Business Analyst Review

I started my technical Degree Apprenticeship with Capgemini in November 2016, which includes working 9 to 5 every day while studying towards a degree in Digital and Technology Solutions at Aston university. My job title is 'Business Analyst' which involves lots of business analytics and reporting for the client, also SQL and databases which I thoroughly enjoy. I have many daily interactions with the client over skype and occasionally travel to the main site to have meetings and interactions with the client. I have many responsibilities including producing and presenting reports and information to the client, these all have to be done before certain times in the month.

I have learnt many new skills in my year and a half with Capgemini. From learning the fundamentals of Java and SQL while studying the degree, to learning many software's and technologies while working for clients Power BI, Azure and Mulesoft just to name a few. I am also being sponsored by the client to do two certifications this June. I also have learnt more personal/people skills than I can believe due to being thrown in the deep end from day one. I have attended client meetings and presented in front of senior management which was one of the scariest things I've ever done however, I have highly benefited from these experiences as I can now confidently and professionally communicate with clients or management.

In my everyday role I enjoy working as a team, we are only a small team however it works really well as we all know each others strengths and passions so are able to delegate work out accordingly. Luckily for me, I am in a team with lots of apprentices all at different stages in the degree process so I am able to ask them for help with work as they understand what its like when you're pretty new and also they're able to help with any university work I am stuck with as they have done it before or are currently working through it. I also thoroughly enjoy my university experience as I have a great cohort full of interesting and varied people from all over the UK so the on campus days are always looked forward to by all of us as its our chance to discuss what each other is getting on with and also live like 'proper' university students for a few days. You also get the opportunity to mix with other cohorts and make lots of new friends-bare in mind there are over 200 apprentices on campus on these days so the time there is always lots of fun. I can honestly say I have made friends for life through my time here. Overall, I really enjoy working for Capgemini as we are treated just like every other employee with the exact same respect and benefits no matter your age, experience or gender which I have found pretty rare in my previous jobs.

I feel valued within Capgemini due to the quarterly reviews/feedback we receive from all aspects within the company. I get frequent feedback and praise from my manager and that helps to continue my motivation and high work ethic. You also have frequent calls with your reviewers where you get to chat one-to-one and discuss any problems or concerns to make sure you stay on track and continue enjoying the programme. Unlike a lot of apprenticeships with Capgemini you're a permanent employee from day one so you have an important and value position in the company which I find really rewarding.

Your first week as a degree apprentice with Capgemini includes an induction week with all of the other apprentice/graduates that are joining at that time. This week includes lots of team exercises and training which helps to break the ice and get to know each other. We also then had fun, social events at night including pizza nights, pub quizzes and movie nights where we could bond in a less formal sense. You also learn lots of fundamental key skills that I have continued to use since. Then we had an 8 week accelerated learning experience on campus at Aston university staying in the university halls. This was so fun as we got to pretend we were all proper university students. Throughout this time we learnt the fundamentals we needed to be then placed into proper projects and work. Since then I have been involved in two projects where I have had plenty of support and training. I have found the task delegation fair and I have been supported by the team/colleagues above me in the hierarchy. There have been some moments where there has been miscommunication between my reviewers and client/projects to find that aspects of a project weren't what was described to me initially however I was still able to gain valuable experience. We also have regular days at university (around six a year) and the dates for this are set almost a year in advance so you can plan work and task deadlines around them. We also have regular webinars for university some nights which again we are given notice for. So far I have found the programme well organised.

I receive weekly support from the university during regular webinars. There are also slots most weeks where you can book in time to speak to lecturers one to one if you need any extra help. I find the guidance with certain modules varied in terms of quality however that just depends on what lecturer you get and would be the exact same situation if I was at university. The general attitude towards the teaching is always positive and that is very encouraging. I have had very little problems with the degree support so far and I have just stepped onto second year.

I receive the most support from my current project manager as I am being put through certain training and certifications that will highly benefit me, this is support that has really helped me to improve. I also receive a lot of support from apprentices higher up in the degree process which is the most beneficial as they have done it already so know how to advise. I don't receive a lot of help/guidance from managers higher up but I believe that is just because they have lots of people to manage and I also haven't really had many issues that I have needed to contact them about. Most colleagues/higher senior managers have a really positive general attitude towards helping you and I have met so many great people who have taught me so many different skills.

My salary exceeds my costs. I am able to have 3/4 holidays a year and also socialize more than my friends who are currently at university. I don't currently have any living costs as I still live with my parents however I have friends who own houses and live on their own while on the same salary as me. There are also regular promotions/salary increases throughout the year. I pay for any costs up to my home to base location (Manchester) and then any further is covered by the company so I don't have to worry about travelling to work costs.

I have found there are a lot of opportunities outside of work however they are in certain areas of the UK such as Telford or London, but this is mainly because there are more people working in them areas. There are company wide events such as the annual bike ride for the Princes Trust which I want to attempt this year. There are also lots of voluntary and local activities such as a 'beach clear up' when I was working down in Worthing which was lots of fun. There are also football teams and regular knowledge sharing events, they're all just dependent on where you are in the UK so end up being advertised locally. The company is aiming to create more apprentice/graduate meet ups all over the UK.

Yes

I believe its one of the best decisions I've ever made. I am able to work in an exciting environment and gain real world experiences, something I wouldn't have got while just being in a classroom at university. I also get to study towards a degree I love and find really interesting, I will also have a degree when I finish so I will still be in a similar position to my friends that have spent the last 3/4 years at university. Additionally, I am earning so I can go on holidays, trips and visit my friends who are at university all over the UK as I have the money to do so. This is something I wouldn't of had the money for if I just went to university alone.

The application process involves the initial application which involves a few questions to just find out more about you as a person. If successful you then go onto a video interview (not as scary as it sounds!) you just get given the question then you record yourself saying the answer-this again is just to find out more about you. There is then a problem solving test and then an assessment day. The assessment day involved an individual interview, a group exercise and a written test. Despite being terrified it wasn't half as bad a I thought, you're made to feel very comfortable and everyone else is feeling the same so don't worry. I found this day more beneficial to me as we had a phone call a week later where they discussed how well you did in certain activities and how you could improve etc. My advice before this day would be to just relax and be yourself, as they're just trying to see if you'd fit in in the company. Also be confident enough to say your points/views but not pushy and overshadow others as that's not a quality that works well within a team. My one piece of advice would be to make sure you're okay with travelling around the UK, I wasn't particularly told I would be working away from my base location so much (in fact I've only visited my base 4 times at most since I started!) however I have thoroughly enjoyed the travelling I just would've liked to have been told that.