Firebrand Stories

Jordan Finn's Story

My background is in support and operational space, concentrating on networking infrastructure and maintaining the services offered to end users. My experience is that I came from college directly into a Level 4 Foundation Degree Apprenticeship here at Fidelity International. While the Foundation Degree portion of the apprenticeship provides me with theoretical knowledge of the industry, the Cisco CCENT and Cisco CCNA training has provided me with technical knowledge of Cisco products. While certifying my ability to work with products of this nature, it validates my knowledge within the eyes of my peers and colleagues, who see me as a technical resource and asset, rather than 'just an apprentice'.

The courses I chose to attend at Firebrand were the Cisco ICND1 (CCENT) and Cisco ICND2 (CCNA), which together formed my CCNA certification. The reason I chose these courses was due to the fact that it allowed me to split up my CCNA studies, in order to complete the responsibilities associated with my day-to-day role and the college work which came along with the apprenticeship. Being able to split the CCNA meant being able to concentrate on the knowledge needed for each exam and each topic, not having to rush and skim over important knowledge which is needed for the certification exams.

With the skills I've learnt via the courses at Firebrand, I've been able to build and deploy production devices for my company’s network successfully. I’m contributing to the growing infrastructure which is consistent with industry and organisation standards. As a result of the skills I've learnt, I've been able to pick up more technical Incident and Service Request tickets from customers, as well as get on board with more technical projects. Within regards to why I chose apprenticeships (not fulfilled or provided by Firebrand in anyway, with my Firebrand training being independent and external to the apprenticeship provided by Fidelity International), the reason I chose an apprenticeship was due to the fact that I'd have an opportunity to earn while I learn as they say, while also gaining top qualifications which are both academic and within the networking industry. Further to that, I'd have an opportunity to work within an operations environment, which is one of the best buzzes you can feel as a techy, with some of the best talent and most technical people within the industry.

My future career aspirations are to complete the CCNP certification, via Firebrand, and eventually, if the certification is still as relevant and as exclusive as it is today, the Cisco CCIE certification. Further to that, I will begin exploring the automation and SDN / SDDC solutions which are now available from vendors such as Cisco, VMware and Palo Alto, which are changing the future vision of the enterprise network. These are the skill requirements of tomorrow, and as such, I want to be at the front of the queue within regards to these skills. Learning plays an important part in my career’s journey, as when you stop learning or find yourself within a position where you're no longer being challenged within your day-to-day role, then the entire purpose of having a career and working within the technology industry become redundant and pointless, as technology is all about innovation and developing more convenient and smarter solutions that provide better services for customers. Personally, I love the process of learning, so much so that I'm exploring certification and learning experiences which are external to what is offered in my apprenticeship with Fidelity International, via Firebrand and independent learning. Learning opens up so many new opportunities and experiences, allowing my career to develop and advance, rather than stagnate and remain in the same position for years and years.