Security Software Engineer Review

I work in scripting and automation, overhauling the workflows of the company to reduce the workloads on staff members and to improve the fluidity of the company's services both internally and for customers in the future of our work. I also work to fix and uphold platforms, developing tools for the deployment and healing of digital platforms.

Before I began at this company, I had never heard of Ansible - an automation scripting language - had limited knowledge of SSH and PowerShell, had hardly touched Linux, and had not a clue regarding enterprise virtualisation or networking (that being CISCO IOS, etc, not general communications). I now know all of these topics to a great degree and use them constantly.

Though there are rough patches with our training provider - the University of Suffolk - which we are trying to resolve with myself as the Course Rep for my cohort, the programme being provided on BT's side is absolutely wonderful, with a fantastic set of benefits and pay in a friendly and enjoyable environment with good people and a humane approach to employment.

The structure of the programme on behalf of the company is quite good, but the training provider has been struggling to provide consistency and support for us and the material that we are learning. Moreover, the improvements we have sought for the course and the sections we have highlighted as beneficial have been ignored or, in some circumstances, worsened, following feedback. Which is rather counter-intuitive.

Our employer - through the medium of our manager - provides us with an incredible leniency to work on our University work and prioritise our study as and when we need to, provided we still produce good quality work and do not take the benefit for granted. This is my favourite section of the support we are given, as there are times when the need to take a day or so to complete and assignment is a life-saver.

Our lecturers provide us with a good amount of support outside of their required times, though that is of the goodness of their hearts, as opposed to the suggestions from the overarching provider. As a member of the Student Council, a Student Union Trustee, and a Course Rep within the University, I have seen all angles of the scene and have noticed an aching lack of care and learning in regards to handling Apprentices.

There are plenty of topics that are quite good for applying to our work - those largely being all of the practical works, such as learning the in-to-outs of SQL and database design, and CISCO-based networks, which my section of the company uses heavily. That being said, there are some modules - such as Data Structures And Advanced Programming - that will never be encountered in real life and cannot be justified to be helpful.

Yes, there are lots and lots of them - for example, I ran and hosted an Event Day for new joiners to the company in which we hosted a huge networking call planned for around one hundred people to partake in a series of challenges within teams. I developed a website for this, learning PHP from scratch and how to host a publicly-facing website with a domain name and verified certificate. There are many additional activities on top of this, too - for example, I have a gym subscription.

Yes

BT is a fascinating and friendly place to work with an incredible salary for someone of my age, and - provided you get into a good team - is an excellent place to make friends and get good social and professional experience. Moreover, the opportunities it opens up are vast, and the training combined with the work experience in such a reputable place is bound to help you progress.

Ensure to show your willingness to learn and good attitude, and a commitment to both teamwork and adaptability. Uniqueness and a good sense of being able to get along with others - both in work and socially - will benefit you greatly, and a good outlook on learning and teamwork is going to be valued above sheer technical skills. Someone who prides themselves on being good with Redhat Linux but refuses to learn anything else is far less likely to receive the position than someone who doesn't know Linux at all but is thirsty for the opportunity to learn all of it and more.