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The year that kickstarted my career – Cisco UK Apprenticeship Programme

Joe Davey
September 14, 2015

It’s a warm, sunny day in June 2012. I was having a lesson at school about university and in amongst all the talk about open days, personal statements and UCAS, someone briefly mentions ‘apprenticeships’…Wind the clock forward two years and I’m just about to complete a brilliant first year of a three year apprenticeship with Cisco.

So what have been the highlights for me so far?

The People

This has to be first thing to mention – all the great people I’ve met who collaborate to make this company tick. From Chuck Robbins and John Chambers, senior leaders that sponsor the apprenticeship programme, to the team members who’ve given their time to help me understand what they do. I’ve been lucky to meet so many interesting individuals who have all made me so welcome and helped me get the most out of each role exposure rotation.

The Insight

The chance to experience so many different roles and environments is second to none. The variety is great and it keeps you on your toes having to meet a new team every four weeks! You soon learn how to hit the ground running; you’re too busy to be nervous. Having a new job every month means you have to adapt to the environment very quickly. Through working across different Sales and Services roles I have gained not only a broad understanding of the business functions and the types of jobs that get the work done, but also a massive chance to network. This is something that Cisco has really encouraged me to do and I’ve already built up a large pool of contacts that are helping my career development. That’s the beauty of rotating through so many roles in the first year. You get to meet such a variety of personalities it helps you understand how contrasting teams align with each other to make Cisco the successful company it is. By shadowing colleagues, I have been able to observe their different ways of working, take note of their strengths and work on building these into my own skills set.

The Opportunities

I’m surprised how quickly I have become comfortable with presenting to audiences. Two events that stand out for me so far include an external business breakfast meeting, this is where I represented Cisco and spoke about my experience and Cisco’s commitment to Apprentices. This presentation was to a room full of business owners and leaders and it was up to me to inspire them and get them to invest in Apprenticeships! I also represented my year of apprentices and present to Cisco executives including Chris Dedicoat and Phil Smith where I outlined the importance of the apprenticeship programme within Cisco.  

It’s not all about work – we get to participate in great events like the Cisco barbecues where we can relax, socialise and enjoy down time with colleagues. Internal Q&A sessions allow us to talk openly with senior executives; I was fortunate to meet Chuck and John at a recent session which I found so motivational and made me feel really proud to work for Cisco. I even got to shake hands with them both and have a quick conversation. I joked with John that he’d been CEO for more years than I’d been alive – I’m still trying to work out whether I paid him a compliment or not?!!

The Future

As I progress into Year 2, we’re given the opportunity to use the experience gained in year one to start to define our own path. I’m embarking on a journey into the Sales organisation. I’m kicking off this journey as an Apprentice Partner Account Manager with the BT Go to Market team. The Sales function has always excited me and I’m really looking forward to working with customers and partners, learning from them and making my mark within the Sales teams. My ultimate goal is to achieve a role as a Sales Account Manager and help to drive lines of business for Cisco. The first year has been amazing and with the transition in CEOs and the IOE concept in prospect, there’s never been a better time to be part of the Cisco family!