Cross Functional Degree Apprentice Review

by Cisco

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

8.2/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

My role is an Associate Solutions Engineer. In this role I learn about our technology solutions and present this to customers/partners.

9/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

Communication skills is probably the one I have developed the most. Things like presenting, public speaking, delivering sessions and webinars etc. I have also developed my technical skills by working with various technologies.

9/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

I enjoy it a lot, it challenges me to grow personally and professionally. I have met a lot of great people, received incredible mentoring and guidance, and had so many amazing opportunities to attend events and more.

8/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

It is fairly well organised. Because we are cross-functional and every apprentice works in a different team I think it does get a little hard to keep organised and under control but overall my experience has been fine. There is just a lot of change.

6/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

A lot of support. Apprentices receive a lot of support from the employer and all the stakeholders we work with. They give us real work and really challenge us day to day which is great for our own professional development and career growth.

9/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

We get a lot of support and resources towards our qualifications. We have dedicated days for uni work and when it comes to deadline time, most managers are understanding and give more time/space/support to stay focused and get work done.

8/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

Surprisingly, quite well. Because the work for my degree is often based around what I do at work, it deepens my understanding of my role and various processes/technologies etc. I personally find it really useful and complimentary to what I do day to day.

9/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

We have a lot of different networking events and industry events with customers/partners. The company also often hosts a lot of social events like summer/christmas parties and additional events for just apprentices too. I do wish we had a little more regular smaller things though e.g. sports.

8/10

9a. Would you recommend Cisco to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

Cisco is a great place to work, we have won awards for being a great place to work. The culture and the people dynamics is wonderful and makes the company a great place to be. There is so much to learn and so many opportunities. It's great!

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Cisco?

Do your research, understand what Cisco does, and what we do outside of just networking. Speak to anyone who works for or has worked for Cisco. Be yourself. One of Cisco's values is to 'bring your authentic self to work every day'. Also ensure you have good communication skills.