Digital Degree Apprentice Review

During a normal working day I balance my work between several teams. Firstly I handle alot of the admin for scrum teams via the Azure Devops organisation. I am also part of a coding team where I contribute towards code development whilst developing my knowledge of coding. I have also been involved in a project aimed to develop websites and published my first self developed website.

Being involved in so many projects I have been use to learning new skills. This includes programming with a team and learning new programming languages. This also goes along with alot of soft skills such as communication and time management. Due to this being my first role at a company, developing soft skills have become a fundamental part of my role.

I have really enjoyed being part of the team and generally the working aspect. I feel like I have had ample opportunity to get involved in projects and feel comfortable with my colleagues. However I believe the study and apprenticeship aspect to be slightly lacking depth with little correlation between course and assignment.

I believe my progamme is very well structured. Since I joined Vodafone helped me settle in with a week induction that really told me a lot about the company. Since then I have been in constant contact with the leadership team in my organization who support my work and always are up for improvement.

Both my mentor and my manager have aided my transition into the working world very well. I have not had any issues since joining and have not really seeked much support but there is always aid if needed and I feel very comfortable working in this environment. I have not yet spoken to HR.

Although there are plenty of options such as skills coaches, module leaders and the ACE team I believe some areas of support are lacking. There is a little lack of consistency between modules and I generally find the assignments to be not totally related to content I learn during lessons.

To a certain extent the knowledge I acquire does help my role and understanding of computer science. But I am yet to really showcase any skills I have learnt through my training provider. I believe the theory I have learnt is sometimes showcased in the workplace, showing real application but this is still limited.

Personally, the covid restrictions have limited a lot of extra curricular activities. But I have recently joined the Vodafone chess team, and played in our first official tournament. This was a great experience for me and reignited my passion for chess. Along with this I have been part of a Charity committee since joining and I enjoy fundraising with my colleagues.

Yes

Although most of my friends have taken a traditional uni approach. I have really enjoyed taking my skills and challenging myself in the workplace. I believe Vodafone has given me a platform to shine and really develop myself further. My colleagues have always been willing to help me and show new concepts that would not be avaliable to a uni student.

I recommend those who apply for a similar role to prepare for the video interviews and assessment days. For those who make it I recommend to be confident and just show your true character. Once onboarded I would also recommend people to be open to any opportunity as this nature has helped me succeed in my role.