Software Developer Review

I attend meetings, partake in societal events (LGBT+/BAME/Youth Committee), I have 2 major software development projects where I have teams and are implemented in scrums consisting of daily catch ups and biweekly sprint reviews and planning, my day usually consists of me logging onto communication platforms and checking emails, planning my day, checking Jira and Github for potential bugs to pick up and then just managing my own time and doing my development tasks. I have learning on the side and enrol in courses when i have the bandwidth.

I've learnt a lot of skills through various methods on the apprenticeship, from online courses, to in person apprentice courses, to working within the business and learning business social dynamics, and how to operate within a large company and the importance of building a network. Being surrounded by people with a high level of expertise is always helpful in learning how to find the right person to help you solve a problem.

I enjoy the programme a lot in regards to Vodafone, I feel I have the support I need throughout the apprenticeship in order to develop myself and a good amount of guidance. I have a good level of responsibility and freedom to manage my own time and get involved in projects that will help to steer my future career. QA is the only part I'd consider changing, in regards to having clearer structure and more consistent skills coach, fortunately this has not impacted me much as my team within Vodafone is very supportive.

The clarity of the program at the beginning was very unclear, but as we have progressed it has become less obscured and more definitively mapped out. At first it took a lot of chasing of information in regards to QA but I see much improvement due to new apprentice leads within Vodafone taking the initiative and constantly improving the program, it's nice to see the progression of the apprenticeship program improve. A road map of criteria to meet and important dates provided at the start of the program would have been ideal.

I receive a great deal of support from my employer, I have admirable contact time with my manager, as well as numerous mentors throughout Vodafone. I feel confident to approach any one whenever i need assistance in any capacity. The apprentice lead is great and does well with seeking and acting upon any feedback given. Vodafone has a great culture which provides a good opportunity to build strong networks throughout the company.

The training provider QA has a website called canvas with lots of material on, as well as in person training. The quality of training fluctuates depending on the trainer, and the content is not always applicable to our day jobs, but they provided good support in prepping us for the exam and I felt that I had all the materials i required to pass the exam. The skills coach is actually very supportive when i get contact but appears to be inconsistent with replying so I don't feel fully supported there.

The training weeks were good in that i got a week off to focus solely on learning without the distraction of the day job. However, i feel due to my own personal learning style i would have worked better remotely doing this training. Further, the materials were not always applicable to my role in that i was learning languages i was not utilising within my role, so for the future it would be better to have a wider range of materials to choose to learn from. Regardless I feel have learnt much more than not having the qualification so i do see the value.

One of my favourite aspects of Vodafone is the plethora of opportunities and events to get involved in. Vodafones culture is fantastic and a major aspect i admire and often advertise to my friends as I often get the best experiences and meet the most people through partaking in the many societal events at Vodafone.

Yes

I have recommended Vodafone to friends and family for numerous reasons. The main reasons being that it's a fantastic company to learn and grow, build a network of people and learn from experts in their field. Further, the culture is clearly diverse and inclusive, with plenty of opportunities to get involved in societies, events and experiences. There are lots of resources provided to you to aid you during your role, and many many more reasons.

Do a bit of research and look into Vodafone Foundation, projects and societies, read employees stories on the Vodafone website and get to know the culture. Ultimately just to be calm and try and let your own personality and interests shine through during each phase of assessment. Vodafone is a great and inclusive place to work so regardless their confidence levels currently, know that they'll be given all the resources they require to learn and develop on the role at their own pace, so theres no expectations of them having to have all the skills before applying.