Technical Analyst Review

During my apprenticeship I worked as part of the support team, providing phone and email assistance to a variety of different customers with regards to some of the products we provide to them. Most days consisted of receiving issues from the customer, trying to recreate them on test data and then trying to find out what the problem is and fixing it, before returning to the customer with a solution.

Throughout my time as an apprentice I have gained many new skills, including a working knowledge of the products we support. The company also encouraged and provided opportunities for me to develop my skills in other areas. For example, I was taught SQL and this has been extremely useful in my day to day work. Now that my apprenticeship is over, the company has paid for me to attend a degree course at a university part time.

I had a few jobs before working at Atos and this has been by far my most enjoyable job. There is a team atmosphere and there are very few days that I don't enjoy working here. This was a change from what I expected from an office based job, as I expected the job to be monotonous. This was not the case thanks to varied tasks and work.

As an apprentice I was made to feel like a useful part of the team and was given enough responsibility to back this up. For a year or so after my apprenticeship, I felt as if I was still being treat like an apprentice, rather than a full member of the team. This has faded as time has gone on and I now think I am a helpful and integral member of staff. My managers have shown appreciation for the tasks I have undertaken and this has aided this.

I believe my programme was very well structured. I think this because all of my training was given to me on a schedule at the start of the course, so I was fully aware of when I needed to attend it. Also, all meetings with mentors were organised well in advance so I could organise my working life around that.

I didn't feel my actual tutor at QA was very supportive, as he expected us to know the material already, before teaching it. Other than that, all of the other mentors were very helpful when it came to which work we needed to complete. The mentors were easily accessible through email whenever we had any queries or needed guidance.

My employer was extremely helpful through my course in a multitude of different ways. They always gave us time away from work to focus on our studies or training related work. When we were unsure on anything they would always point us towards the right person or resource to help complete the task at hand.

At first I found it difficult to make ends meet with my salary, but as time has gone on and through promotion, I am now able to run a car and I am currently paying for a house through a mortgage. Currently there is no structure in place that shows how this will further progress, but for the time being I am able to live relatively comfortably.

Atos offer many opportunities outside of work, varying from social get togethers and walks, to surfing lessons and more. There is a real community atmosphere, especially towards the end of the year and the run up to Christmas, where everyone gets together in a number of events. These events seem to be increasing in number lately as more apprentices are taken on each year.

Yes

Atos have helped me kickstart my career and allow me to move out on my own and afford a car. Many of my friends who went down the degree course are struggling to find well paid jobs in the industry that they want to work in, whereas Atos are allowing me to work in the job of my choosing and are even paying for my degree, thus furthering my skills further. There are definitely a lot of opportunities and I'm grateful for what has been presented to me.

For those who want to work at Atos, I'd advise they research the company and see which of the areas suits them best. As for the interviews, make sure to mention things that make you stand out. I mentioned how I had assisted with the local council and Atos took a keen interest in that, which I believe aided me in getting the job.