Blog - Successful Career Switchers – Robert Jones

In January 2019, Robert Jones made the decision to change his life; and with the help of the Building Better Opportunities (BBO) project, that’s exactly what he did. Unemployed and disillusioned with his previous job roles, Robert decided to focus on a specific career path that would lead to his dream job in IT Cyber Security. He was aware that achieving his goal of working in Cyber Security would require him to embark on a training journey.

Joining the ever-growing and always-in-demand world of IT professionals requires dedication, commitment, and a practical plan. Gaining an entry-level role in IT is the perfect way to “get your foot in the door” and also provides the additional benefit of enabling you to gain practical experience in the field to further develop your abilities. IT Career Switch’s Cyber Security Traineeship programme is very carefully designed to offer the exact valuable skills required to enter the IT workforce. This is why it was considered the perfect choice by both Robert and the Building Better Opportunities project when searching for the ideal solution to meet Robert’s needs.

Building Better Opportunities is a non-profit programme dedicated to helping people gain employment and achieve their full potential. Organized by the Hertfordshire Adult & Family Learning Service and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and the European Social Fund, the BBO project is supported by Mentors who provide help, support, and guidance to assist people in gaining volunteer experience, training, skills development, and employment. Whether registered as unemployed or economically inactive, BBO has a range of options for people needing a helping hand to find the path that will lead them to their career goals.

Robert’s keen interest in cyber security made this a clear career choice for him, but IT can be a daunting and difficult field to enter without any official training or experience. Sarah Ittoo, STRIVE Mentor with the Sunnyside Rural Trust, understands the importance of training and skills development and how a focus on providing access to these can have a tremendous impact on alleviating unemployment.

Sarah took the time to get to know Robert and to gain an understanding of what he wanted to achieve in his professional life. Robert’s desire to embark on a career in IT Cyber Security is so clear that Sarah knew she needed to help him to reach his goal.

Sarah and Robert built an open, honest, and trustworthy rapport between them and began to search for the perfect training opportunity to make Robert’s professional dreams come true. This search led them to IT Career Switch’s Cyber Security Traineeship programme, and the ideal solution to Robert’s training needs. Sarah put in a bursary request that, if approved, would enable Robert to gain the knowledge, skills, and practical experience required to set him on the right track for a fulfilling career in IT Cyber Security.

The Cyber Security Traineeship programme from IT Career Switch consists of training in all the fundamental building blocks of a career in the IT field, as well as the opportunity to be placed in IT job roles that will provide on-the-job skills development and vital practical experience. Taking things to the next level, the traineeship programme then provides further training designed to focus your skills and abilities on the speciality field of Cyber Security. Having the most sought-after IT certifications significantly increases employment opportunities, salary expectations, and job security.

Robert and Sarah were both delighted when the bursary request was approved, and Robert could begin his IT training programme. Motivated to succeed, Robert devoted the necessary time and energy to his studies to ensure that he grasped the opportunity with both hands.

Robert has since completed the first portion of the traineeship programme and earned his globally-recognized CompTIA A+ certification. This achievement and his studies covering CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, MCSA Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows 10, and ITIL V3 led to him successfully gaining employment as a 1st Line Analyst for the IDE Group. Fuelled by his IT career progression, Robert is currently studying for his CompTIA CySA+ (Cyber Security Analyst) certification exam to prepare for the next step in his rewarding IT career journey.

IT Career Switch recently caught up with Robert to ask him a few questions about his Traineeship experience.

I started the traineeship because I wanted a change of career. I wanted to do something I enjoyed, something technical, and cyber security is very interesting to me.

I enjoyed the variety of the material and content of the traineeship. I also greatly appreciated the support I received from my tutor when I needed it.

My current role is very interesting, and in addition to earning more than I did in any previous role, I am also learning new things every day which will help me with future job prospects.

If you’re ready to pursue your dream career in IT and want to be a successful IT Career Switcher like Robert Jones, contact us now so that we can help you to achieve your professional goals.