Systems engineer Review

I am a systems engineer and in my most recent placement I was doing software testing. This was done in MATLAB and mostly involved unit testing but also involved some bash and stress testing. During term time, I spend one day a week at University working towards a degree in software engineering.

As mentioned previously, my course isn't organised well which is quite frustrating. I think that lots of time has been wasted which is a shame but hopefully this is something that will be improved in future years.

I receive lots of support from my employer. I have regular catch-ups which mean I can tell them about problems that I've been having. Apprentices and graduates are also signed up for sessions with a company called gen healthy minds which are designed to help improve workplace habits and behaviours.

My Lecturers are always available to contact, the only problem is that they can take quite a while to respond meaning that I usually have to contact them in person during lectures which means communication isn't always the best. There are additional resources available to apprentices but they haven't been explained very well.

I would say that a third of what I do at university is relevant to my role at work. This third has helped me to improve in my role and will continue to do so. The other 2 thirds can often feel quite redundant and feel like filler content to me.

Yes

I like the work environment because I can easily socialise with others and don't feel much pressure but I can also listen to my music when I want to focus. The work hours are quite flexible which is something that I appreciate. The pay and bonuses are quite good for apprentices. Also the food at the canteen is quite cheap which is never a bad thing (96p for a filling tuna baguette)!