Introducing the talented Nick Pegg, one of our very own Junior Software Engineers here at Alps. Back in September 2020, Nick started his journey as an Alps Apprentice. Now having recently completed his initial apprenticeship, Nick tells us what made him want to do his apprenticeship at Alps and share some advice on becoming a Software Engineer. 

Introduction to who you are and what job role you do at Alps.

I am a Junior Software Engineer. I graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a degree in Classical performance, specialising in the viola. I started at Alps in September 2020 as an apprentice, and I have recently completed this initial apprenticeship. Whilst I mainly focus on the frontend and design aspects of web development, I am still training to be a full-stack developer with the goal of having experience in backend and database technologies such as .NET and SQL. 

Can you tell us about your apprenticeship at Alps and what made you want to become a Software Engineer?  

Though my degree was in Music, I always wanted to work in the tech industry but until the pandemic hit, I just didn’t have the time to retrain. During the first lockdown, I started watching online courses and tutorials to upskill and found I had a real passion for software development. My apprenticeship with Alps has taught me a lot, and though I was very much thrown into the deep end in terms of the tasks and training I was given, I received lots of support and assistance which enabled me to take on greater and greater challenges. 

When choosing your apprenticeship, what made you want to do it at Alps? 

What I really love about Alps is how it is a tool to empower teachers and help improve the quality of teaching that students are given. My Sixth Form was actually an Alps school, so I was very aware of just how big an impact this can have on a student. This all contributed to choosing Alps as the place where I wanted to do my apprenticeship. Its culture of collaborative working and support have demonstrated that it was the right choice for me.  

What advice would you give someone wanting to become a Software Engineer? 

My advice would be that you need willingness and a love of learning. With the pace of change in the tech world, new technologies are constantly being introduced or existing ones are updated. This means that you need to have the adaptability to keep up. I would also say it’s never too late to start retraining and your background doesn’t matter. I wanted to make the switch in my career years ago but thought I had waited too long to retrain or that my degree would stop me from receiving opportunities in the industry. This couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Interested in joining the ever-growing Alps team? Get in touch.