Frequently Asked Questions

Each winter Dorset Software attends a variety of university careers fairs and we subsequently hold interviews and give presentations at selected universities the following year.

Once we receive your CV and covering letter, your application is reviewed. If we are interested in your application we call you and conduct a brief telephone interview. The telephone interview is nothing to be worried about, we just want to find out a bit more about you before taking your application to the next stage. At the next stage, you are invited to attend interview at our Poole office, or at your university (please refer to 'where can I meet...' for information on university interviews).

For most positions only one interview is necessry.  However, occasionally we do invite candidates back for a second interview to discuss things in more detail.

You generally hear back from us within 2 weeks, when we tell you one of the following:
A) we would like to see you again
B) you have not been successful
C) we would like to make you an offer subject to references and achievement of a specific degree classification.

During peak periods we can receive hundreds of applications each day. At these times it is difficult to reply to each individual as our Recruitment Administrator would spend all day writing letters! Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 3 weeks of your application, you have not been successful this time. However, we are always happy to receive your call if you would like to check on your application or would like feedback.

We only offer a limited number of work placements to Computer Science students who are expetced to achieve a 1st class degree.

Unfortunately, we cannot offer work placements to any other students. This is primarily due to the time taken to train you to a level where you can gain a true experience of working life at Dorset Software. The majority of your time with us would be spent in a training capacity, and you are unlikely to be assigned to a project until just before you had to return to university. Therefore, we feel that this leaves insufficient time for yourselves, and us, to gain a better understanding of your ability.

Past experience has shown that it is extremely difficult to obtain a work permit for more than 1 year. Unfortunately due to our comprehensive training programme, we do not feel that this gives you enough time to fully experience and perform in the role.

Yes, you can still apply as no previous experience is necessary. All we require is a 1st or 2:1 in a maths, science, computing or engineering degree. No previous experience is needed as we provide comprehensive on-the-job training and you are allocated a mentor who can help guide you when you first join.

If you do not have one of these degree subjects you can still apply for a position as a Sales Consultant.

We recruit throughout the year and do not usually give a closing date for applications. The only time a closing date is stated is when we are interviewing at selected universities and can only interview a certain number of people over one day. If you are happy to come to our Poole office for interview, then you do not need to wait and can send us your application at any time of the year.

The day itself is fairly informal and is designed to help us find out more about you and for you to find out more about the company - and hopefully confirm that Dorset Software is where you want to begin your career! A group of approximately 5 finalists or recent graduates is invited to each interview day. Although you are in a group, you are not expected to do aptitude tests and we do not test your programming ability. You are given a presentation to tell you more about the company and the positions available. You will also get the opportunity to speak to our staff to see what they have worked on and what they think of life at Dorset Software. We also provide a buffet lunch, so that you do not go hungry during the afternoon - please let us know if you have any dietary requirements so that we can provide for everyone. Each applicant will then be interviewed individually. There will be 2 interviewers and you can expect the interview to last approximately 45 minutes. You won't be asked anything that you cannot answer as we just want to find out more about you, not try to catch you out.

No, we do not give you tests or exams when you come to interview. As we do not require previous programming experience it would be difficult to devise an appropriate test for you. We also feel that the results of aptitude tests are unlikely to influence a decision of whether or not we make you a job offer.

When invited to interview we always reimburse you for the cost of your travel. Please bring your VAT receipt with you or note your mileage and our Finance Department will send a cheque to you. Please note that we cannot reimburse your travel expenses if we do not have a valid VAT receipt or reasonable mileage. Mileage is paid at 20p per mile.

We may be able to help with arranging and covering the cost of overnight accommodation. Please contact us well before your interview to discuss the options.

As we have an ongoing recruitment programme we normally have 2-3 interview dates lined up at any one time. Interviews can be held as little as once a month or as often as once a week. The number of interview days that we run depends on the quantity and quality of applications received.

At Dorset Software we have a flexi-time system that staff are entitled to use after their probationary period. Normal working hours are 9am to 5.30pm with an hour for lunch. Our flexi-time system will be explained to you when you join the company.

We offer a salary package up to £25,000 p.a. to our new starters and salaries are reviewed each year. We reward you for your hard work during the early years with Dorset Software. Generally you can expect regular pay rises, with annual pay rises each April and discretionary pay rises each October. Expenses are added on top of your salary and when working at a client site you are also given a £10-£15 daily subsistence allowance that you can either put towards food or save.

When exam results have been released we contact you to find out how you got on. If you do not get the 2:1 that you were expecting, please let us know as soon as possible as this gives us more time in which to discuss your application.

Once we know that you did not get your desired result, we discuss this both with you and your director of studies. This helps to clarify any mitigating circumstances at the time of your final exams and also helps us to get a better understanding of your true capability.

As soon as a decision has been made we will let you know if we are able to confirm your offer of employment.

We are happy to support those who want to further their education, as long as this is related to your position in the company. We are currently funding several MBA courses and have previously helped employees without computer science degrees to study for a certificate or masters degree in computing.

When sent to work at a client site, all that you have to do is turn up for work each day and do a good job when you are there! We take the worry of accommodation off your hands - we make all the necessary arrangements and pay your rent and bills (excluding the telephone). We also provide you with a daily subsistence allowance and pay for your travel back to Poole each weekend. If necessary, we can provide you with a hire car if transport in that area is particularly bad!

When working at a client site you should not feel isolated from the rest of the team at Dorset Software. Often Developers are sent to client sites with colleagues, but even if this does not happen we are in regular contact with you so that you know you are not forgotten about.

For at least your first few years with the company, we would expect you to stay in one role as you will be continually learning and progressing through those early years. However, we are always encouraging our Software Developers to move into Project or Account Management or Network Administration when they become more experienced, but we do find that many are happy with their role within the company and are not looking for permanent change.

Occasionally staff can be seconded to a different department for a period of time and this provides them with the opportunity to experience working in a different environment, giving them a break from their usual job, without the upheaval of a complete job change.

We are very flexible with regard to starting dates, therefore if you are looking to take a gap year between graduating and employment, please let us know. We are always happy to make job offers to suitable graduates who want to take a year out, as long as you firmly accept our offer and we can contact you throughout your year out. Normally if travelling we will stay in contact with you via email, just to let you know that we have not forgotten about you! This flexibility also allows you to make the most of your year out without worrying about finding work on your return.

Even if you have accepted our offer and then decide you would like to take a year out to travel, we are usually able to accommodate this.

When we have confirmed your offer, we send you as much information as possible to help you find somewhere to live. Unfortunately we are unable to provide a relocation package.

We will send you a local street map so that you know where roads are in relation to the office, a list of estate agents that provide rented accommodation and regular copies of the local property paper to give you more choice. We also send you a list of other new starters and their start dates, so that you can discuss sharing accommodation with them.

The cost of rent in the area is lower than that in London, but we do suggest that new members of staff look to either share a flat/house with others who are starting at around the same time. This can considerably reduce the cost of living as your rent and all bills can be split.

Such flat shares have been a success with recent new starters. You can expect to pay approximately £600-800 per month for a 3-bedroom house. If, on the other hand, you have had enough of sharing with others during your university days, you can look to spend £450-£550 a month for a one-bedroom or studio flat.

Most employees experience an active social life and are often found in the local pubs on Friday and Saturday nights

We also arrange company social events throughout the year. We now have an annual boat party in the summer where we have a barbecue and disco as we sail along the south coast and also the traditional end of year party.

Other social events such as go-karting and paint-balling are arranged by individuals at the company, as are nights out on the town for birthdays, or just for the sake of going out!