support was provided to help rectify the issues.

The apprenticeship providers provided very poor support for a large portion of my program however once the issues were rectified my new assessor provided a huge amount of support to ensure I can complete my apprenticeship on time. Even though he had to travel quite a distance, he made extra journeys to provide the support and was always available over email or phone. If the issues were rectified sooner I would have enjoyed the apprenticeship a great deal more.

The level of support I have received from my employer, especially recently has been excellent. I have been provided with a great deal of advice to deal with certain issues, I am provided my expenses for my costly travel and the company provides free contacts to support groups for any and all issues work related and personal.

Due to the technology that I have picked up it has allowed me to excel very quickly and provide a great amount of service to the account from a very early date. I have received a number of promotions which are helping with costs and I hope that within a few years I will be able to afford my own home. The only downside is that I have each day a 2.5-3 hour commute which can be very draining and prevent me from participating in hobbies in the evenings.

There are opportunities with the company although they tend to be in larger cities. Where I am located there is not a great deal of events to take part in in the evenings. We do try to get involved when possible with schools events and help to promote the company and its apprenticeships.

Yes

The area that I am from does not have a huge number of companies like Capgemini. It is a great company to work for and hopefully will provide many opportunities in the future which I think would benefit any of my friends and family.

My advice would be to apply ASAP. You are not required to have knowledge of IT as the apprenticeship will teach you this but having an interest does help. If you are invited to an assessment day then I advise you to go online and look up what to expect. Look at questions, best behaviours and the common things that the assessors may be looking for e.g. teamwork, getting quieter members involved etc... Look for practice assessment centre tests and make sure you learn about the company you are trying to join.