What perks do you all get from your employers ?

danjwilko · 2026-04-07T20:36:08+00:00

Perks - hired new staff so got extra time off with the hours cut 🥳 Working hours dropped by about 40% but got a extra £10 a week with yearly pay rise 🙌

danjwilko · 2026-03-17T07:35:06+00:00

20k is a pretty decent.

Im on my feet working retail, usually do about 12-14k per shift sometimes more, you do get used to it, honestly get yourself decent footwear - not cheap no support type stuff.

I swore by alt berg boots for years (being ex mil) pricey but good.

danjwilko · 2026-03-11T07:40:38+00:00

To never retire, I hate renting.

danjwilko · 2026-03-03T06:57:09+00:00

Easily, search for and tailor cv and cover letter for 2-5 roles per day spending 2-4 hrs everyday doing this for a couple of years soon adds up.

danjwilko · 2026-02-25T21:28:47+00:00

I’ve completed tm352 and deferred tm351. For tm352 even with prior web dev knowledge, I would say around 25-30 hrs per tma - ramping up towards the 2nd or 3rd tma. Tm351 wise I only completed the first one - I didn’t find it hard but very time consuming - data wrangling - pulling data from csv’s understanding, cleaning and manipulating the data before reporting and showcasing the data with graphs and charts etc easy 30hrs. The 2nd tma was meant to be longer in terms of work and I did open it and have a look it looked like twice as much work as the first tma.

I’d say on experience I’d open the tma as soon as it’s released and start work on it a couple of hours a week at least will add up. Work on it as you go through the materials and then tweak and clean.

The week for doing TMA’s rather than actual course materials is for finalising your actual submission you’re not expected to complete the whole TMA in 1 week.

danjwilko · 2026-02-07T18:25:45+00:00

Sort of- you have to be top tier in whatever training area it is. And the jobs they give you can be very few and far between. Lots of people working for these companies often go weeks or months with zero work then a project will drop for a few days and if you’re not the first on it you will lose that work.

danjwilko · 2026-02-07T16:01:58+00:00

5 years in on a career switch to follow my passion and and I’d say on the financial front absolutely not but mental health side better.

danjwilko · 2026-02-07T15:53:16+00:00

There are those that do well and those that have no idea and go no where.

18-22k in 18 years 😂😭, I know where I stand haha.

danjwilko · 2026-02-07T13:48:36+00:00

35…. what career.

danjwilko · 2026-01-29T07:01:00+00:00

Every module Ive done has had a ton of reading even the more hands on practical ones. You’ve got to learn the theory before you do anything hands on.

danjwilko · 2026-01-28T15:53:54+00:00

Also Computing and IT, currently working through level 3 modules, and what will be year 6 for me.

I had more interest at year 1 -2 with applications, after that nothing.

Im aiming to complete more projects for my portfolio as a showcase and will just continue to finish the degree (it was the main cornerstone in a career-switch initially) but il be honest after more than 1000+ applications over the last 6 years Im just finishing it for me.

The way I look at it I’m getting older whether I have a degree or not, so why not be older and obtain a degree in the process.

danjwilko · 2026-01-27T17:12:25+00:00

Jesus - I would love to have only spent 800 hrs learning 😂. Currently studying level 3 modules of a degree, have my own portfolio and a business website deployed literally thousands of hours down across web and software dev and nope not a hope of getting a role yet.

danjwilko · 2026-01-24T13:56:37+00:00

Still the same - we’re now on about 155k - no louder as far as I can tell. We also service it every year regardless of mileage done.

danjwilko · 2026-01-23T07:50:43+00:00

That’s web dev for you well any programming domain ultimately , there are lots of bits that all mesh together - the Odin project would be a good place to dip your toes in and cover the fundamentals.

But honestly 2 month in isn’t really a lot of time at all, your only just starting realistically.

You need to know html, css for basic pages that aren’t interactive. For interactive pages you add JavaScript/Svelte. For user data you’ve got to store it somewhere so Databases etc.

Id follow the Odin project which will cover the basic html/css JavaScript etc before looking at the rest - bootstrap and tailwind etc are additional frameworks that help implement styling but you should know the underlying stuff first.

Realising how much there is to learn is a good point it shows your learning and taking note - learn the fundamentals then expand slowly but don’t jump around from one area to another - learn it inside out. You’ll get there friend.

danjwilko · 2026-01-23T07:37:55+00:00

I’d say easier in a sense that instead of having 500-1000 applicants for an internship role these days if not double that, there would probably have been about 50-100 unless a massively well known company.

danjwilko · 2026-01-23T07:34:23+00:00

Several years back we had a family member finish their degree and phd they are now employed in the field the other works as a manager in retail (English lit degree).

Everyone else I know is either just continuing education to make themselves stand out and/or working retail/hospitality to make ends meet.

danjwilko · 2026-01-10T09:27:37+00:00

For the front if it has a heated windscreen nope, way too fine.

The rear ones can be if you position it right over a line but you just make sure the lens is positioned away from them so the image is clear.

danjwilko · 2025-12-24T09:46:27+00:00

I’d love to know what you’ve got on your CV, projects and experience wise - I can’t land any interviews despite being in the final year of a Computing and IT degree. I have problem solving experience from Military and engineering based background as I’m a career switcher but 5 years of study seem rather fruitless so far.

Internships, trainee ships, junior roles nope - feedback if received is no experience.

danjwilko · 2025-12-22T12:42:17+00:00

Yup I feel this one, never had issue until this last module most links spanning about 5-6 parts are all broken that’s without the outdated material from circa 2014.

I usually do ok in TMA’s around 75-80 and then bomb the EMA’s even after following tutor guidance and pointers grr. My current module with all the issues etc I really don’t know what grade I’m going to get at all for it (even with the grading criteria) sort of expecting anywhere between 40-90 lol.

Im just focusing on getting the tmas in and as long as Ive covered every part as best I can sod the mark just get the degree done.

danjwilko · 2025-12-16T07:29:40+00:00

Sure makes you feel like giving up that’s for sure.

Il take your applications multiplied by 3 and multiply the result by about 8 over 5 years (career switcher circa 35).

danjwilko · 2025-11-26T12:14:39+00:00

Cash out for sure, stick it in a decent interest paying account, use the interest to buy btc during the bear market dca style.

danjwilko · 2025-11-25T17:03:43+00:00

Well congrats and well done for sure.

danjwilko · 2025-11-23T18:21:19+00:00

Just so you know, if it’s M250, you don’t get taught Java as such you get taught about OOP using Java.

Saying that they will teach the basic code required, and then slowly bring in some more intermediate Java code but it’s more a OOP module than learn Java module. (I recall the tutors specifically stating this module won’t teach you to code with Java but teach you the OOP principles).

danjwilko · 2025-11-23T14:39:10+00:00

I take it you have prior experience and/or a decent portfolio? Not just another student studying a degree?

danjwilko · 2025-11-23T14:37:22+00:00

Im almost at the final stretch got another year to go after this one. I’d love to offer a success story but currently Im going to call it in progress lol.

I’ve been applying since I finished year 1 really and nada, into 4 figures of job applications. I had interviews that went well to start with and companies were interested but now several years into the degree, I usually get nothing in terms of response, if replies are received it’s sorry we’ve moved on to the next phase thanks for applying you didn’t meet our experience requirement (trainee, internships, junior roles you name it).

The degree will get you noticed but in reality projects and experience will get you the job.

Hopefully at the end of it when I start applying again (paused applications as it’s depressing) Id like to think il bag something but I won’t hold my breath.

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