Apprentice Developer Review

My role mainly involves pairing with members of my team to complete tasks on the systems our team manage, most of which are back-end focused, set out by senior members each week. My main external interaction is when I am on support, assisting people from around the business in matters that involve the systems our team owns.

My programming skills have been developed tremendously since I started. With enterprise programming having such a steep learning curve when you have come from coding at school, my team have really helped me get accustomed to working on the systems we manage and make the most of my knowledge. My soft skills that are important in the workplace such as communication, personal brand and teamwork have been developed both through company-hosted workshops and real life experiences.

University can be hard at times but I have adored my time on the apprenticeship since I have started. I look forward to every day of work because every day holds something different and there is always something new to learn and experience. The prospect of having 4 years of work experience, a degree and an apprenticeship qualification all whilst getting paid has made this enjoyable from the start.

The programme is quite well structured, with different modules at the training provider to not only develop academic skills but to focus on a variety of skills and knowledge one may need not only at the start but later on in their career. The collusion with my employer is also well organised so we can all work together to get the best out of me.

My employer provides numerous extracurricular activities, workshops and activities that help broaden my understanding of developing myself. I have weekly one to ones with my manager where we catch up on how the last week has been and how I am feeling on the whole. I have a tech buddy who I regularly catch up with to discuss work and provides technical advice and on the whole my team are very supportive and are always willing to help when if I am struggling with something.

The university host a curriculum that allow you to learn and hit the competencies to pass the apprenticeship. They provide you a Skills Coach who handles communications between the university and my employer and who I have quarterly reviews with, discussing my academic performance, work performance, general health and what I can do next to develop myself further.

I think certain aspects of training for the qualification help in my role, mainly through soft skills such as communication and time management. With work being as cutting-edge as it is, a lot of technical concepts I already have knowledge of. I have no doubts that as I progress through the curriculum (currently in the first part of the second year) that I will learn more and more things that will help me perform better in my role.

There are so many extracurricular activities to get involved in at work that I cannot even count. There is a communications channel for almost any hobby and there are events organised around said hobby. My employer also sponsors events such as football tournaments that the employees of the company compete in.

Yes

It's a great, inclusive place to work in with so many benefits. The culture is brilliant and you're working with cutting edge technology at one of the leading companies in the industry and in the end of the day, the UK's number 1 automotive marketplace that almost everyone has heard of.

Be yourself and believe in yourself. Autotrader has particular qualities that they look for in an employee that fits into their culture. The best thing you could do is present yourself honestly whilst having a bit of confidence in yourself and your abilities. The application process for Autotrader is more extensive than other places I have applied and for good reason, because it's a brilliant place to work for.