Automation Tester Review
at Barclays
Degree Apprenticeship
Computer Science, Software Engineering
Glasgow
Review Submitted: May 2024
Overall Rating
3.9 /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
3.4/5
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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
Collaborating with Business Analysts and Developers, taking part in Agile ceremonies. Performing testing tasks on a large application such as manual testing, automation testing, accessibility testing, exploratory testing, regression testing.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I enjoy my program. We stay in the same job role for our full four years to become experts in our role. I am surrounded by great colleagues and peers. The experiences I have had in University and the workplace have been positive.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
In university I have learned about software development, testing, machine learning, algorithms, databases research methods, professional practice. In work, I have expanded on these skills by putting them into practice as well as learning about the different toolsets that can be used and the ways of working collaboratively.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
From an overall perspective the programme is structured well. From a university perspective there are some issues. They are often very last minute when relaying important information which can be difficult when you are also working a full time job. There is also no time allowed during working hours for study or coursework completion so a lot of the work is done outside of the typical 9-5.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
On starting the apprenticeship we are assigned an HR support contact and a mentor within our teams.
The HR contact we were assigned has been supportive, we have check-in meetings and, if we are facing any problems around these meetings, they are happy to help.
The support mentor I had in my first team was immeasurable and my line manager on that team was very involved with my progression throughout the programme. I was able to go to either of them or any other member of my team with a question or a problem and I was heard and the appropriate help was given no questions asked.
Since moving to a different team I have felt the level of support in my team has dropped a lot. I think the support varies depending on your team in the business and it is just your luck who you are assigned to.
The HR contact we were assigned has been supportive, we have check-in meetings and, if we are facing any problems around these meetings, they are happy to help.
The support mentor I had in my first team was immeasurable and my line manager on that team was very involved with my progression throughout the programme. I was able to go to either of them or any other member of my team with a question or a problem and I was heard and the appropriate help was given no questions asked.
Since moving to a different team I have felt the level of support in my team has dropped a lot. I think the support varies depending on your team in the business and it is just your luck who you are assigned to.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
The support from university has been great. The university put on a summer school before we officially began our first semester to help students to improve their Maths and Programming knowledge in preparation. Dr Matthew Barr has been our advisor of studies for the past four years and he has provided so much support to us all with regular meetings and instant help if required. In terms of other lecturers, the support has been mixed. Some lecturers are more than happy to help if you have a question about the coursework or if you have faced difficulty with access and they provide great feedback. Other lecturers barely answer emails and don't seem interested in providing feedback that will help us to improve.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
2/5
Whilst I have enjoyed my time at university, I don't think it has necessarily helped me to perform better in my role. I think everyone has different ways of studying and learning. I prefer practical learning to theoretical learning and I feel that, personally, I have learned more on the job than in university.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
There are social activities like cinema nights, wine tasting, crafts, sports on all the time and there are lots of networking events to take part in. The company has several Pillars which put on events for specific groups of people e.g. Women in Tech
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Barclays to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The company is good, the benefits are great, the campus is lovely, most of the people are really great to work with.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Barclays?
Be yourself and be enthusiastic! Don't be afraid to ask questions.
