Predatory contract, low salary, mediocre training
Pros
- Good connections with large businesses in the industry such as HSBC, Lloyds, and so on - If you're lucky, you get a good foot in the door for your career
Cons
- Interview process is long, training and placement process is long, expect to be employed by FDM one year and placed by the end of the next - Software training is equivalent to a crash course where you're pressured into passing everything under threat of immediately losing your job - Forced to use half a day of annual leave every week in training, totalling almost half of your first year's leave - As a graduate in a relevant subject, I learned very little from their training, but they make it seem like it's "gold dust" - After finishing training, I didn't even get to use what was taught as the "pod" system they throw you in afterwards leaves you working on unrelated, pointless simulated projects that are centred around business buzz words rather than useful, practical projects that use the skills you were just taught - Forced to attend in-office days every week whilst unplaced despite your entire team likely being in different offices, totally remote from your workplace - You'll be told information that makes you assume you'll be placed quickly, or that there are many placements available, but the truth is hidden until you're passed training: - Placement opportunities are sometimes scarce, often leaving developers with a role that they're not looking for; it's like gambling with your next opportunity - Until you're placed, very low salary - Struggle to get placed for a while? Find yourself losing your job because "you can't be placed" or watch your colleagues disappear around you - Constantly feel under threat of losing your job whilst unplaced, feels like treading on eggshells - If you don't lose your job, enjoy being forced to take 2 of your 20 days of holiday per month until you get placed - Business model promotes account managers getting as many colleagues into placements as possible, centred around financial benefit for the managers, *not* for the career progress of the consultants (managers get commissions for each placed consultant) - Even after you're placed, don't expect to feel valued: - Salary is painfully low in comparison to what you are worth to the company, they will charge considerable multiples of your salary to clients - Contract locks you in to working for the company for two years before any kind of salary negotiation is possible; very little reward for successful and hard work - Less holiday than most companies (20 days) - Mediocre company benefits and no leave carry-over
