Vantaggi
Full disclosure: I joined FDM's graduate programme and it has been such positive experience for me that I have signed up to this site *specifically* to respond to the negative reviews I’ve read. There is a lot of negative feedback on this site and indeed the wider internet about this company, I read it myself before joining. If you’re reading this and wondering what the truth is I hope my review can help you. I joined FDM's graduate programme and within a month I had been offered 2 job roles: one working in IT Support at a well-known lingerie company's headquarters and another within the infrastructure team at a global IT consultancy. I have met and worked with people from all arms of FDM Group and can attest that they all care about the graduates who join and take great pride in the IT careers they help to launch. Rather than ask you to take my word for it, I will try to help you find for yourself the truth about the often-repeated complaints. If you are unsure as to whether FDM Group can help you start your career, use LinkedIn’s Advanced search to find former FDM Group employees, look at their current jobs and networks. Judge for yourself. If you're concerned by the reviews questioning the pay, have a look at itjobswatch and get a feel for the market, but keep in mind that those stats are based on roles that (nearly always) want industry experience. And no, your degree does not count. FDM will pay you £21,000 for your first year and £24,000 for your second year. Yes, your friend who gets a job at a small business may earn more than you – for now. Fast forward 2 years, and you’ve got a couple of multi-billion-pound companies on your CV. You’ll now be able to get a top salary whilst you’re friend is still on their starting rate. The two years with FDM are an investment in yourself. If you are curious as to whether you are guaranteed a job, I can tell you you're not. But FDM spends money training you up and makes money by selling you to a client, therefore it is in FDM’s interest to find you a job. You can look up FDM Group on fasttrack and see for yourself how this is working out.
Svantaggi
There is only one true downside: coming to FDM is a gamble. The training period is unpaid. This is stated on the website, you are told this during your telephone interview, and again during the assessment day, and again in the letter sent to successful candidates. It’s not a secret. You need to support yourself during the training and then (up to) 90 days afterwards. So you are gambling that you’re good enough to complete the training, you are gambling that a suitable client role will come up, and you are gambling that you’ll be a strong enough candidate to secure that role. You can stack the odds in your favour by working hard, building a rapport with the sales team, dressing smartly and acting in a professional manner at all times; but it will always be a gamble.