Technical practice manager Review

My role involves running a team of five technical consultants, who assist our customers with solution design in the enterprise IT space. I will assist with delegating opportunities to the correct member of the team, organise training opportunities, interact with the vendors and the wider internal business to assist the company achieve its goals.

I came into this apprenticeship as a brand new manager, starting my current role at the same time as my apprenticeship. I've learnt a lot so far around the application of different managerial styles on a situational basis, which has been a good platform for assisting my adjustment into the role. The time management aspects have also been useful.

The workshop sessions have been very enjoyable so far. The facilitator Alida does a great job of keeping a good learning pace whilst also keeping the group involved with discussion points. The assignments have been a bit of an adjustment for me, given I've been out of formal education for over a decade, but there has been plenty of support to ease the transition to the required mindset. The main challenge has been finding time alongside my role, but that is always going to be a factor when adding something into the mix.

The workshop session are well spaced, and pre and post-session reading/tasks are provided to prepare for or reinforce the learning material as required. There are also periodic reviews with a coach that are a good opportunity to clarify understanding and sort out any concerns. The assignments themselves do require a sizeable amount of self-guided research though.

I have regular review sessions in my diary with both my direct line manager and also a mentor within the company, which provide good opportunities to get feedback on applying learning points in a practical sense. I am free to book out time in my diary to work on the assignments also, obviously as long as this doesn't conflict with the responsibilities of my role.

During the workshops, the training facilitator is encouraging of us to ask questions and clarify our understanding as we go. Additionally, the many discussion points we have throughout are a good opportunity to check this. Outside of the sessions, our designated coach is available via email and will respond pretty quickly.

Being a new manager, it is helping me build up my toolkit for dealing with the various pressures that come with being a manager. Being afforded the opportunity to learn about various concepts, and choose which ones resonate with me and then knowing how to apply them in a practical sense has eased the transition. I believe I'm a more confident manager at a fairly early point within my role than I would have been otherwise.

Obviously this is a bit of a strange time, given the worldwide pandemic, and as such most social and networking events have been on hold. Within the technical community we do have a regular social call on a fortnightly basis, and in 'normal' times there is a social club for the office which organises quarterly events.

Yes

I believe what makes a job enjoyable or not is affected most by the people you work with. Tech data have a very sociable and supportive culture, which makes working here great. There is plenty of collaboration between various teams, and in general it feels like everyone is pulling in the same direction and happy to assist each other where required. There are also plenty of development opportunities available to further your career.

I'd encourage anyone who enjoys working for an employer that values developing its staff, supports their growth and wellbeing, and ultimately cultivates a respectful and supportive environment to apply. As long as you're not afraid of working hard, there is also plenty of enjoyment to be had in the workplace.