James Rutherford's journey
Why did you start the traineeship?
I started the traineeship to obtain specific industry recognised qualifications to gain a job in the IT industry. Before this, I had completed a masters in IT security, but I looked at this traineeship to provide me with more specific training tailored towards an actual career in IT with hands on experience included too. I would recommend the traineeship to anyone looking to enter the IT industry, no matter their previous knowledge or career.
What did you enjoy most?
I enjoyed the practical part of the traineeship the most due to it giving me the opportunity to use the theory I had learnt and apply it to real world scenarios. The use of the Live Labs for this element was particularly helpful and gave me more confidence in my ability, which I was able to utilise when starting my new job.
What's your current role like?
Within 2 weeks of finishing my traineeship, I obtained a role as a Service Desk Analyst with NatWest Group. This role involves being a part of the service desk that supports 60,000 NatWest group employees on a 24/7 basis for any technological query or issue they may have. I am really enjoying it so far and have found that the traineeship has given me an advantage in relation to being able to transition into the role more quickly than other new starters during the induction process.