IPS analyst Review

I work in cyber security. My job title is IPS Analyst. Most days I'm having to liaise with customers and plan future projects in order to update devices. In what seems like a simple software update that would take minutes to do on your personal laptop, it takes anything over 2 weeks to plan one here due to the nature of the high profile customers we have.

I'm currently working toward a foundation degree in IT and telecoms and have recently completed a module in C programming. I had never done that before and am now rather confident in the subject, our coursework was to create a crime reporting system and I completed it and am rather pleased with how it turned out.

I enjoy my programme a lot. The people in my office are all really nice, the work is doable, I thought I may struggle, but it's all explained in such a way that it's easy to understand and pick up new things. The people in my team are all very good at what they do and I can always go to them for help on certain things. I had no idea what to expect as I had never worked for a large company before, but a, definitely impressed. I feel like a valued employee and not just an apprentice. I feel like I'm treated in the same way as other normal employees.

My manager is a very good, well respected, fair person. I feel valued by him and feel like an important member of the team. I have been given my own projects to do which have taken a fair amount of time, but has also given me a lot of opportunities to expand my knowledge and get into contact with new people. Even though I'm having to ask a lot of questions, the team don't mind and are appreciative of what I'm doing.

There were a lot of problems initially with the NVQ side of the apprenticeship, but that is gradually becoming more and more clear on what is expected of me. I feel like I'm always being kept in the loop and any new development I am told as soon as my apprenticeship coach knows himself. Communication has been great so I know that I have all the available information. The induction week in Ipswich was very enjoyable, there were a lot of talks from loads of different people in the business and there were a lot of evening activities that were vary enjoyable.

We have email addresses to contact our lecturers for uni and they usually reply to our emails within a day. The level of teaching is a lot different to what I'm used to having just come out of 6th form, so it has taken a while to get used to it being partially taught by them and mainly self-taught. I do enjoy the course a lot it allows me to experience a variety of areas within IT that I normally wouldn't get to see in my day to day job.

I receive sufficient support from BT themselves. I am given the study days that I require (one a week) and any changes to that I am made aware before so I can plan my studies around them. My manager is sympathetic toward my university and NVQ responsibilities so gives me the time that I need to do than and helps with any issues that I am having surrounding the subject.

Very well, for an apprenticeship I am paid very well. I have pay rises at varying points throughout the year. I have enough money to live off and some left over to either save or use for social activities.

I have taken part in a few voluntary activities since joining BT and have a few in the works. All of them have been focussed around informing Teenagers/ school age students on apprentices. Mainly been to let them know they aren't instead of A levels and they aren't a lesser job. I am treated the same as someone who is not on an apprenticeship.

Yes

I have already recommended BT to my friend who is visually impaired. She applied for the job and got it. BT have got someone in to reprogram their systems so it works with her system to read words out to her as she requires. She hasn't felt like her disability has been an inconvenience to the company, she has felt like she has been accepted and like a valued employee due to the work that has gone into implementing her system and maintaining it. I feel like BT is a very diverse and accepting company and is an amazing place for anybody to work in whether they are at the beginning of their career like I am or well into it like some of my colleagues that have recently celebrated their 30 years at BT. It is certainly a place you can spend your entire career if you want to.

The application process is long and some of it is hard, but no matter what stage you're at, at the end of the day, BT are looking for new employees and want you, they're not going to make it awkward and hard to get the job. The interview days feel like they're going to be intimidating, but they're not. I came out of it feeling really positive and it was actually quite an enjoyable experience. The on boarding process was rather long, but I did get there in the end.