Software Engineering Apprentice Review
at KPMG
Degree Apprenticeship
Information Technology
London
Review Submitted: May 2021
Overall Rating
3.4 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
On a daily basis, I attend university 2 days a week where I take computer science based modules. At work, for the remaining 3 days, I program using React/Node js and participate in team meetings. My day starts with a morning stand-up as per agile methodologies to discuss our progress and then the rest of the day it the tasks I was assigned.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I enjoy my team, they are always ready to help as well as others outside my team. Work provide supplies for working at home and have really improved home working. This apprenticeship does meet my expectations from a work perspective - I am challenged to learn new technologies, which is stimulating.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learnt a lot of new technologies on my apprenticeship such as terraform, tilt, kubernetes, react, node js, express, javascript, css, jira, git/github etc.. I have learnt to present and produce professional reports/slides. Furthermore, during university I have learnt Java, Python, linux and database technologies. I have enhanced my programming skills through projects on my apprenticship.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
In terms of university our program is organised as our modules are fixed. However, from a work point there is not as much organisation on what work apprentices take on or what learning path they follow. However, there is a lot of flexibility, which I admire and there are always new things to learn.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
I receive a lot of support from my employer. I talk to my project manager on a daily basis and can ask anyone in the team or outside the team for help. There are also resources we have access to such as Pluralsight, which make it easier to grasp topics.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
University requires you to be independent in your learning. I feel like there could be more support in some modules by some lecturers. However, some lecturers do take into account that apprentices only attend university 2 days a week and do provide necessary extensions. I hope that more lecturers can do this and perhaps provide more revision sessions/notes and past paper materials.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
I feel that what I learn at university does not fully link to what I do at work. I think that the university modules could be more modern e.g. teaching agile, react web development etc... Though learning some theory at university has provided me with a general understanding of some technologies e.g. databases/software engineering - which can actually be applied to a work environment.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
Due to the pandemic there is not much available to do at work besides digital discussions and online socials. Though these are enjoyable I long for socials amongst apprentices in software engineering across all cohorts. I hope after the pandemic there will be more opportunities. At university there are societies but due to the pandemic the experience is not the same.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend KPMG to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The culture is fantastic. There is a large support system and it is a no brainer to get experience on the job. The resources to learn are available and KPMG will challenge you to grasp on various technologies. I have enjoyed my learning experience so far and would wish anyone else the same opportunity.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to KPMG?
Research the company and core values. Show a passion for the role you are applying for. Practice interview questions and psychometric tests. Know what role you are applying for and ensure you have examples in your application/CV to show that not only are your competent for the job but you are a great personality that aligns with KPMG's values.
