Apprentice Review

i'm an apprentice developer for a client project. My days consist of development in a few languages such as Python and Java. My main tasks are currently to fix, repair and revamp older features. I also work on unit testing for the revamped components and features which i aim to keep up to a high standard of both test coverage as and quality of testing.

Originally i was working in a Java x Python hybrid language called Jython which was a learning curve on it's own. i had to learn both Python and Jython early on when i joined the project so i could work on older components and features. Other skills i've been able to develop are debugging, problem solving and communication skills which has come along with me walking into bugs as there is a great difference between Python/Jython and Java styles (such as multi-inheritance).

The program is pretty good. the company is nice and the wide range of projects that are open for me to work on, as well as the drive to be able to work in a range of languages really fits me. this has lead me to try teaching myself programming very different from my comfortable Java. these technologies include HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, SQL, C#, Python and a bit of Ruby.

when we joined as development apprentices, i was put into a project that was mainly testing. This meant i wasn't able to work towards the goals for the apprenticeship, but once i made this clear there was instant movement to fix the issue. i was assigned to a development, my current, team in less than 5 days. However the external provider has been very unorganised in finalising the requirements for the apprenticeship itself. however even that has apparently been finalised now!

I try my best to be independent and work with my own initiative so there isn't any constant assistance from my employer. However, there is a a bi-weekly call setup by managers to assist myself and other apprentices in ensuring we're progressing well and are nice and comfortable.

the support from the training provider is okay. the requirements have taken a long time to be confirmed so i've been a bit pressured. however they have created a slack server, similar to communication app Discord, for all of the level 4 development apprentices to communicate with makers. We also use this tool to book in-office meetings and reviews.

the training provider never went out of its way to teach either python or java which is what i am using currently. i have previous experience in using java so was able to pick that up for my current role nice and quickly. The provider taught us Ruby which is somewhat similar to python in terms of syntax. So they helped a bit, but my day-to-day success is my own ability and my awesome, supportive team.

Each office has a social club that members can sign up for £5 a month. events they host can be amusement parks to dinner dates with other people from the same office. the office i'm based in also has a group of people that play table tennis after work, especially in the sun. So the chances to meet new people is constant.

Yes

The company is welcoming, interesting and diverse in it's opportunities. The recruitment team are nice people that help you get on-board and the support structure for new people is amazing. With the benefit of potentially travelling all over the country, client facing opportunities to show yourself off and lots of different, uniquely interesting projects to join and work on, it's quite a good place to go.

The best thing i can say is be yourself and be confident. everybody knows that you're going to be nervous, we were too! breathe, relax and do your very best. and most likely the most important piece of information i can give is to keep an eye on your emails! Good luck.