Development DBA Review

working within the mainframe environment using the IBM DMBS DB2. this is a database management system used to hold customer data. my job. is to create new databases and tables, this includes producing the SQL which is used to create the tables and the volume sizes of the database needs to be calculated accordingly to meet the requirements of the solution proposed to the DBA team

yes, I have learnt to use the programming language COBOL. which is used in the mainframe environment to run applications. I have learnt the syntax and structuring of coding in this language which I had never used before this job. I have developed on my presentation skills. I did this by providing this to my leadership team to describe my team role and the feedback I received was positive

I thoroughly enjoy my program. there is great variety of tasks for me to learn from. one day a week is spent at university which helps to break up the week. everyday in the workplace is different. new projects often require bespoke solutions which require thinking and skills in order to fulfill the task. no 2 tasks are the same.

the program has a high level of structuring. it is very clear that 20% of time at work is allocated to personal development. I have a training plan in place which provides me with clearly structured tasks to do. It allows for me to learn from others using knowledge transfer as well as giving me time to learn things myself

I receive plenty, I have regular review meetings with my manager and mentors to discuss my progression. this allows time to update my training plan to add any relevant tasks or remove ones which are no longer in scope from the plan to ensure that it is up to date. they provide training courses for me which are relevant to my role to further elaborate on my knowledge

I am allowed to use 1 working day out of the week to work on university work during term times. prior to starting the course. my employer provided training sessions relating to the topic included in the qualification to give a better understanding before starting the course. staff members at work also offer to do knowledge transfer on topics that they have knowledge of that I am learning at university.

it helps my performance as it has taught me a large array of skills required in my role. it has helped on the less technical side of work. such as, presentations and report writing. but also on the technical side. it has improved my knowledge or DB2 and SQL that is used in my current role on a daily basis.

yes, there are plenty. there are multiple sports teams. including, football, running, ruby and cycling. there are often team quizzes and other similar events that you can participate in. there are many social activities. there are multiple language learning sessions you can join. there are also social tournaments, such as, pinball or video game events during lunch time.

Yes

because you are not on your own, there is support available from all areas of the business, from senior leadership and management, to you own team. you gain valuable industry experience alongside a degree qualification. so you get the mix of on and off the job training. their commitment to young individuals is undisputed. the amount of apprentices in the workplace means you are not on your own and when you have an issue there is always someone who is in the same situation or knows what to do. and finally, the work environment is great. the array of social activities also make it a great place to work

To show their keen interest in the job role they are applying for and know the core values of the company and what the ethos is. ensure that they are competent in presenting and public speaking and make them selves stand out from the crowd. for example, very specific work experience or volunteering and even hobbies that could relate to the role they are applying for. for example running a website and applying for an IT role