Infrastructure Architect Review

IT Infrastructure Architect My daily tasks involve me planning solutions for client or internal work requests. In this process I have to create a special document which teams such as UNIX, INTEL, and Project Management will use to implement the solution. I deal with many people gathering requirements for my solution. They can be Chief Architects to the UNIX team to other Architects like myself.

During the Apprenticeship there are a wide variety of internal courses available and you get encouraged to use them. These courses vary from UNIX to Project Management to dealing with the clients to communication. In my role you have to learn the architecture of a client so I have learnt a lot about what storage system they use, how the disks are partition etc.. I've gain a lot of techincal skills

I thoroughly enjoy this programme. I work with a team of 6 and they are all fantastic. They all offer support and guidance and they all act as some sort of mentor to me. There are many roles to choose from and IBM encourage you to move around and try different areas. This programme is also suitable for everyone.

This organisation is huge so it is difficult to feel valued purely because of the amount of people. However, if you do some good work then will get appreciation and praise for either a mentor or your manager.

The flow of the programme is quite smooth.. the training is very structured and tests your skills are you go through them. The studying is all relevant and helps with day-to-day work. The mentor system works really well and you can have as many mentors or buddies as you would like.

Our training providers very helpful and are always available to help you out. If you want to have a phonecall or a face-to-face meeting then they will gladly set one up with you. They try to answer all questions and offer support when they can.

In my team of 6 I get a lot of support. They don't expect me to just go away and work, they set up meetings to see how you're getting on, they will sit with you and make sure that you know what you're doing and if you don't then they will show you how to do it. Another mentor of mine is always free to talk to me and answer any questions that I have. So I don't need to worry about not knowing what I'm doing because someone is always there to help out.

Living costs - They cover living cost and leave you with a lot to spare. I had enough money to rent out a flat and still survive. Travel costs - Travel is always covered. If they want you to travel far away then you can fill out an expense form and claim it all back. Daily costs - The salary easily covers daily cost of food, car insurance, clothes, luxuries. Social costs - We get enough money to go out on the weekend and socialise with our friends and have a nice dinner etc..

We have a think called giveback which offers us to go to a school and talk about the apprenticeship, or go to career fair to promote the apprenticeship. There are also company events that you can go to, some offer learning and the chance to meet executives. There is also a wide variety of classes to go to.

Yes

Because I've learnt a lot of skills, met loads of lovely people and as a whole I enjoy going to work

They application process is long and challenging - but it is worth it in the end... couple of tips for the process: - 1) You need to be flexible - they like people to travel to different IBM locations. 2) You need to know how to speak to different types of people, from client to a techie or to a salesperson. 3) You need to show that you can work as a team member, get other team members involved. 4) Time management - show that you keep an eye on time and that you are always aware how much time you have left on a task.