Junior Software Developer (Degree Apprentice) Review

Role: Junior Software Developer My current day to day involves finding work from the tickets board for my assigned project and developing solutions to the problems noted. This ranges from work on the front end of the system, writing in Java EE, to database management work in SQL and environment management scripts using bash. Every morning I join a meeting to discuss my work and interact with many members of the team across a range of positions in the company. While I didn't get a choice of what work I would do, my role was chosen to align with the work I did in my opening 7 weeks at university.

The first 7 weeks are all about taking on new skills. An intensive block at university covering an introduction to programming and database management. This covered object oriented programming in Java, Python and Ruby; database design with Oracle's SQL and had an emphasis on Test Driven Development. Since starting work I have improved my knowledge in these areas as well as picking up experience with scripting languages such as bash. The first 7 weeks were hard work and there was a lot to keep up with but worth it.

The people I work with are friendly and there is a nice atmosphere in the office. The company also has a Sport and Social Club who organize events for my local office and across the country.

The work I do on a daily basis is no different to any of my colleagues. Once I was up to speed with the project, I was able to work autonomously and pick up work I felt was appropriate to my level. I have worked on some pretty key parts of a major project for the company. There is a definite feel of an open relationship with my management as I have daily meetings with the team and a 1:1 with my team lead every fortnight.

There has been little information passed our way from the university. This may be because it is the first year CGI have been involved in the program so there are still wrinkles to iron out. The content on the university side is good though. That's about it for structure, there is no path to follow on the company side which can be a good or a bad thing. For me it means I am able to steer my career how I want to and work towards appropriate training and qualifications as I see fit.

Very little communication from Aston unless prompted. Supporting material is there though and the lecturers were great in the opening block. We do have access to the whole university system which gives us access to their library, student services and the rest.

Lots of support is in place if you need it. All levels of company I have spoken to so far have been supportive and helped me along the way. This includes members up to director level in different business units. As an apprentice I have regular calls with the student recruitment team who are there to check how we are getting on and there is also an apprentice-only forum that can be used however is needed. The company operates a well-being program which can provide confidential help in any area such as financial assistance or mental health etc.

As an apprentice, a lower wage is expected. That said, a starting salary of £14.5k is better than you will find most places and after passing my probation I received a pay rise of about 20%. Check out the article in The Times for more info.

Lots of freely accessible learning materials to help with CPD, opportunities to socialize with your office and the company as a whole. These can be set up by anybody at any time. There is also the option for voluntary work with the company being strong advocates of the Prince's Trust and there are opportunities to help promote tech in schools etc.

Yes

Strong company doing interesting things in a wide variety of markets. Plenty of room to grow within and you're not waiting for higher-ups to leave so that you can get a promotion. As an apprentice there is lots to gain.

Reach out to the apprentices already working there with any questions you have. The student recruitment team will help you. The application process may be slow but they have a LOT of people to work through. There are lots of routes to take and the company has many success stories from previous apprentices/grads, including senior leadership.