What’s your role in IS?
My name is Rebecca and I work in Information Systems (IS) as an Environment and Release Lead in the Service Management and Quality Assurance team. My role involves overseeing the release cycle of software products into a live environment for customers and employees to use! As well as this, I hold responsibility for supporting teams with the creation of tailored, Agile adapted Release Plans to enable efficient software delivery that meets release deadlines.
What interested you in a career in IT?
Gaining real-world work experience in parallel to studying for my A-Levels made me realise I was a Kinaesthetic learner, and benefitted most from practical, hands-on experiences. With this in mind, when discussing future career options with one of my lecturers they recommended I explore a technology apprenticeship. The prospects of this were great, I could obtain a degree whilst continuously growing and improving my industry experience at the same time; making me stand out against my peers, whilst completely debt free!
When I studied the industry further, it was apparent that the sheer scope and opportunity involved with a career in IT was exponential, often presenting unrestricted opportunities for growth and further learning.
How did you find working whilst completing your degree?
My apprenticeship was split into 4 days in the office and 1 day at university, which can be challenging to adjust to balancing full-time work with studying. I became a much more organised person as a result, by planning ahead for any submissions and would spread the time across my study day and some personal time. I was lucky that the company were also very understanding and flexible whilst I completed my degree – they wanted me to succeed and made sure I had any time / support needed where possible. My biggest advice for anyone completing a degree apprenticeship is don’t leave it till the last minute, plan ahead, organise your time and leave yourself time for self and peer reviews. The hard work is worth it in the end and gives you a big sense of achievement as well as a larger skillset to show for it.
How do you feel you have benefited from completing your degree apprenticeship?
From completing my degree apprenticeship, I have not only obtained a degree, but it’s also given me the ability to try a range of roles across different areas of IT; from becoming a developer, to moving into more non-technical areas of the business, like resource and demand scheduling, PMO and Agile as a scrum master. I have had the ability to explore my suitability to many areas to see where I fit best which you don’t get in many industries.
What made you join NWL and what do you enjoy about working here?
I had spoken with friends and fellow colleagues about the company who had worked at NWL in the past or knew someone who had, and they could not speak more highly of the company. They have an excellent community feel, with everyone, no matter the hierarchy, working together towards the business goals and values. They also have brilliant prospects for growth and really value their employees and their career journey. I’d recommend working here to anyone!