Software Developer Review

The day usually starts with a stand up meeting. This is when each member of the team tells the other members what they worked on the previous day as well as what they plan on working on for the following day. After this meeting, development will usually start. A JIRA board is used to track what members are doing what work. After a section of work is completed, the code will be put up for peer review and a new task will be undertaken.

I have developed countless new skills while in the workplace. These include both technical skills as well as soft skills. The technical skills have been developed by using them day in day out as well as attending training courses. Soft skills have been developed by working in a team environment and attending daily meetings.

I enjoy my programme now as I am firmly settled in to a role and have a good level of responsibility. I feel that our team leads know our limits and always allocate work that is not outwith our ability but at the same time gives us a challenge. I enjoy the environment more when the work is slightly challenging rather than being repetitive and easy.

I feel valued enough within the office among my peers however in wider CGI I don't feel as valued as I used to originally. I feel that there is not a huge opportunity for progression within the company that I first thought there was. Despite successfully going through promotion, I don't feel this propelled my career forward in any way as not much has changed.

The programme is well structured and organised once you have settled in, but I feel that there were a lot of unknowns when I first joined. Details about the length of the apprenticeship and progression opportunities were quite vague upon joining. It was also quite unclear if we could devote time to our apprenticeship coursework during work days as most of us were often billing to projects.

During our apprenticeship we received relevant support when necessary however oftentimes it was hard to get in contact with our assessors. Emails would often go unanswered for periods of time but this was resolved in the end. Within the classrooms we always received good supports as the tutors were always experienced and knowledgeable about their specialist subjects.

On a day to day basis I receive a great amount of help from my fellow peers and team members. I don't feel that anyone looks down in me despite my short length of experience within the industry. Managers are always available to talk about a wide range of issues that may arise.

I feel that last year my salary met my costs fine but as this has progressed I feel that what I receive is slightly below what I would have expected to be at this year. As my responsibilities have grown after promotion I would have felt that my salary would have reflected this, but we are still quite unclear what our salary progression is.

There is a sports and social club that organizes a number of events outside of the workplace.

Yes

I feel it is a great opportunity to get in to the industry and valuable and up to date skills can be learned. The types of technical skills picked up can future proof your career and put you in a great position compared to those in other companies.

Be open to learning all new types of skills whether these be technical or not. Be willing to push yourself out of the comfort zone in order to develop your skills to the maximum.