Developer Consultant Review

by Microsoft

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.6/5
  • The Role
    4.1
  • The Company
    2.6
  • The Culture
    4.1

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • I worked as a Developer Consultant this year. While it was not my first choice of role, my manager was brilliant in handling my preferences and made sure to allow me to work on projects that fit well with my technical skills.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • All of my colleagues treated me no differently than a full-time employee. I was valued and any expertise that I had was appreciated.

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • Both my manager and mentor (a full-time employee assigned to monitor my progress) were very involved with my personal development and made sure that any concernes I had were voiced and that my programming skills were developing during the course of the year.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • I was assigned real project work early on and was heavily involved in other intern events during the year. Because of the workflow of consultancy there were some weeks without any specific development work to do, which was unfortunate.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • As mentioned previously, I was involved with development and delivery of real customer projects. I was put on the critical path of development and made sure I was given enough freedom to overdeliver.

    4/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • Both programming and soft skill-wise the placement was a positive. I worked on interesting and off-beat projects, which allowed me to explore different technology stacks.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • Positive, if somewhat too professional. Most Microsoft consultants are older and more family-focused so the social interaction was not very active.

    3/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • All managers are given responsibilities of their interns and while my experience was mostly positive, most other software development interns felt like the programme was much too chaotic.

    3/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • We were given access to certification exams, but unfortunately they are of no benefit from a technical skill development perspective.

    2/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Company Parties/Events

    Working from home
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • Microsoft is a great company to work for with a great work-life balance.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • Yes, even though it's limited if you're not a fan of nightclubs.

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Reading is a very affordable city.

    5/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Very active.

    5/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Not too many, as Reading is relatively quiet, but London is just a train ride away.

    4/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Computer Science

South East

June 2016

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