Our first apprentice: from hospitality to coding wizard
Don’t be afraid to jump into real projects early on. It’s challenging, but it’s also where you’ll learn the most
Life before
Before I started at dxw I spent 5 years slinging drinks and serving up smiles in the hospitality sector in Brazil and then Ireland. Then spending 2 years in the financial sector at Microsoft, which is where I discovered my love for automation and coding.
I ditched hospitality and signed up for Founders and Coders, an internship program that helps match developers with employers. It was through this programme that I applied for a position with dxw and the GovPress team and was lucky enough to be successful.
The apprenticeship
The apprenticeship was 18 months long, the first 3 months being with the training provider and the rest working full time at dxw. I was incredibly lucky to be placed with a fantastic line manager who supported me and gave me opportunities to work on real client projects from the get go. Through a comprehensive onboarding process I was able to join live project teams and contribute to building and improving real public services.
I feel very fortunate that I was able to take such responsibility early on and be treated as a valued member of the team. I know that’s not always the case for apprenticeships.
Learning on the job
One great thing about working on real projects was that I gained first hand experience of working with clients who had high expectations and learned how best to handle those situations. This experience taught me so much more than just how to code.
I’ve worked on a number of significant website projects – for charities, government organisations and our own company site. I also worked on a more challenging client project to refactor an existing codebase and improve the performance of its database queries.
I’ve enjoyed working on our support desk which receives around 100 client requests a month.
I’m proud to say I’ve merged well over 440 pull requests since joining dxw, resolving over 40 support requests for our clients and shipped around 80 user stories.
While I’ve been at dxw, we’ve created a new approach to developing client websites so we can complete the early stages of our projects much more quickly than before. I’m proud to have helped the development of the work by adding performance analysis to the continuous integration workflow of the core part of the software. This means developers will have some feedback on the performance impact of their changes before new code appears on a live site.
Where I learn the most
I want to give a shout-out to the code review process at GovPress. It’s been a game-changer for me.
At first, I was nervous about others picking apart my code. But these sessions quickly became something I look forward to. The team doesn’t just point out issues; they take the time to explain why something could be better. This has helped me improve faster than I thought possible.
Also, by reviewing the team’s code I’ve picked up so many tricks and good habits that would’ve taken ages to figure out on my own. And the best part? They never make me feel silly for asking questions, even when they’re pretty basic.
Of course, I still make rookie mistakes. But instead of getting frustrated, the team uses these as chances to teach me something new. Their patience has made all the difference.
To everyone who’s reviewed my code, explained a tricky concept, or shared a clever solution – cheers! You’ve not only made me a better coder but also shown me what a great team looks like.
Passion for automation
I have a passion for creating automation scripts and love the concept of saving time and effort.
I am happiest when writing test-driven code. I always seek to make use of automated quality assurance tools in our continuous integration pipelines and to find ways to verify that my code matches both the client’s requirements and dxw’s coding standards.
Outside of dxw
In my spare time, I mentor a cohort of learners in Brazil who want to develop a career in technology. The group originally came together through friends and family and meeting new developers on Discord. There are also people who wanted to join Founders and Coders but needed extra help, so we included them too. I regularly support this group by giving them side projects to work on, pair-programming with them and training them in challenging new skills, such as Git, React, Next.js and a couple of other technologies related to web development.
My training provider, Founders and Coders, arranges for apprentices to work on “Tech for Better” projects, providing free open source project work for not-for-profit organisations. I volunteer to help the product owners from Tech for Better projects to collaborate on projects with more junior apprentices. I love giving back and helping others experience the same opportunities that I was lucky enough to have.
What’s next
After successfully completing my apprenticeship I was offered a permanent role at dxw as a Junior Developer and am already following a development plan to keep enhancing my skills and experience.
Advice for aspiring developers
Here’s what I learned on my journey that might help you out.
During my apprenticeship, I had the chance to explore different areas of the business. This was invaluable, giving me a better perspective of how things work in the company and where I fit in. If your organisation doesn’t offer this automatically, don’t be shy about asking to spend some time with different teams. You might end up discovering you want explore something else entirely.
Don’t be afraid to jump into real projects early on. It’s challenging, but it’s also where you’ll learn the most. Are you pushing yourself out of your comfort zone? That’s where the real growth happens. I wish I’d done even more of that.
The supportive environment at dxw was crucial to my success. Seek out mentors and peers who can guide you and cheer you on. Their encouragement can make a world of difference.
Giving back is incredibly rewarding. Whether it’s mentoring others or contributing to open-source projects, sharing your knowledge reinforces your own learning. Just learned something new? Try explaining it to someone else – it’s a brilliant way to solidify your understanding.
Patrick was Highly Commended in the BCS Apprentice of the Year Awards 2024.