Associate Application Developer Review

I am an Associate Applications Developer. This involves developing software solutions for internal or external customers. On a day-to-day basis I often work within a small team on different development projects. I am often part of or host conference calls as well as attend regular meetings and am also part of Apprentice communities.

During my time in the Degree Apprenticeship I have already learnt a wide range of new skills. Some of the skills I have learnt at University I have been able to implement into my job and some of the skills I have learnt in my job has helped me with University work.

So far I have enjoyed my programme because I have been given challenging tasks and put on interesting projects which has helped me to learn new skills and ways of working. I have enjoyed being part of apprentice communities and attending apprentice events becuase it allowed me to network with other apprentices.

At the start of the programme it was not as well organised as I would have liked because not all of the necessary information was provided to us. However, after the first few weeks it has become much more organised and structured which has given me a much better experience.

If I ask, I receive quite a lot of support from my employer. An example of this is having a mentor who I meet weekly with to support me with one of my University modules. I also have supportive mangers and other apprentices that I am able to ask for help or advice with any issue I have.

I receive some support when working towards my qualifications however some lecturers are more supportive than others. As I only attend University one day per week email is important when communicating with my University however most lecturers are very slow to reply to emails or in some cases do not reply at all. When at University most lecturers are supportive.

Overall my qualification does help me to perform better in my role because I am able to implement what I have learnt at University into my job role which means I am able to put what I have learnt into real world scenarios. However, I have found that sometimes I have already learnt topics that we are covering at University in my job role.

There is some extra-curricular activities that I am able to get involved in. For example, monthly apprentice socials are held. There are currently no sports teams. There has been a few professional networking events that I have attended. I have found these useful because it was a great opportunity to meet more senior employees at my company.

Yes

Fujitsu is a great company to work for because they provide lots of support to their employees and overall the Degree Apprentice scheme has been a very positive and enjoyable experience so far. There is also many interesting projects and job roles within Fujtisu. Fujitsu also allows apprentices to move around projects and different areas of the business which provides new opportunities and a better overview of the business.

I would advise others to make sure they are passionate about the area of work they would be going into because being interested helps to make the experience more enjoyable as well as allowing them to produce better quality work. They should research the company’s values and background before applying. They should also be friendly as well as professional.