Software Developer Review

As our projects consist of long-term deadlines, programming and coding is what I do on a regular basis. I have been working on a website for the past month and a lot of new learning experiences have come from this. This includes learning new technologies and tools that are currently being utilised in the industry as well as working as a team to develop software.

As said previously, I have learned many new skills in this role. This includes soft skills such as team-working and communication, as well as technical skills such as new programming languages, libraries and frameworks. Some of these include Javascript, CSS and HTML alongside ReactJS and GatsbyJS. A wide range of tools and technologies.

The programme is very enjoyable. I get to rotate every 6-9 months depending on the team that I am in and the teams that are available. However, if my current team suits me, I am more than welcome to stay as long as they have the resources available to accommodate me. The learning is done through webinars from BPP university, which happen on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

The programme is well-structured but could have a few improvements. However, this is expected as it is a new programme and we are the first cohort. Overall, the University side of things and work seem unrelated at first. The foundation year of the apprenticeship focuses more on building professionalism whilst getting a solid technical background of business information technology. However, as we move into second and third year, we will get to specialise more into roles and the university study will reflect this.

KPMG are very people-oriented. They really look after their employees and that is reflected through the support that is available to all colleagues in the firm. We have regular social learning sessions, social outings to get to know colleagues more and regular mental health and wellbeing sessions available to everyone. In terms of university, the dedicated apprenticeship and PQA team handle all the issues.

I feel that I receive plenty of support albeit online. As this course is distance learning coupled with employment as a degree apprenticeship it is always difficult at first to grasp the rhythm of the ways of learning. However, BPP are very supportive in their webinars as well as the VLE, which contains many useful resources to learn from. An online library is also provided.

I think that as the second and third year come around, I will be able to specialise in the role that I choose, in my case, a software engineer. The university will be able to provide modules that are very closely related to this role, such as mobile engineering and web development.

There are many extra-curricular activities to take part in. There are lots of networking events on all the time and social evenings are becoming increasingly popular. Currently, I play 5-a-side football with my team once a week. It is really fun and helps us build a better connection with each other.

Yes

KPMG, overall, are a very friendly firm. They look after you very well and support your every need. The people at KPMG also reflect this; they are always approachable and are willing to help with anything from work-related issues to health and wellbeing-related issues. The opportunities to grow at KPMG are vast and become larger as time goes by.

I would say to be yourself at an interview with KPMG. KPMG promotes uniqueness and diversity amongst the people at the firm and your individuality may help them to see something innovative in you. Do some research as to how KPMG operate in terms of their capabilities and acquire knowledge of this beforehand.