Cyber Security Advisor

Job Description

My name is Emily and I currently work in the Cyber Security Team as a Cyber Security Advisor. My role is predominately governance based, meaning I look after our security related policies and make sure we’re compliant for certifications and audits. I also interact with other employees throughout NWL, answering any security related questions, giving advice, and managing risks with supply chain.

About the Apprenticeship

The opportunity to work for [Employer hidden] drew me in, working a big local company that you’ve heard have a great values and longstanding employees. I really liked the idea of being able to obtain a degree whilst also earning a salary, this meant no student debt and instead some great work experience in a new employment area. I had worked in customer service retail and hospitality roles whilst at sixth form as well as being an au pair whist travelling, so this was to be a totally new experience. This tech industry is still up and coming and so I saw this as a great opportunity to start my professional career, even though I wasn’t 100% sure where it would take me.

Throughout my apprenticeship we covered a range of topics at university for the degree, including software engineering, coding, and network & infrastructure. These topics helped within the work environment as during projects I was aware of these new technical terms as we had been taught them for the degree. Within [Employer hidden] I worked within many teams, gaining a great insight of how the business works and all the different areas – it’s not just about water coming from taps! As I didn’t have a technical background, I really enjoyed the people aspect of projects which is why I gravitated towards placements in teams where I got to create things or communicate with other employees, such as creating training for a new billing system.

A job opportunity opened in the cyber security team whilst I was still completing my apprenticeship and through my past placements, it meant I was a great fit. This then turned into a full-time position once I graduated, and my role has expanded into what it is today.

Support and Development

We were each assigned a mentor, who I would catch-up with monthly. My mentor was the Director of our department, so this gave me a great insight into things from all across the organisation as well as IS. It can be challenging managing a full-time job alongside completing a degree, however the end goal was worth it for the short time struggle and if workload ever got too much I had support from a manager who helped me balance things, as well as the other apprentices seeing as we were all in the same boat.

Why Work at NWL?

[Employer hidden] is a great company to work for, we’re given opportunities to learn new skills or gain certifications if we want to. There is also a real mix of people and having been here for 7 years, I can see myself staying and progressing my career further.