Apprenticeship Journey's at Pentest People

We asked a few of our apprentices to take us through their career journeys and how they found their apprenticeships in the cyber security industry, along with common misconceptions made about apprenticeships. Listen to their accounts below.

Maisie's Journey

I started my apprenticeship in software development a little over a year and a half ago at a small startup company in Leeds. Until this point, I had studied and been working in fashion merchandising but didn’t find it very challenging and the industry wasn’t what I had expected it to be.

During one of the covid lockdowns, like many people, I decided to learn something new and enrolled in an online coding course to learn the basics of front-end development, something I had been considering for a while but never knew how to get into.

After completing the course, I knew this was something I wanted to pursue further but the world of coding is so vast I had no idea where to start. I also lacked confidence in my ability to dive straight into a fully-fledged developer role. My apprenticeship gave me just that, the opportunity to retrain, with added guidance and make the many possible routes I could go down seem a bit less daunting. My learning has been self-led, meaning I could use resources that worked best for me and focus on areas I found interesting. This has really helped me learn how to find solutions to problems on my own and become more self-sufficient whilst having a support network of tutors, colleagues and other apprentices around me. I chose to focus on the front-end to allow my creativity to shine through a little and marry in a bit of my fashion background.

I really enjoy seeing a project come together as I code and the satisfaction of solving a particularly tough problem.Since starting my apprenticeship, my confidence and skills have come on leaps and bounds. I found learning on the job worked so much better for me than online courses or sitting in a classroom. The learning curve in the first few months was so steep compared to that initial coding course. I’ve recently started a new job and transferred the final few months of my apprenticeship to this new role at Pentest People. As part of the move, I’m having to shift my learning from one framework to another, Vue at my last job and now to React, so it’s been great to still have that additional support alongside that of my new team and the apprenticeship has really set me up to be able to adapt to a change like this.

Corbyn's Journey  

I'm Corbyn, the trusty apprentice you've probably spotted in a few YouTube videos, podcasts, blogs, and social events. For nearly two years now, I've been part of a fantastic team here at Pentest People. Let me start by making this relatable, especially for those contemplating an apprenticeship. Contrary to what you might expect, my childhood wasn't filled with dreams of a profession in cybersecurity while watching "In the Night Garden." In fact, the idea of a career in this industry didn't even cross my mind until halfway through sixth form.

As many of you will know, life is full of unexpected twists and turns, and during those, the idea of cybersecurity red teaming caught my attention. So after sending out a few CVs, I found myself at Pentest People. There's a common misconception that choosing a different path, whether it's attending a different high school, college, or not going to the same university as your friends, means sacrificing the "student life" and losing touch. But from my experience, that couldn't be further from the truth.

I still hang out with my university friends regularly, proving that opting for an apprenticeship doesn't mean missing out; if anything, it opens doors to a situation where you get to do what makes you happy, in turn being a win-win. Apprenticeships offer a unique opportunity to get in early to your chosen industry, earning qualifications and experience along the way, all while getting paid to do so. I would recommend apprenticeships to any young person eager to kickstart their career journey. My own apprenticeship journey has been nothing short of exciting, full of learning opportunities but, most importantly, enjoyable.

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We offer apprenticeship opportunities here at Pentest People for those wanting to get into the cyber industry, learning and earning. Contact careers@pentestpeople.com if you are interested in starting a role here at Pentest People.

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