Developer Placement Review

I absolutely loved my placement year at Egress and I have learnt so many skills that you can only ever learn while in industry. I have been involved in different projects throughout my placement, all allowing me to gain more knowledge in different areas. Above and beyond anything its the people at Egress which allowed me to enjoy my time there so much. Everyone is so lovely but also very good at what they do and you can learn so much from just talking to the people around you - everyone has some expertise to share!

I always felt valued by my colleagues, just because you are a placement student it doesn't mean that you are treated any differently to permanent employees. I was fully involved in projects, tasks and meetings and always felt comfortable making suggestions for pieces of work or asking questions if I was unsure. Depending on your team, you can also see how your work has been valuable to the company as a whole which is really rewarding.

In my team I always felt like I could seek support and guidance. I could always ask anyone questions or get advice on a piece of work I was doing and if I was struggling with any work there was always someone to help me gain the knowledge I needed to complete it. There was never a time where I felt I was left with no support or guidance if I was ever struggling with anything.

For me my days varied depending on what area of work I was working on. Some days I was a lot busier than others, especially if there was something urgent that needed to be done, whereas other days I might have been doing something a bit more exploitative so I could take my time. There was always something to be doing, whether it be working on one of your teams projects or some more individual learning but either way there was always a very good work life balance.

I feel I was given a good amount of responsibility during my placement. I was able to work on different areas of projects which make up some of the company's products. I also spent so much time on one project that I became the most knowledgeable of that certain area and was able to assist others in my team when they needed to know particular things about that project. I think I was given the perfect amount of responsibility, enough to learn a lot of new skills but I never felt overwhelmed with responsibility.

I believe the skills I've learnt at Egress are beyond any that can be taught at university and I'm definitely in a much better position to finish my final year of university now that I have experienced all that I have in the past year. I have learnt so much from technical knowledge to professional skills and my confidence has grown as a result. I've had opportunities to gain knowledge from so many different people, and from so many different projects and areas that I don't believe other placements could have given me.

The atmosphere was great and generally was always upbeat. The layout of the office meant it was easy to find anyone you might need to talk to about a certain area or work, or if you just wanted a chat. The kitchen was always busy at lunchtimes and was the place to go if you are a keen pool player! Overall it is a very friendly environment and a really good atmosphere to be working in.

I think the placement was very well organised, we had a placement student induction which took place in our London office and was really informative. It allowed us to get to know more areas of the business by talking to other placement students from different teams as well as people in more senior roles. This was really useful as I think one of the most daunting things about coming into a business is knowing where you fit and what all the parts of the business do, so this definitely helped me feel more involved in the wider business.

I think that you will get out of a placement year as much as you are willing to put in and I if you are willing to work hard and learn new skills, Egress will definitely support you in your development. In my team I was given equal technical training oppertunities as the rest of my colleagues and was given some freedom in what I wanted to work on in order to get the best out of my placement year.

I would love to work for Egress in the future as it has been such a great place to work for the past year. Its a constantly evolving environment so you get to learn so much from the different people around you as well as learn about and use new technologies. There is also such a good atmosphere throughout the business, you feel very welcomed as soon as you join and feel valued throughout your time there.

There is definitely a good social scene between all colleagues and whether it be at dedicated social events or just in the office there is always opportunity to socialise with others. A lot of teams also opt to go to the pub at lunchtimes which is good as you get a chance to chat with your team as well as members of other teams and you can take a bit of a break from being in the office.

The cost of living and socialising is very good, depending on the area of the city you live in, living costs aren't too high. You can easily find places to socalise and things to do which arent too expensive, as well as places to eat and drink. The only thing that is slightly expensive is the public transport but there are plenty of places to live which are within walking or cycling distance from the office. As for general living costs, it is also very affordable in all areas and you can easily live here on a placement student salary.

I've never been someone to embrace the nightlife, however I know that there are plenty of places to go out at night. There are lots of restaurants and clubs and pubs and other entertainment close to, and spread throughout the city centre so you would never be short of somewhere to go. I did go to some work social events and the Christmas party which involved going to some of these places and I had a lot of fun.

There are monthly socials organised which involve many different activities from bowling to pub quizzes and you get to know people in different teams while having fun! There are also other things such as charity initiatives which you can get involved in, as well as other things such as Women In Tech. There are definitely lots of different oppertunities to socialise and also learn new skills outside of work and you can choose to be involved in as many as you like.