Test Lead Apprentice Review

My role within Capgemini as defined by our terms of reference is a Test Lead which consists of Creating and managing Test Plans & Scripts, Test Execution, Test Recording, Defect Management and Test Completion exercises all of which I perform across different Test Stages such as Component, Functional, System, Integration, End to End, UAT, Automation and Batch/Client testing. I enjoyed my day to day roles as an apprentice because they could differ and give me a great understanding of the business.

I've been with Capgemini now for approaching 9 years, during the 2 apprenticeship years when I first started I feel the programme/courses I attended didn't offer training that was specific to my role at the time, but during the hands on work experience I developed many skills most of which were self taught and over time I've become an expert in many testing tools such as Toad v8.6.0.38, SQL+, PL/SQL Developer, Oracle SQL Developer 2.1, Beyond Compare, SQL Query Analyzer, Tuxedo 8.0/9.0, Tivoli Maestro 7.1 / Workload Job Scheduling Console 8.3, Advantage Gen 6.5/7.6, Hummingbird Connectivity Suite 2007, FTP, Telnet, Putty, XML Spy, PVCS, Microsoft Office... to name a few.

Casting my mind back 9 years ago when I first started I was at the time a lab rat in some respects as the Apprenticeship programme I was on was the very frist Capgemini offered. So with all new things it had it's teething problems as it was an unknown for them, the programme itself took me almost 2.5 years to complete, this is something that has drastically improved over the years as the Apprenticeship is now in house and not run by a third party so there's a lot more invovlement from colleagues you will see on a day to day basis and because of this the programme can now be complete in as little as 9 months. I didn't particularly like my period of being an Apprentice but having been with the company so long I can see how they've progressed over the years and it now looks something I would've enjoyed to have been a part off.

For all the positives of being an Apprentice there is one major pitfall of the programme but yet again I believe this is something they've recently attempted to resolve. I have been here now for approaching 9 years so I know where you'll most likely be within the company in 5-10 years and during this time you can progress quite significantly, the trouble is even though you role and responsibilities over the years may increase the one thing which doesn't is your pay, something which is a personal gripe and something I feel I need to raise on a regualr basis. You will obviously get pay rises over the years but due to your initial low wage you will always/constantly be playing catchup with others because they are initially employed at a substantially higher salary.

As previously mentioned it was 9 years ago when I did the Apprenticeship with Capgemini so it wouldn't be fair to comment how the programme is structured as of now, but I do have some involvmenet in the academy and from what I've seen they have improved the programme dramatically in comparison to when I started. There's a lot more in house training and it gives you a better insight into how we work on a day to day basis, something of which was lacking when I started.

Well the training provider that Capgemini used at the time was a company called Zenos however they cease to exist now which is probably a good thing as they were like a bunch of cowboys tbh. I'm not sure of the current provider but what I do know is they're a lot more useful than Zenos ever were!!! I'm glad they don't currently exist as they messed us around so much and didn't provide any help and lacked any kind of service and support really.

One thing you can't fault Capgemini for is the support they offer to their Apprentice's, they're very hands on organising extra clases for more specific skills that are required to do the job, such as SQL & Unix classes and also more in house courses on testing techniques. What they offer in comparison to the training provider is training for my job specific skills, stuff you'll use on a day to day basis. I think that there could be room for improvement but overall i was really happy.

I'm a Test Lead by definition and I'm actually mentoring colleagues who are paid 5k+ more than my current package which I'd like to think most would agree is unfair. If you want my personal opinion, I'd do the Apprenticeship it's a great programme, gain 3-5 years experience and LEAVE!!! Because I can guarantee for a fact you'll be able to come back 6-12months later into the same if not a higher role earning as much as 10k more. I would've done it myself but with a family on the way it's just not possible right now but when the time comes I will be making this move.

Capgemini is a highly respectable company in the UK working on large programmes mainly in the public sector with/for HMRC and I don't actually think you could find a permant role elsehwere for such a big company with a great overall package unless you went on to work for the likes of IBM or Microsoft. If becoming a contractor was something you would look to do in the future the Apprenticeship programme at Cap would be a great starting point.

Yes

Overall I would definately recommned Capgemini, even though my gripe surrounding Salary is a constant battle I can't argue with the benefits I do get and for a permenant employee I don't think I could find anything anywhere else near as good as what I have here. I think that even if you weren't paid it would be worth it as your education is free and you get the work experience too. it can be hard at times, especially when it can seem like you're doing the same work as people paid thousands more than you but eventually you will get to that point.

Capgemini? * I've already given advice in Q.7 but to reiterate I'd by all means do the Apprenticeship programme but I'd aim to stay for only 3-5 years, because after that period you will have gained valuable skills and knowledge which will be worth a lot more elsewhere if becoming a higher earner was your #1 goal and as I said you can always come back 6-12 months later. I think that i would also suggest looking at what you can get out of the company as well and what your future career could be like with starting at Capgemini.