Software Engineer Review

Software Engineer is my job title; however this doesn't really reflect my day to day role. Now I'm on a project away from home, I stay in hotels for 4 days of the week and work from home on Fridays. This can be different for any project though; the role also can change with every project. Even though my job title is technically a Software Engineer, my role on this project is as a Data Analyst. This involves analysing and mapping data for around 300 systems, this is something I haven't done before but is something that is good to learn and has a large contribution for the team.

I have developed my technical skills through day to day work as a data analyst. This includes Data Mapping and Data Lineage, these are two things I haven't done before and took a while to understand. However both are very good technical skills to have for future projects and both are vital in performing my current role. Interpersonal skills and professionalism have also developed due to direct interaction with the client.

I am the type of person who doesn't like to be stuck in the same role without progression and any sort of change for a long period of time. So I feel as though this programme is perfect for me, as every project is different and there is a lot of recognition and progression throughout the company. Due to being a degree apprentice, I joined Cap along with people around my age and with similar levels of motivation. This is something that I wasn't accustomed to when working as apprentice as other companies, as most organisations don't have the same push for junior talent.

I feel as though within Capgemini, if you make good contributions either inside or outside of your daily role then you will get recognition. For example, recently when I was on the bench I was tasked with an internal non-billable task which had a tight deadline and I was the only person available with the skill set for the task. This is something that I have done with previous employers and had received no sort of recognition for the speed and quality of my work, however I received huge praise from vice presidents within Capgemini who genuinely appreciated the work I had done.

Overall I feel as though the programme is structured very well and is organised effectively. However sometimes I do feel as there needs to be more clarification regarding study leave. Due to study leave being annually and not termly, we first need clarification on how many days we are entitled to. Also all on-campus days and exam days need to be provided to us for the entire year in advance so that we can forecast our study leave.

There is a lot of support from Aston University and I personally haven't had any sort of issues. However if there are any sort of issues then I already know who to speak to, due to constant guidance being given regarding who to speak to and what to do if there are any issues.

Within other private sector organisations that I have worked in, there has sometimes been a lack of support/guidance. Whereas in Capgemini, I have had one big personal issue where I was given guidance on who to speak to and then very good support from the HR Team in regards to the options available and the best course of action to take.

The salary is very competitive and with two pay reviews a year it is constantly giving you an incentive to contribute effectively and stick to the companies high standards. When staying away from home, the only thing I pay for is my lunch every day; however you don't even have to pay for this if you bring your own lunch. The salary will meet everyone's costs differently, however Capgemini do try to compensate you as much as possible to ensure you're not out of pocket.

There are constant emails every week usually, regarding opportunities to contribute to the company and the apprenticeship programme outside of work. This is a bit more difficult to do when you're on a project and for myself due to the location of most of the events not being near to my base location. However Capgemini do try to have at least a few events at each base location and they're usually for a good cause.

Yes

Brilliant opportunity, no debt and real world working experience as well as working in a company thriving with junior talent and like-minded individuals. A company that cares for its employees and tries to appreciates personal contributions and encourages personal development. However it isn't easy at all, all of these benefits come with a lot of hard work and dedication.

Before applying, make sure its the correct path for you. What I mean by this is, do you want the normal university experience with a lot more free time to do work and more consistency but with limited income. Or are you willing to put in the hard work and dedication and not have the 'uni life'. That's one thing I sometimes feel as though I'm missing out on, however I feel as though the benefits out weigh the cons as I have nearly a years working experience and am in the process of getting a mortgage on my first house