Apprentice Software Developer Review

I am an apprentice software developer, on an agile team. My daily tasks involve communicating with my team and client to find out what work there is for me to do, then I will usually spend the rest of the day working on a solutions for the current tasks. This mainly involves designing, writing, and testing code, and communicating my progress to my team.

I have developed many technical and non-technical skills during my apprenticeship. Some of the technical skills involve coding (in various technologies/stacks), software design, software testing, and database administration. I develop these skills by taking on daily work and also learning in my free time. Some of the non-technical skills I have developed include team working, communication skills, and public speaking.

I enjoy the work that I do, and enjoy working with the team I work with. The work I do is satisfying as it is helping me learn useful skills, and also giving me the work I need to complete my apprenticeship. My team consists of people with varying levels of experience, so there is always someone available to help me. The apprenticeship programme promotes self-learning and learning by doing, which resonates well with me. I also believe that the company I work for offers excellent benefits, and treats its employees well.

My training was provided by a third party provider which offered a 3 month bootcamp to train me with basic skills and knowledge, before applying what I'd learned in the workplace. This programme was well structured and provided a good foundation of knowledge in software development to build on, and touched on many core topics. The programme also included some exams, an interview, and submission of a portfolio of my work done throughout the apprenticeship period.

I received support from multiple people, including my colleagues, team leader, manager, and directors. They never hesitated to give me support when I needed it and would always try and resolve any issues I was having. The training provider also offered support when I needed it. The support was there from day one during my onboarding, right to the end of my apprenticeship.

My training provider was always available via a mentor who would attempt to answer any questions I had, and point me in the right direction to receiving technical and non technical support. We also had scheduled catch up meetings to ensure that I was on track and didn't have any blockers.

The training I had gave me foundation knowledge on some of the core topics of software development, such as debugging, algorithms, and programming language syntax. I've been able to build on and develop these skills while working in my role, and I feel that the qualification has helped bring me independence in problem solving and completing work.

There are always many opportunities to take in part in extra curricular activities, such as sports clubs, days out, professional events, and charity events like local beach clean ups. There is typically always an activity taking place that you might find interesting, and these opportunities are well communicated through regular emails.

Yes

CGI has been a great place to work, and has provided me with countless opportunities to build and develop both my soft and technical skills, and has given me a great start to a career in software engineering. I feel like I am a valued member, and that my personal development is encouraged and looked after.

I would recommend practicing IT and coding skills in your free time, such as by signing up to some of the many coding practice and challenge sites available. I would also do some background in to the company to get an idea of what they do. I think demonstrating that you have a keen interest and a passion to grow and develop your skills will help you.