What does your current role involve?  
I am part of a 24/7 team, working 12-hour shifts over a four-day period, where I either work days or nights followed by four days off. The company’s clients are mostly NHS trusts and social care providers. My role includes duties like first-line support, responding to clients’ problems and queries. We also manage the clients’ IT infrastructure, so I am responsible for running security updates for clients. I personally find this aspect of my role the most rewarding – due to my background in computer security, I have a strong understanding of the importance of these updates for clients’ software to run safely and patients’ details remaining protected. I am also involved in managing servers, clients’ accounts, monitoring servers to deal with potential risks proactively. I have also had crossover with the teams that build these systems. It’s a very varied role, which keeps it interesting and keeps me learning all the time.  

What advice would you give current students to make the most of their time at university?Don’t waste your downtime between lectures or during summer holidays. Make use of the resources, both equipment and staff. Focus on learning everything you can while you have the chance. Don’t overstress on exams or results – it helps to get high marks, but don’t forget the value of just simply learning and understanding the subject. Follow your interests and passions within your subject, as this will definitely come across in future applications and interviews.

What challenges have you faced making the transition from university into work?
It is very difficult to secure a role in computer security fresh out of university as there are only a limited number of training schemes in this area. For a good while, I only focused on looking for and applying for security-related roles, but I came to realise that by widening the scope of jobs I was looking for, I also gave myself more options to start my career in the IT sector. Hearing nothing back from employers when sending applications is unfortunately very common. It’s very frustrating when you don’t get any responses and you just have to not take it personally and keep going. Don’t compare yourself to others; it takes different people different amounts of time to find their first job. It took me nearly a year to secure this role after completing my masters. The pressure of applications and finding a job does get to you in the moment, but it was all worth it in the end.

Make use of the support offered at LJMU to build your confidence around job-hunting, application etc. It took me far too long to seek help from the Student Futures Team at LJMU. A meeting I had with a Careers and Employability Adviser was useful to get some positive feedback on my CV alongside some new ideas for developing my applications. When you hear nothing back from employers, it’s very easy to assume that you haven’t been good enough, but you may just not have been the right person for this role and there are still good aspects of your CV. The meeting also gave me renewed confidence for interviews.

Support from the Student Futures team 

If you need help finding opportunities or want support with your CV, application forms or preparing for an interview, you can get advice and guidance by booking a 30-minute 1-2-1 careers meeting with a Careers and Employability Adviser from the LJMU Student Futures Team.

You can also access our handy digital careers apps and jobs board in Careers Zone 24/7 including CV builder (ideal for building your first CV), CV360 (to give your CV an AI-driven polish) and interview360 (to practise interview questions and scenarios).  You can review your current skills through LJMU’s exclusive Skills Checker self-assessment tool.