Job title: Datacenter Technician
Company: Microsoft
What advice would you give a young person considering an apprenticeship?
There used to just be two options for your future after school, go to University or get a full time job. An apprenticeship provides you the opportunity to experience both and come out with qualifications and experience. It is definitely worth applying for an apprenticeship that catches your eye!
Why would you encourage young people to consider a career in datacenters?
Datacenters are the future! There are so many opportunities and career paths that are available, especially right now in the UK. Not many people know about Datacenters and their technicians, and yet without them the world would not work the way it does. Besides just looking after data, technicians keep everything running so that business and customers are able to work, connect, live and play everyday online. You are able to create a life-long career and have endless opportunities to learn and grow.
How did you get into the industry?
During the pandemic, I was studying an online coding course provided by universal credit. They gave me the opportunity to learn skills whilst the world was in lockdown and at the end of the course they told to me apply for an apprenticeship at some tech companies. At the time I believed I was too old, I was 23 and barely had enough experience for entry level tech roles. But I found the Microsoft Datacenter apprenticeship on their website and went for it. At the time I did not know what a Datacenter was, but when I did my research I thought it was the most amazing role I had ever seen. I completed my interviews and I got the call to say was successful on the same day. Honestly, life changing and everything I know now is because of the fantastic support and leadership of my managers and teams at the Datacenters.
What does your current role entail on a day-to-day basis?
Security plays a big part in my role so it is a bit like working as a secret agent. Fixing servers and making sure that everything in the Datacenter is maintained and working properly. We also have deployments where we install and build racks for customers and complete lots of tickets. No day is the same, we recently have had a new Datacenter built so we are able to visit other sites and complete tasks and tickets there, really great experience being able to see everything starting from the beginning. I know that my future in the Datacenters is solid and there is so much more to come from Microsoft, really exciting stuff!
What are the best parts of your job?
Meeting so many people from different backgrounds and who have different experiences has been really inspiring. Learning about hardware, servers, software and being able to fix anything at work and also at home. Life changing for sure!
What advice would you give to young people when they first get into a role?
It’s normal to be nervous and to feel overwhelmed, we all feel the same when starting at a new place. Be curious, ask questions, reach out to others you find inspiring and be you!
What is your proudest achievement?
Becoming a full time Microsoft Technician and finding my dream job.