Software Engineer Review

I am learning on the role to cover both technical and leadership skills, so a day in the job can include shadowing a senior developer whilst they do some coding, or having a senior developer shadow me whilst I do some coding whilst we are both working towards producing digital products which align with TUI's business strategy. It also includes making sure the roadmap for my teams work is up to date, stepping in for the team leader to run daily meetings and planning sessions if they are not available and managing the team's work board.

There is a very good support network in place for graduate apprentices, and I think it sometimes goes unnoticed. We don't follow a structured rotation into different teams, but instead become integrated into a team just as a "normal" new starter would. You therefore follow the same structure of personal reviews and development as the whole rest of the company, which is great because it helps you to not feel separated from the rest of your colleagues at all.

Everyone in my line of managers all the way from my immediate line manager up multiple levels could not support me more - they are all so easy to approach with any questions as well as just for a chat, which I think is so important and also quite rare for very senior people to take plenty of time out to check in with graduate apprentices. Whenever there has been a problem with the training provider, my manager makes herself immediately available to talk to me about it, and always offers to raise concers with the uni from her side if it would make me (and my peers) more comfortable.

There have been multiple staffing shortages with the training provider this year, which has led to relatively last minute scheduling changes including a change from a block learning week into online lectures. Support during assessment periods has really varied and depends wholly on the lecturer managing the particular modules - some have been excellent, others not as much. We are assigned a work based learning coach by the training provider who's role it is to help us manager the government apprenticeship element, however due to prolonged sickness we have only met with the WBLC once in 8 months and there is no one available to stand in, due to shortages.

I definitely developed coding skills from the ground us through the training provider and the first module we did, which improved my confidence in technical work in my role. Overall, I feel like I learn more through my day to day role at TUI than I do through the training provider, however I recognise the importance of getting the complete qualification and I'm remaining open minded for modules we are yet to complete.

Yes

There is so much opportunity to progress in TUI, in any direction you want to explore to expand your career. I have realised early on that I'd love to go down the leadership route, and given I am so early into my career I didn't expect to have the opportunity to gain this kind of experience, but my manager was happy to give me some leadership tasks as soon as I expressed an interest.
TUI recognises the benefits which can be brought by widening the talent pool; you do not need a computing degree to become a software engineer with them - you can go in with any undergraduate degree. Everyone who works there hold the same values and therefore it is such a supportive atmosphere to be in, both online and in the office. There is a flexible working policy, meaning you can live a bit further away from the office and as long as you can visit once a month or more, it is fine. The HR policies are all amazing, including excellent holidays and the opportunity to purchase more, a shares scheme and of course amazing holiday discounts.