Entry-Developer Roles
Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ covers all entry-level software development roles, apprenticeships and internships at Softwire. If you have questions that it doesn’t answer, please get in touch!

How do I apply for a role?

• Via the links on our careers pages only – we aren’t able to accept applications via email.

What roles are available for entry-level developers?

• In 2026, we expect to take on around 25 graduate developers and 25 career switchers/returners.
• We will not be taking on apprentices or interns in 2026.

What start dates are available?

• Entry-level developers may join at various points throughout the year, please see our vacancy pages for details.

Are there any short term or temporary placements available?

• No. We are not offering any internships or industrial placements at present.

Which permanent role should I apply for?

• If you are a career switcher or returner, you should apply for the role of Entry-level developer, career switchers and returners.
• Otherwise you should apply for the role of Graduate Developer. Note that you don’t need a degree for this role if you are a proficient programmer.

Can I apply for more than one role?

• There is no need to apply for more than one role – you can simply indicate your interest in other roles when you apply. In any case, we consider people for all suitable roles so it isn’t critical which role(s) you specify on your application.

Can I work remotely?

• For your first 1-2 years of training we would expect you to be in the office 4-5 days per week. Beyond that there is greater flexibility, but most of our employees will be in three or more days per week on average.
• In practice we are often able to say “yes” to people who wish to work fully remotely for short periods, or have other flexible working needs – e.g. to accommodate caring responsibilities. But there will inevitably be certain projects or activities which require you to attend our offices, so we can’t guarantee that remote working will always be possible.
• We are an inclusive employer, so if you have a disability or other personal circumstances that make regular office working a challenge, please do get in touch to discuss further.

Can I work part-time?

• Unfortunately not. All of our software development roles are full-time roles, at least in the first instance. You may be able to move to part-time working once you have been with us for a while, by mutual agreement.

Do we offer visa sponsorship?

• For permanent roles, Softwire offers visa sponsorship for non-UK nationals and will cover application costs for a Skilled Worker visa or Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Are there any academic grade requirements?

• No. None of our roles require any particular academic grades (from school, university or any other institution), and all of our offers are unconditional.

Does Softwire offer careers specialising in particular areas, for example, Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence?

• At present we aren’t able to offer highly specialised careers. Most of our developers are full-stack developers who become well-versed in a wide range of languages and technologies. If you’re hoping to specialise in a particular area, Softwire probably isn’t the right place for you.

Can I visit Softwire’s offices to see what they’re like?

• All those that receive an offer of employment from us are welcome to visit our offices before making their decision. Due to the volume of applicants, we are regrettably unable to offer earlier visits – apologies!

What salaries are offered? 

• Full salary details are listed on the job vacancy pages.

What does the application process look like?

• There are six stages: submission of the application form; online tests (typically lasting 2 hours); a 30-minute non-technical interview; a 90-minute technical interview, a 45-minute soft skills interview and a final group interview day held in our offices. At each stage we aim to get back to you within two working days, the only exception being after the group interview when we might need more time to make a final decision on your application. All interviews except the final one are conducted remotely, with humans (not bots!) and you are able to choose your own time slots for the interview, using our online booking system.

What is the best preparation for the assessment process?

• Lots of coding practice! Hobby projects, academic projects, any coding at all. The aim should be to obtain good coding fluency – it’s not about knowing every corner of a language, but about being comfortable working with the basic concepts. We use CodeSignal to deliver our coding test. If you would like to practise using their test environment, feel free to register with them and try some of their exercises. You may also find good exercises on HackerRank and LeetCode. We strongly recommend that you put some practice in before taking the tests, both on the CodeSignal platform and elsewhere, and especially so if you are a beginner.

How much coding experience do I need to apply?

• We are very much open to beginners applying but to assess you we do require you to have some coding experience, even if it’s only a little. (Without such experience, how would either of us know that coding is something you actually enjoy!) We recommend a minimum of around 25 hours or so before you take our online coding test. And the more experience you do have, the better your chances in our assessment.

How can I get started in coding?

• You can get started with any mainstream programming language, with the most common examples being: Python, Ruby, Javascript, Java or C#. (Knowledge of HTML/CSS is useful but they aren’t programming languages.) There are plenty of sites that will teach you the basics, for example, Codecademy, if you’d rather learn more formally, you can try a coding Bootcamp such as Softwire’s, Techswitch, or the Softwire Coding Bootcamp . Many of these Bootcamps accept candidates with little to no experience.

What training does Softwire provide for software developers?

• Our entry-level new starters spend their first 2-3 months working on a specially chosen introductory project along with other new starters, under the guidance of a dedicated mentor. This period provides a comprehensive introduction into full stack programming. Then our developers join one of our client teams and start contributing to a project and developing their skills on the job. For the next year or so, 10% of their time is allocated to off-project, more formal training.

What are the working hours?

• Our employees are contracted for a minimum of 37.5 hours per week. Long working hours are quite rare at Softwire, and few people regularly work much more than 40 hours per week. Employees need to be working during ‘core hours’, to overlap with their team mates. Core hours may vary per team but are typically 10am-4pm.