Software engineer Review

I am a cloud dev ops engineer working with AWS. My role differs day to day but can involve creating lambda functions, building environments for new projects, discussing projects with my team and the client, building and configuring flows, etc. I also attend various knowledge sharing meeting within my team.

I have both learnt new skills and developed existing skills. I initially had little experience with AWS but through knowledge sharing sessions and training I have picked up up well and even achieved an AWS certification (AWS cloud practitioner certification). In addition to AWS skills I have developed communication skills which were enhanced by a course I attended, collaborating with clients course.

In terms of the apprenticeship from the company side things are very enjoyable and I have received great support for my ongoing uni work. From the uni side I have received less support especially from lecturers, and have found Aston university are pretty unorganised with most things involving my programme.

The programme can be quite unorganised at times, I’ve found uni have released wrong dates or times for on campus days and have had occasions where module timetables have overlapped. Sometimes the feedback for coursework hasn’t been delivered on time and grades have came back inconsistent. I have found Aston university is pretty unorganised.

I have received a lot of support from my employer, they have been listening to concerns about the university well and are taking the necessary actions to try to improve the issues. We have communities of apprentices which is also useful so you know exactly who to go to when you need support.

The support from the training provider is relatively weak. Many of the lecturers don’t reply to emails asking questions and can get defensive when you ask why you were awarded a specific grade. On the up side they do provide a coach to support the apprenticeship and ensure you’re meeting targets.

Due to having no prior software engineering experience I have learnt a lot of the basics around coding etc through the training provider which in turn has helped me perform better in my role. I have also learnt about business processes which help me understand project processes much better in my day to day role.

Yes, there are many extra-curricular activities available at work. In my business area there are quarterly social events for all apprentices and graduates to allow us to network as we are spread all over the country. There are also lots of volunteering opportunities to help give back to the community.

Yes

I would recommend capgemini to a friend as the communities are great here especially the apprentice and graduate community. There is always support available if you need it and opportunities to develop further in your role or try out a new role. There’s lots of opportunity for training and gaining qualifications

When applying to capgemini the tips I would give are to express your passion for technology and your willingness to learn new things. Collaboration and team work are important to the role so showing you hold these skills is valuable to mention. Other than that just be yourself and enjoy