PMO Apprentice Review

My role is Project Management Office (PMO) Analyst. My daily tasks include Project Planning, Reporting, Budget Tracking, Change Management and Financial analysis. My interactions internally are pretty wide spread. To name a few, the role usually entails liaising with Portfolio Managers, Project Managers, Team Leaders, Accountants, Asset Management and Commercial Finance. Externally I have regular contact with the Customer's Project Managers, Accountants and Commercial team.

During my time as an Apprentice at Capgemini I have had countless opportunities to learn new skills or develop existing ones. Within the first few months candidates are enrolled to do an ISEB course (or equivalent) for their relevant business area. For example, I did ISEB in Programmes and Projects Support Office as a PMO Analyst, which is a nationally recognised qualification. I have also completed an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration which was also funded by Capgemini. Since joining I have also completed a number of internal training courses such as: Planning Skills, How to Manage ETC in Your Plan, Taking Control of Your Plan, PTI Effective Time Management, PTI Maximising My Personal Impact to name only a few!

Capgemini is a brilliant place at tailoring apprenticeships to an individual. As soon as you arrive on site this becomes apparent. I am the type of person who likes to be throw in at the deep end, given something to go away, make mistakes and learn from them. Capgemini noticed this immediately and before I was 3 weeks in, I was handed a project for HMRC worth more than £8m! I admit, at first, I made a lot of mistakes and relied heavily on my team to show me how to tackle a wide range of problems. They were more than helpful and adopted every part of the Capgemini no blame culture. This isn’t just my team either, throughout my time I have encountered many individuals at Capgemini and they all seem to be exactly the same helpful, friendly type which really shocked me.

The management within Capgemini is second to none, there appears to be no separation between junior and senior members of the company and everyone is out to help. Since being at Capgemini a year I have received 2 recognition awards for delivery excellence (£50 gift card), but they also offer many rewards for boxes of chocolates/wine etc. This is all to show that you are a valued employee of Capgemini and they do recognise your efforts and hard work.

The excellent structure of the Advanced Apprentice Programme is apparent throughout the scheme. From the programme stages themselves being clearly identified via roadmap, to the detailed ideas gone into the Induction – They are all flawlessly executed. Training schedules vary depending on the type of role assigned, however, I would like to commend the support and training put in place in order for every individual to succeed within their programmes. From the Apprentice team, to HR, to Work Managers everyone supports and appreciates the need for study leave in order to complete the required units for the qualifications you may study.

Throughout the Apprenticeship I had to attend a 4-6 weekly catch up with an NVQ Assessor, usually for an hour, which I found more than helpful. The assessors are very friendly and approachable; they are also very efficient at marking progress up to date so that majority of the meeting can be spent on any issues or questions you may have. Due to the challenging nature of the NVQ work, I did encounter some blockers which I needed to overcome quickly in order to progress to the next stage; this was no problem for the assessor I had, she was very pro-active in reaching out to the students she was looking after and always being available to provide guidance to problems via phone and was happy to set up further review meetings if needed.

Not only do you receive support from the training providers, but also Line Managers, the HR Team, Mentors, Buddies, a wide range of people within the organisation. Everyone’s view is that Apprentices are the future and will spend every effort trying to gain new ideas from you and coach you so that you do not make the same mistakes as them.

There are vast opportunities to get involved with outside of work which the company will support you with. For example, in February 2013 I decided to walk the length of Hadrians Wall for Cancer Research UK and Capgemini helped me raise money for this by including a post on the UK wide portal which every Capgemini employee has access to. This helped me raise over £1000 for Cancer Research; a number which I definitely would not have hit without them. As well as supporting your decisions outside of work Capgemini will also offer you social events to attend in order to widen the network of people you know. The main event that happens each year is the Capgemini Christmas Party (which includes a free bar) where over 1000 people attend and is a great place to get to know people. Alongside this, there is on average an event each month where people internally get everyone together in order to raise money for charities, the activities range from painting local schools to partaking in marathons.

Yes

All in all, Capgemini is a great company to work for, everyone is so friendly and helpful, there is a huge support for career progression and they happily support any training and/or qualifications which may help you to develop. I think that they have definitely helped me develop and grow as a person and also help me get qualifications i can use in various jobs.

If I were to give any tips to the people applying for a role at Capgemini I would say, be well prepared by doing lots of research about the company, prior to the telephone interview. If successful at the telephone interview stage, I would say be prepared to demonstrate working in a team, show strategic thinking skills and most importantly, during interview keep calm and be yourself! Then, if successful at the Assessment Day and Interview you will be invited to an Induction which I believe is one of the most crucial times during your Capgemini career; ensure that you make friends and strengthen your network from day 1.