Cyber Security Analyst and final year Graduate Apprentice

What does your current role involve?

I’m a Cyber Security Analyst, working in the Cyber Operations Team. So we’re looking at the alerts that are coming in from our different applications and tools, and we look at the vulnerabilities we have across Social Security Scotland. I’ve been in this role for a couple of months now. I’m still at university as well, doing the Graduate Apprenticeship scheme, at Edinburgh Napier. It’s really good having the on job experience as well as having the university side of it. I feel like I can bring in some of the skills that I learn in university into my current job role, which is beneficial for me and for the team as well.

What do you enjoy about your role?

There’s always something new every day. Every day is a learning day, because tech is ever-changing and there’s always something new. Sometimes it can be quite challenging, but the challenge is always good. There’s always something new going on that you have to try and develop more and work with your team. I think we’ve got a really good team as well, there’s so much support here.

How did you get into tech?

I started working with the Chief Digital Office about four and half years ago, as an admin assistant, doing a Modern Apprenticeship. Once I completed that, I then had to decide: Ok, what am I going to do now? The opportunity had came up for a Graduate Apprenticeship in the Security Team and I thought that’s such an interesting job, there’s so much to do. Security is so wide, there’s so many different aspects that you can go down, so many different roles. So I thought that will be such a great opportunity.

I worried that I didn’t have a great technical background, coming from retail. I didn’t have coding skills, I’d never looked at it before. But I took the opportunity and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. I found the support from my colleagues, from line managers, from mentors, has just been incredible. I feel like no question is a stupid question, like line managers and mentors are always keen for you to ask questions, no matter how small. I’m now in my fourth year of the Cyber Security Graduate Apprenticeship, doing my honours project, and a couple of months ago I was promoted to Cyber Security Analyst. I love doing what I’m doing now.