Associate Network Designer Review

I joined BT for an IT Networks apprenticeship. I work in TSO (Technology, Services and Operation) division of a company as a Network Designer. My day-to-day tasks are quite varied, as I have my time split between University work, Contract Work and also other internal opportunities such as training days, events and Volunteering. I have been given a lot of responsibilities on my second year of the programme as I got involved with organisation of Volunteering events as well as been given opportunity to become a Delivery Manager on a contract (also covering my Line Manager when he's unavailable). There is a lot of opportunities to progress as well as move onto other roles if you so wish, my experience has been extremely positive with support available at every single step of the way.

I have polished up on my existing skills by being involved with a lot of things such as Presenting at meetings with customers/senior staff and overlooking big projects with attention to detail. One of the criteria of passing my apprenticeship is passing an ICND1 (CCENT) qualification which is a first step into the world of Cisco and Networking. I achieved this qualification in my second year, and I'm currently preparing to take my ICND2 (CCNA) exam in order to gain even more knowledge of networking to become an expert in this area. I had opportunities to go to additional training courses such as Riverbed Systems training to get to know the technology we have potential to use for our customers when designing networks.

I enjoy the programme and working as part of my team. It's a dynamic environment and it's hard to find a boring day in a week. Company culture is fairly relaxed as long as you do your work and are successful in progressing your milestones. We have a good mixture of Study time and Work balance with hours being flexible to our needs. I didn't know what the expect being joining BT, but the experience has been extremely positive.

I feel like an important part of the company, as we get treated with respect by senior members of staff, our work is always appreciated and BT is full of internal recognitions (awards, 'thank you' cards and feedback). You can get involved with a lot of internal events such as "Apprentice Days" where you get to visit another part of business, learn more about the company itself or meet influential people within BT.

I believe my programme has been well structured when it comes to University, NVQ work and external qualifications. When I first started the first 3 months were fairly slow as there wasn't many things I could do myself due to lack of experience in the areas, however I did get a chance to follow seniors through their work and eventually get assigned to projects myself. Support is really great both at University where we complete our Foundation Degree as well as at work with projects and other things such as training.

We receive a fair amount of support when we go for our University week releases, we have lecturers who work with BT's advisors to provide the best experience for us whilst away from work. We go through university material with them, after which we have time allocated to work through parts of it by ourselves, with support being available on email/phone/in person.

When we first start we have a buddy and a mentor who helps us with training/work, we also have a Coach who helps us with progressing our NVQ modules and can give advice on anything else work/personal related. We usually have meetings with coaches once a month just to see how we progress and if we need any help with NVQ/University/Workload.

Starting salary as well as salary progression is at a high standard. Salary in first year of the programme is at a similar level to Living Wage in UK, then each year you get big increases until you finish a programme and assimilate. Salary at BT is more than sufficient for me to afford a new car and couple of holidays a year with put money into savings account.

There are many opportunities outside of work, I personally got a chance to attend couple of company events, one of which was in London with a chance to meet a Chairman of BT and other senior employees. We also have a lot of local events with team parties and yearly Quiz Nights. I'm currently one of the Volunteering Representatives for our team and so I organise a lot of volunteering with local charities, doing things such as Days Out of office and Bake Sales.

Yes

I would recommend BT to a friend as I believe it's a great place to work, with the amount of support you receive, employee benefits and opportunities it is definitely a place to be. You are never bored and there's always a drive to improve yourself by doing external qualifications (which are covered and paid for by BT) and attend internal courses and follow opportunities available at every single step.

When it comes to applying to BT, one of the most powerful things I heard from Management/Coaches responsible for hiring process is "Just Be Yourself". At apprentice level BT doesn't look for "experts" in the area, but rather potential. If they see potential in you, you will get a fair chance to get in.