Software Developer Review

by IBM

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

8.8/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

My role and day to day involves shadowing, attending meetings with my co workers, and doing some work on client work, in my case, development. I work on software development so I use programming languages to build software and bring what the company wants for the specific project to life.

9/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

I have learnt many new skills in my time at IBM which is crucial to any apprenticeship as learning is a key aspect of this. I have learnt many new programming languages which is greatly beneficial in software development and I have also managed to improve my soft skills greatly

10/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

I greatly enjoy my programme. You get given a great amount of freedom in terms of flexibility. This involves hours worked, people worked with, and places worked from, for example, working from home which is very useful especially if you have a long commute or other things to commit to after work.

9/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

The porgramme is well structured and it is made clear from day 1 what the progression is like. All the info is also available online so everyone can see how they are progressing through the company in terms of level of authority. The only thing that is not made clear is salary progression

8/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

Being a greatly work and project based apprenticeship, the employer provides lots of help and guidance around my apprenticeship. They take a lot of interest in how to apprenticeship is going as well as helping you progress in terms of work too as it is of their benefit as well as yours.

9/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

The training provider provides lots of guidance and assistance regarding the apprenticeship as it is not only to your benefit that you progress well through the apprenticeship but it is also of their interest too. They have a support system on a separate website too where you can get feedback.

7/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

There are lots of tasks in the qualification that I feel are of great assistance. There are lots of courses relevant to the work I do in my role and the two (apprenticeship and work) coincide very well. The course work helps out with more technical knowledge whereas work more practical.

9/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

There are a lot of extra curricular activities to participate in. You can do lots of things within the apprentice network. There are a lot of social events and a lot of networking oppotunities. They are very easy to access if you are an apprentice as invites get shared around quickly.

9/10

9a. Would you recommend IBM to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

IBM is a great company with a lot of chance to grow and progress in your professional career. The culture at the company is very strong and shows in all the work they do. It is a company that is very welcoming to new starters as well which is great in your first role as an apprentice.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to IBM?

Make sure you find a role you would like and find a role that is suited to you. You have to work hard and work well and ensure that you are committed to growth. I personally do not attend a great amount of social but if that is something you are interested in you should attend those too.