Cyber Security Consultant Review

My role at work as a member of the bidding team consists of responding to a clients/internal request for a service with either a rough estimate or a firm offer. This needs to account for all costs, inflation, risk and margins to ensure the company makes a profit. This is then sent on to be reviewed by the customer.

I have certainly developed some workplace skills around the use of outlook, teams and how these are used to schedule meetings and maintain communication. I have also developed some niche skills within excel where I have been exposed to some more complicated formulas and visual basic code. I have also learnt how to use the back end of sharepoint and be an administrator for a site

I enjoy my role at work. I can be quiet sometimes however this can be a huge advantage when trying to balance university work at the same time. The culture of the company seems good with a big focus on member wellbeing. The university content could be more stimulating and closer related to my chosen course stream but overall, I do enjoy the programme

The programme is organised quite well. Each student has a mentor to help with the university side of things, most of whom have previously completed the apprenticeship. The support is excellent with most members willing to help out when they can. The university could be organised better with pre-session content consistently being uploaded late and slow responses to emails

I have fortnightly meetings with my mentor who provides as much support as I request however, I am quite independent and tend to prefer getting on with things alone. Managers are supportive however, the can be quite far removed from the day-to-day side of work and so it might be beneficial to have a designated project manager who's involved in the university side of things

The university offer different levels of support depending on the module/tutor. Some module tutors are good at responding to messages and providing assistance when asked but others responds very slowly to messages which makes it very hard to progress in modules and specifically assessments. There are also issues around pre-session material being uploaded on time

The university course covers a lot of academic and professional skills with at least one module per semester dedicated to work based studies. These modules help me to progress towards work related objectives and teach me more about personal development plans and training opportunities. They also teach me more about academic writing and referencing which might come in useful

It has been difficult to get involved in extra curricular activities at work during the covid 19 pandemic and I haven't made it into the office yet. I have however put myself forward to be involved in the football team for the office I work at which should be a lot of fun when we get back into the office

Yes

I like the working environment CGI creates and the focuses on member wellbeing. Everyone I have worked with have been very welcoming and helpful. It is also an interesting company to work for with a good referral program which would make me a nice little earner for everyone I refer

I would advise anyone applying to CGI to be themselves and embrace every opportunity thrown their way. Because any opportunity could be the catalyst for a huge professional development. Also, make sure you ask about the content within the degree course. The technical degrees have more business content than may appear