Networks Apprentice Review

I am currently working as a Networks apprentice in operations, service monitoring. My daily tasks are to complete boosts and QOEs. QOEs are quality of experience, these are to find faults in BT's network and to fix them before the customer has even noticed the problem. In doing this the amount of customer calls is lowered. It is my responsibility to run tests on VLANs to correctly diagnose network faults. Working at BT I also have days to use for volunteering. In July, me and other apprentices will be taking three work experience students for a week and giving them insight into what working at BT is like.

During my apprenticeship I have learnt a huge amount of new skills. This is not only on the job but also on my university course. In BT I learn many skills to help me in my day to day job, such as how the network works, CLI commands and presentation skills. BT also gives me options to train for my future job after my apprenticeship, offering tech pathways. At university I learn about technology and how it functions. I am taught on how computers process information and how that information travels through the network.

I enjoy my apprenticeship a huge amount. I work with other apprentices and team members and they are all very friendly and helpful. The company really wants to help you progress and team members always are willing to teach you. While working at BT I feel like I am working towards my future career.

I feel very valued at BT. When I volunteer or produced some outstanding work I am sent an E-card to say thank you. E-cards are worth £5 and this recognition is very rewarding. I also have monthly meetings with my manager to talk about my work. I can talk about my involvement within tasks and projects in these meetings. I like that my manager is interested in the work I am doing.

My apprenticeship program is structured very well. Within my apprenticeship I rotate between parts of the business to give me a good understanding of the teams within BT. This is organised in a way to give me enough time within a team to work well and learn the skills I need.

At BT I have an apprentice coach. They hold meetings to give guidance for my job and other work like NVQ and university. They are always happy to help and I feel like I could message them anytime with a problem. It is very easy to get in contact with my apprentice coach, whether it be through work Skype or setting up a meeting.

My manager is always happy to support me. I have a monthly meeting with him to talk about my work and targets but I can easily set up another one if I have any problems. I really get the feeling that my manager cares about how I'm finding my work and when I've have any problems my manager has always dealt with them in a professional way.

My wage is very good for an apprenticeship. This wage increases yearly, as I continue through my apprenticeship. This wage meets my costs for rent and food, while being able to save. When I finish my apprenticeship my wage will be enough for me to happily save for my future.

BT offer loads of voluntary initiatives. I have been involved in British Science week where I designed and ran a stall to teach school students about fibres and how light is used to send data. In the past I have also taken part in Cospace, this was teaching primary school student how to code. BT offers many other volunteering opportunities within the local community. A BT there are lots of clubs and events, they also have an onsite gym, snooker tables, tennis court and football area. The teams are very close and often hold bowling competitions, lunches and coffee mornings.

Yes

I really enjoy my apprenticeship and hope to continue my career at BT. I'm given projects that keep me busy and give me lots of job satisfaction. I feel like I am producing work that helps the company. I am able to volunteer and help the community while at work and this is something I have not be able to do in other jobs. This shows the BT cares about teaching children about technology and helping the surrounding area. Finally, the people I have met at BT have all been friendly and my apprenticeship year are very close. I have become good friends with the apprentices I rotate with and we frequently go out together.

For the BT assessment day, try to research the company and its goals. It is good for the assessors to see you are interested in what BT wants to accomplish, their brand values - personal, simple, brilliant - and that BT is very passionate about customer experience. Try not to be nervous and try to show your best qualities.