Liam - Software Engineer, Insights & Data
Overall, Capgemini is a fantastic organisation to work for, especially as a Degree Apprentice. You will have the support around you to build your skills and knowledge so there is always the opportunity to grow. If you are looking for the best of both worlds between university and career progression, look no further.
What is your favourite Capgemini value and why?
For me Team Spirit is the most important and is probably a key value I am putting into practice daily. Many projects I work on are on a large scale and to be efficient and make significant progress, you need to work as a team.
When you are in a great team, you can trust that you’ve got each other’s back and can put in the effort collectively to get a piece of work over the line. There are times when one part of the team may be quieter than others so the value in working together couldn’t be more important.
What is your favourite thing about working at Capgemini?
My favourite thing has to be the endless opportunities to grow and activities to get involved in outside of your normal day to day role. Giving back is something I do a lot and to be able to get involved with initiatives like the ‘The Princes Trust’ Million Makers challenge or even assist a local food bank with revamping their referral form system, it provides me extra satisfaction as well as the chance to develop my skills even further. I’ve already seen the benefits in my day-to-day role from this.
The power of networking is also key and giving back opens endless number of doors to grow your own network which you never quite know where they will take you.
What does a day in the life look like for you?
My day starts with our “The Daily Stand-Up Call” with our delivery manager to understand the progress of the project and hear from each of the team on what they are/need to be working on.
Following this I would begin to focus on the tasks assigned to me, whether that was development or design work and liaising with other engineers when needed to produce a high-quality solution for our clients.
Throughout the day there are various calls that vary by day, but this could include client calls, retrospectives, extra-curricular community calls like our AI Community and more.
Being in a hybrid working environment, our days can look different dependent on if we are in the office or working from home. Overall, each day is different and being able to adapt to changes quickly is good skill to have.
What made you choose an apprenticeship?
The apprenticeship route was something I had always wanted to do. Having done Level 3 and 4 Apprenticeships before I joined Capgemini, I wanted to continue my education further with a degree but without sacrificing my career progression. At Capgemini, degree apprenticeships give you a permanent role from day one and allow you to work and study at the same time.
What would you say to a student looking for next steps after school/sixth form?
Apprenticeships are the best way to build you career and experience whilst gaining an education. Degree apprenticeships are a great way to get the best of both worlds; your debt free, being paid a competitive wage, gaining the work experience/skills whilst still enjoying the University experience.
Just think that by the end of your degree apprenticeship, you would come out with a degree, have 4-5 years’ work experience, already have significantly more career progression than your peers and already have a network of colleagues.
The opportunities you get working for a company like Capgemini are endless and there are many networks, communities and social events that take place within Capgemini as well.
What advice would you give to students looking to apply to Capgemini?
Be yourself but be bold. Capgemini want to see the true you so don’t try and be someone you’re not. This is your chance to stand out by showing your interest and enthusiasm both in the opportunity and also in the area you’re looking to join (E.g. Technology). If you have done mini projects/have examples of previous work, use them in your examples and talk about them.
Enjoy every part of the process. It may seem daunting, but this is your chance to shine so come into every stage of the process with confidence and just try your best. In the assessment centre stage, for me this was virtual, but the assessors are looking to see how you interact and work together with other individuals. Showing your willingness to problem-solve and to enable everyone to participate are key things they are looking for. Don’t sit back and stay quiet at this stage as this is your chance to make a good impression with everyone.
Certainly, do your research on Capgemini and their values as these are guaranteed to be mentioned at some point in the process. Doing this shows your commitment and interest in the opportunity to recruiters and will also benefit you in your knowledge of the organisation you are looking to join.