Learner Testimonial — Cyber Security Technician Apprenticeship

Sometimes, getting into the world of tech requires quick thinking and risk-taking. Asim dropped out of uni to pursue this goal. Here is his story.

Asim Ihsan was always interested in tech. He took Computer Science in college and high-school and did A-Levels in Computer Science, Finance, and Electronics. After that, he applied to uni through UCAS and got into his top choice, Salford University. He chose it because, unlike other programmes, it focused on Cybersecurity.

However, unfortunately, the university changed the curriculum after he enrolled. Students were given a choice – stay with the new curriculum or drop out. Asim tried it for six weeks, then left uni for good.

“They changed the programme to Computer Science with Cybersecurity… Basically, they pushed all Cybersecurity courses to year 4. What we saw when we applied and what we actually got were two different things.”

Several of his peers quit too. Now, as new cohorts come in, the programme is half the size it used to be. Everything that made it different and desirable is gone.

“In my case, this was all happening during Covid. Everything was shut. If I applied for uni for the next year, I would be a year behind and study the exact same thing. I took the risk without having anything concrete.

After attending uni for six weeks I saw it wasn’t for me. I could have done it, but this experience put me off uni completely.”

So, what to do next?

Asim had gone to college in Oldham. There hadn’t been any info sessions about Apprenticeships, but, luckily, his college Form Tutor was a big advocate, recommending them for any field. Had it not been for him, Asim wouldn’t have known they were an option.

“I sat down for a full day and researched Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Indeed… What each company offered, the downsides, the positives; I came up with a list of 10,” 3 of which he wanted the most. Despite his tough situation, he only applied for the 3 he really wanted.

“I got a reply from all of them, which I didn’t expect. It was a very long interview process, over the span of six months. One of the options, located in Cheltenham, was a four-year course, while Firebrand offered a year-and-a-half programme to achieve the same outcome. It was a no-brainer!”

26,000 people applied to the BT Apprenticeship; Asim was selected in top 10. He went to the Assessment Centre, where he went through a personal interview, personality tests, group tasks, and other tasks. His drive and maturity made him stand out.

“Can you be a team leader as well as a team player? Do you listen? Can you think on the spot? How do you come across? That’s what I think they were looking for.”

“For one of the questions, I refused all the answer options. If my team was struggling, what would I do. I said I would help my team. I thought outside the box. They liked that.”

Asim liked the company too. Although the other Apprenticeships would have started earlier, before he even heard back from BT, he dropped out of their recruitment process altogether. He decided to wait because this was the one he really wanted.

“Giving up 2 of 3 options was another risk I took. I focused on BT; I thought, if I don’t get this one, I’ll go from there.”

Luckily, Asim’s hard work paid off and he started his Apprenticeship in September 2021.

“It took a couple of months to get adjusted to. I was talking to my Firebrand Mentor, Eben [Okai] from day one. As a mentor I’d give him a 10 out of 10. He taught me to present myself, what to look out for; he helped me future-proof my courses and ensure I met the right standards for my career path.

“Being there also showed me how far apprentices could go within BT. My manager had been an apprentice, his manager too. I realized I made the right choice.

“The projects were the easiest part – like setting up a VPN between us and a customer. We also responded to incidents.

“We did 3 courses with Firebrand – Cloud Computing Fundamentals, a Crypto course, Security Management, which gave me a big picture of security. I didn’t do the certificates because, as part of BT, it will be easier for me to do them after the programme; that’s the only reason why.

“I wanted to focus on the App and get the highest grade – and I did! After I finished, someone from Firebrand called me and told me I was the first in Firebrand to get a Distinction for the Level 3 Cyber Technician Standard.”

Upon completing his studies, Asim was offered a full-time position and stayed with the same team.

“It’s a very good, professional job I couldn’t have gotten without an Apprenticeship. I got two years of work experience. I’m the youngest on my team because no one my age normally has this experience.”

At present, Asim continues to learn everything he can about “all the big names in Cyber – Cisco, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Zscaler. I’m classed as manager-grade. I stay with a client for a couple of months and in that time I learn everything I can about the platform they’re using.”

Looking back on his university choice, he doubts it would have helped him prepare for his current role, which he loves. “What they were teaching doesn’t have a lick to do with what I do now!”

So, would he recommend Apprenticeships?

“Funny you should ask,” Asim says, “I was talking to someone the other day. He’d done his first year at uni because he didn’t know what else to do. I told him about Apps. He’s applied and is doing one with HSBC now.”

Aside from that, Asim recently went to his college in Oldham and to a school to talk about Apprenticeships, asked by BT.

He is what he always wanted to be, a Cybersecurity professional. After he finished the App, he turned 21. “I would have been in uni till I was 23. The risk I took paid off.”

Thank you for your feedback, Asim!