Graduate Apprenticeship Q&A

Tell us a little about yourself. How long have you worked at Synectics, and what is your role?

I have worked at Synectics since May 2022, so about nine months now. I started work within the Product Management team but since the beginning of 2023, I now work within the new Strategy and Enterprise Solutions team. My title is Product Engineer and I work with our main product, Synergy and our other cloud products, helping prioritise, manage and test work, creating user interface (UI) designs, and scoping out new developments and improvements to our existing product range.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?

I went for the apprenticeship as it is a brilliant way to skill up and get my master’s degree while gaining valuable work experience and the ability to earn money.

How have you found the experience with Synectics so far?

My time within Synectics has been fun. Everyone has been so welcoming and happy to help with both my work and learning.

How are you balancing the apprenticeship work and your actual role?

With the 20%/1 day a week dedicated to my university learning, I find the balance relatively manageable week to week. When deadlines approach in both university and work, it becomes a little trickier.

What’s the most valuable skill you’ve learned?

It is probably the soft skills, like presenting, communication, organisation and prioritisation skills.

What are the pros of being an apprentice?

The biggest pro to me is being able to learn in the workplace, as being in the workplace is very different to being at a university.

What is the university experience like on the apprenticeship programme? Does it work for you?

Going from working full-time to having university on the side has been interesting. I have enjoyed the block teaching week, which is a lot more learning-focused.

Where do you see your career going in the future? Do you think your apprenticeship is going to aid this?

Coming from a design background doing my master's degree in software engineering and working within a software company helps me gain more technical knowledge in my desired field. This apprenticeship will aid my career progression by teaching me the right knowledge and giving me industry experience.

Would you recommend undertaking an apprenticeship at Synectics to others?

Yes, I would and have recommended it.