Technology Apprentice Review

My time is split three days a week at work and two at University. At work, I work on various software engineering projects within my team. This involves coding, design and infrastructure work. I am also involved in side-projects, such as assisting in the organisation of training sessions for the apprentice cohorts within the firm. At University, my time is split between lectures and lab sessions.

I have learnt a significant amount in the year and a half that I have been on the programme. This is both from the training and experience offered by the firm and also the knowledge acquired from University. I joined the programme without a background in software engineering and I am now working on live projects within my team and am adding value to my clients.

The programme is very enjoyable. It can can be challenging balancing your time between tasks at work, University and also your own free time, however it is very rewarding. My team have been very supportive and are a constant fount of knowledge for me to refer to. The programme has given me the the ability to stretch myself and expand my skillset.

I feel very valued by Goldman Sachs. The level of responsibility that I have been given to date is great! I have the opportunity to work on a broad range of projects across the technology stack and also the chance to take on projects by myself and drive them through to completion. I am also very happy with the level of investment that the firm has put into me to date, but spending the time to improve both my technical and soft skills.

The programme is well organised; I was assigned a manager, buddy, mentor, etc. who I had the chance to meet before my first official day, which was great to have a few familiar faces on day one. There have been some teething problems; however this is expected as I am part of the first year to complete this programme. Overall, I am impressed with what has been offered to date.

Overall this has also been good. As mentioned above, there were some teething issues, being part of the first year to complete this programme. However now that I am in my second year, these problems seem to have been dealt with. At University, we have a couple of contacts that we can refer to if we have any questions.

The level of support given by the firm is great. There are a broad range of people that I can reach out to for any type of question that I may have. What is a massive bonus, is that your colleagues are all very knowledgeable about their relevant fields, which is a big help for both my career and studies.

Overall, the package that is offered to apprentices is great, considering that you do not work full time and that the University fees are covered. The living costs in London are high though, so you need to budget carefully. Taking everything to account, it is a hard package to beat!

There are student Unions that you can join at University, however it should be noted that the days the Union events occur may not align to when you are at University, so sometimes events can be hard to attend. Goldman Sachs has great internal networks though, so you can attend talks/demonstrations from a broad range of individuals (from celebrities to industry experts). In addition to this, you can get involved in initiatives such as Community Teamworks, to help out at charities that the firm sponsors.

Yes

It is definitely the best of both worlds, by being able to work and get a degree at the same time. If you chose this route, you will be years ahead in your career than your peers who go the traditional University route.

It is a cliché, however just be yourself. Be open about your experiences and also your passion for Technology. If you get through to the assessment day, then use this an an opportunity to showcase yourself, in addition to finding out more about what the programme has to offer. Don't be afraid to ask questions!