Duty Technician Review
at IBM
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Information Technology
Winchester
Review Submitted: February 2022
Overall Rating
3.8 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
3/5
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Overview of Role
3/5
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Skills Development
3.8/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
I look after infrastructure. This is a 12 hour, 4 days on 4 days off shift pattern switching from nights to days per set. This role involves completing system health checks, working with SMEs to conduct root analysis of high priority incidents. We also help maintain storage devices in our data centres and carry out different restarts on systems.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
It has goods and bads. I don't think it has had the best planning as where I work shifts, meetings are called on my days off and also I dont get 20% off the job. On the other hand, its been a great programme in the sense of how much hands on experience i have had and the amount ive learnt about maintaining infrastructure
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
Yes, i have learnt a lot about the different applications we use and their purpose. I have learnt about different network devices such as firewalls and switches and their importance in maintaining the network. I have also learnt about storage and the RAID systems we use. I have also enjoyed learning using linux and the language it uses.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Below average, I may work 4 nights in a row and then have 4 days off for example, and sometimes i have to attend meetings on my days off which im not a fan of. Also, its difficult to get the revision done as i havent had 20% off the job like i was promised when i started the apprenticeship. In fairness, it hasnt been to bad and i have still had time to study.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
A lot, they are extremely supportive and i always know i can go to them with any issues or queries. Its in everyones best interests for apprentices to be supported and there are loads of programmes within the organisation i have access to aswell as a large amount of education resources at my disposal
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
Again, a good amount. I have an apprentice coach who has regular meetings with me regarding my portfolio and also my learning as a whole. They're very friendly and i know i can always give them an email or a ring and they will be able to answer any queries i have on anything apprenticeship related.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
massively, it has taken my knowledge to the next level and makes me more of an asset in my role because i will have a better understanding of different aspects of my role and also IT Infrastructure. I think they both compliment each other and i definitely apply the knowledge i have gathered to my role.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Yes, there are many different social groups you can take part in within my organisation. Unfortunately due to covid, sports clubs and the on site gym are not really active at the moment however things are slowly starting to change in early 2022 so hopefully this changes. An example of a social group i am in is the Sport & Recreation Foundation Community.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend IBM to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Its a perfect organisation to start your tech career in. It offers a great competitive salary and also provides a vast amount of pathways. The amount of learning you can achieve with the company as well as the industry qualifications you can gain make it a superb way of starting a well rounded IT career.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to IBM?
Be yourself and also be out of the box, this is cliche but its so important that you show why you should be employed at IBM. In terms of what you can do to achieve this, try and complete some free IT online courses that your interested in as you can put this on your cv.
