Pluspunten
– The training experience is quite enjoyable as you're surrounded by plenty of other young grads. – If you're lucky you can land a role with a big company – Does what it says on the tin. You complete training, you get placed with a client 99% of the time. – Promote gender equality in IT.
Minpunten
Loads. Upon completion of training you don't really have anything to do. They say you can spend time 'upskilling' but I was actively discouraged from doing so. You literally come in from 9-5 and sit around waiting for an email regarding a potential interview. Not a good use of time for a graduate who isn't getting paid. Very mixed reviews on trainees who have been placed with a client. In my intake group more than half have complained about their lack of responsibility and being made to do the 'monkey work'. At times they will try to pressure you into taking a role that isn't relevant to the training stream you've taken. If you reject such pressure then they will have you meet with HR and just apply the scare tactics which is what happened to me. There doesn't seem to be any acknowledgement of suitability for a specific role. For those who aren't aware, on completion of your training FDM have 90 days to place you with a client after which you are free to walk. Obviously this is the last thing they want to happen as it means they'll lose out on their investment in you. This results in access to opportunities being heavily favoured towards those who are running down their 90 days. This is good business but it means that you could be rejected for an analytical role despite having a mathematics degree because someone who has a completely irrelevant degree and skill-set is close to reaching their 90 days. FDM for one reason or another are not honest about this approach which this leads to a LOT of dishonesty from account managers. One incident involving myself regarded an account manager who repeatedly told me that they were still "waiting to hear back from the client". I discovered this was a lie as the account manager had actually put one of my colleagues who was close to reaching their 90 days forward for said role. There's no need for such a dishonest approach and this kind of behaviour was widespread. The exams they make you take area pointless as it doesn't really matter how good you are due to the above. There was also a lot of positive discrimination towards women going on. Credit to FDM for pushing gender equality but the approach was all wrong. A colleague of mine at the time apparently overheard a board member instructing account managers to favour women as the company was making a push for another Women in IT award. Admittedly, that could be hearsay but what I do know is that males have been pulled from client interviews at short notice (on the day of the interview at times) and replaced with females with little to no explanation. Like I said: good intentions, horrible approach. There are a lot of cons here but I'm telling it as it is. Things may have changed since I left (I left earlier this year) but I doubt it. I've since gone onto a better career that I probably wouldn't have gotten without FDM's training so there's no bitterness here. Just truth. :)
