Technical Consultant Review

I'm a Technical Consultant with HPE which is a fairly wide ranging position depending on your department. I work exclusively with Microsoft based services and cloud offerings. Within my average week, I spend on average a day a week dedicated to uni/apprenticeship work. Besides that I could either spend the other days supporting projects (document production, technical installations, client meetings, etc.) or preparing for Microsoft certifications. Around this, I'll also help around the office as technical support or with company events.

Before working at HPE, I worked in retail so I've adapted my workplace skillset to be more beneficial to a corporate environment. Examples include client facing skills which has been built upon a stronger technical knowledge of cloud which I gained through interaction with my colleagues in the office.

I massively enjoy working with HPE and my colleagues. The opportunity to learn on the job is a benefit I undervalued when considering university. Now I'm thrilled because I'll leave my apprenticeship with 4 years of direct customer facing experience and salary while friends from school are entering the job market without experience and £60k debt. QA as a provider is the only aspect I've been 50/50 on. The lecturers can vary quite dramatically and I'm not yet convinced all of the modules chosen are of the best value to a technical position (e.g. Maths and Algorithms, Managing and Leading, etc.)

HPE provides a good all around structure for the Young Careers network of colleagues (Apprentices, Interns and Grads) including external social events, dedicated internal skills development sessions and a management structure to voice comments and concerns if necessary. Within my department, I have a dedicated 'defacto supervisor' who acts as a mentor, which has helped dramatically. For the qualification itself, this is primarily built by QA and has the best thoughts in mind. We have a dedicated skills coach who tracks our progress and acts as first contact. The primary disappointment I have is the lack of face to face meetings. At the start they were face to face every 6-8 weeks. Then they became online and now they're essentially once a quarter which removes the benefit of that layer to some degree.

During my time with HPE, I've had 2 direct managers who have each ensured I have the support I need. They've both been friendly and technical people who understand their craft and will dedicate time to you if you need. I also have a director mentor/supervisor who is always available. HPE also provides strong help for support accessibility with multiple support networks available to you.

QA has the right ideas when carrying out their program but not always the best actions. The training sometimes feels disjointed with the career position which potentially stems from them not understanding the position with the company. For example, I have to show a competence in Project Management and Software Development when my position is entirely infrastructure based.

I think the best answer to this is somewhat. Certain modules have directly benefitted my day to day work such as networking, but others have left me wondering if the provider put them in just to pass it by the certifying university. I feel that a lot more of the necessary skills are developed in the office around colleagues.

HPE offers a range of company events (e.g. Pride, Christmas Parties, Office Wide events. etc) alongside career developing open events. Both London offices are based in the Moorgate/Shoreditch area which has a bustling social scene for after work events which occur regularly.

Yes

The company is a big name for anyone's cv, but HPE ensure that they provide the best development position for you they can. It's in both yours and their position for you to succeed within your position. I've always enjoyed my position and would recommend it to any friends.

I think the advice would be fairly generic for this kind of technical position. Understand the company, their values and what they provide before you apply. Make sure you've done any prep work before the assessment days and practice interview skills to make sure you stand out from the rest!