FDM Group reviews

I do love working for FDM, but to be fair I need to list the cons as well. I am an internal employee and did not go through the training programme, so I cannot speak for the trainee experience. But from my experience here are the cons: - Guaranteed pay amount. This one was a pro, as well. The reason is the pay is the same no matter what company you are contracted to, so it can be more or less than what others around you on site are making. This point isn't really good or bad, but something to consider from both ends. - 2 year contract - again, not exactly a negative, but something to be aware of. 2 years sounds scary, but getting a job in your career field for two years isn't bad, and once the two years are up you can do whatever you'd like. The training isn't like regular job training; it's essentially a concentrated, super intensive, educational program for comp-sci. So instead of paying tuition, which you would normally have to pay for that level of education, they ask for your time as a contractor. Those are really the only cons I can think of. And again, those aren't really cons, just definitely things to consider while applying. FDM does a really great job at helping people enter coding fields who wouldn't normally have that chance. If you're looking at FDM and have a strong IT background and can find a job on your own, then definitely look at those points before applying. Internally, as an employee, I cannot think of anything, even caveats, to write.

FDM is essentially a glorified recruitment company. Whilst the teachers are great and give off the impression they're the only ones who care, the training is nowhere near the value that they place on it with the agreement. Once you're through your training, the likelihood is you will be stuck in 'the pond', an area for employees without a placement yet. There is nothing to do in the pond and it is very much a case of wiling away time. Before you complete your training you're advised to be proactive and contact account managers about positions if there's one you want. This is not the case. Account managers will contact you as and when they need you, and it can be a case of filling any position going. I only had 2 interviews for the role that I was trained for and ended up getting a role that also isn't related to that stream. The atmosphere in the training centre is almost like being at school, being made to feel guilty about certain work or having your top button undone. Leaving one minute early is frowned upon. Whilst I understand they are getting graduates used to a working environment and trying to create standards, it's not how the world works. If you live far away, whilst you're not paying for the travel with the bursary scheme, the notion of having to travel to Leeds to sit on a computer and do nothing is pointless. It's done under the guise that you may be needed in the office for interview, but given that a majority of interviews are done by phone, or most people live within a commutable distance, it seems silly (besides, it's not like you could go out all day every day when you're not earning any money!) The pay is terrible, but that's not what motivates me. They just make things up as they go along, there was no plan in place for moving or when you need to move, just a rough idea. In sum, FDM are just a cattle market, where the Account Managers will only use who you need, and you will get a position based on your own skills and abilities. Unfortunately, it is only due to FDM that many doors opened for such companies. Having said that, I would never ever recommend this experience to a friend, unless there were no alternatives.