Junior Developer Review

Currently I am working as a software developer on the UKs smart metering implementation. I have taken on the responsibilities of the development team lead and as such I'm currently training a degree apprentice from the 2019 joiners with Aston. I also have the responsibility of the release management which includes the communication and co-ordination of the build and release schedule with the wider teams.

Over the time I have been at CGI I have not felt limited by my apprentice position and as such have had huge numbers of opportunities to better myself. Of particular note are my interpersonal skills which have improved vastly in terms of team leadership (especially the support of others) as well as in conflict resolution. My technological skills are now at a point where I can competently develop high quality applications independently.

Through the degree apprenticeship I have had the opportunity to meet many like-minded and friendly people (Some in the office, some in my cohort). This has meant that when studying the degree I have a great system in place where we can bounce ideas across of each other and learn the content in a fun and effective manner.

Although there were some challenges in the beginning with the CGI/Aston university communication (Which stem from being the first cohort with CGI to take the Aston course) over the years steps have been taken into place to address this and I feel much better about the situation. The organisation is now at a point I am happy with and feel that I have the structure required for me to feel comfortable to develop in.

I personally feel I receive as much support as I require from my employer, if I ever have a question I need answering or just someone to discuss the apprenticeship with I know who to ask. In addition the other employees are always happy to lend a hand in a topic I have for university if it's something they have experience in.

I feel I receive more than adequate support from Aston university in order to get the grades I am aiming for. As mentioned before the initial communication with Aston was a little shaky but this has significantly improved over the past few years and I know feel comfortable that if I need more support then I know where to go to get it.

Through my qualification I have learned a variety of skills which I use day to day. An obvious one is my ability to code in Java (Which makes up a large portion of the day) which was something I used for the first time as part of the training. In addition to the more practical skills the course also covers more interpersonal skills training which is invaluable in the work space.

The company runs an internal 'sports and social club' which has a unit for each base office. Through this there is the opportunity to do a variety of things such as going out for lunch, football, minigolf, axe throwing to name a small number. The contribution from each employee is matched by the company and I've been impressed with the value for money of it.

Yes

CGI have got a great working atmosphere and you can really tell it's a company that cares about both the products it delivers, as well as the well-being of all its employees. The company is also willing to adapt when things don't seem quite right and make sure to try to be as fair and understanding as possible to all those in question.

CGI cares more about the individuals rather than the skills they have. It's much easier to teach skills than it is to change personalities so just make sure to be kind and polite when in the phone interviews and show that you're a team player. Having volunteering experience or something that is actively going on is also great as CGI tries have a positive impact on the community around it.