Software Engineer Review

I am currently a member of the Production Support team. This involves me working on live incidents on a day-to-day basis and working with the client to prioritise these incidents. Some calls take a while to resolve or at least a large amount of time is spent on investigation, for example, to understand the exact problem I might need to read through Business Rules, Use Cases or even speak to a Business Analyst if I need extra help. It is also common to speak to a Developer who has had previous interaction with the topic to discuss their suggestions on the fix too.

Since joining the scheme I have developed a wealth of skills, SQL, Java, HTML, Hibernate, JSF to name but a few. The company is big on training and is very supportive when creating your own ILP (Individual Learning Plan). Objectives are set twice a year to make sure you are performing as expected and that training is in place. Resources are re-used on an account too so you can be rotated into a different role if it meets the business' needs and therefore knowledge transfers regularly take place.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the programme, not only have I learnt a lot but I have met a load of new friends too. It has opened many doors that I didn't think were possible and allowed me to gain industry experience whilst working towards my diploma. Receiving a promotion / pay rise was a massive achievement and showed how apprentices aren't treated any different to standard employees.

There are regular review cycles in place to make sure you are performing as expected and that you as an employee are happy. When I first joined the company I wasn't sure what my goal was or what role I was working towards. My manager has helped me over the past 2 years by rotating my role for me to learn different areas, assigning me training to broaden my knowledge and sat with me on a quarterly basis over a coffee to discuss what I want to do next. Knowing the company has your best interests in mind and cares for your career definitely makes you feel valued.

From Capgemini's side, the programme is well structured. From day 1 you know what is going to happen and when. The initial bootcamp is very well planned and you know what is going on, you're not just thrown into the deep end and expected to start work immediately. Being on a programme that is organised avoids confusion, stress and uncertainty which allows you to reap the benefits such as better learning environments, more relaxed, assessors / tutors that want to help.

The training provider was fantastic at bootcamp and provided us with all the support we needed, and more. Once we started on our accounts, an assessor was set to meet us every 3-4 months. These meetings allowed us to raise any issues we had with the work, receive support on our assignments, carry out observations and set work for the next meeting.

Capgemini was very supportive during my programme and were flexible which helped. They allowed me to work from home to complete assignments and online training when necessary. Also, if we encountered any problems they would escalate them for us which was very helpful and showed their support.

At the moment, I believe the salary and benefits package is great for an apprentice. However, my goal is to climb the ranks and increase my pay rapidly so that I can start looking at buying my first house. I like that we have received promotions and pay rises throughout the programme as it has motivated apprentices as well as making us feel valued.

There are many things to get involved with outside of work, for example, I recently attended two career evenings to promote our apprentice programme. There are also regular team events such as a night out to celebrate success on a project.

Yes

I think the main reason why I would recommend Capgemini to a friend is the company's attitude. Capgemini really cares for its employees and this is shown with promoting a work life balance, training and rewards. With regular training and gaining industry experience with one of the largest IT companies there are a million reasons why people should join Capgemini.

Be yourself; whether in an interview, talking to a client or presenting a meeting make sure you are relaxed. Enjoy the training and network at every opportunity!