Daniel Pull

Dan is now a full time member of staff at the university, working as a Network Operations Technician; you can read our new interview with him about this on our blog.

Which school did you go to?

Magdalen College School.

Did you go straight into your Apprenticeship from school?

Yes.

Did you leave after year 11 or stay on to sixth form?

I did the first year of A-Levels and I chose to leave school to do an apprenticeship.

Why did you choose to do an Apprenticeship?

I felt it gave me more opportunities than if I just went straight into a normal job because I’d be gaining the same experience as a normal job, but I’d also be learning and gaining qualifications as an apprentice.

How did you find out about your Apprenticeship?

I was constantly looking for IT jobs online in the local area and didn’t have much luck finding what I wanted until a friend of the family told me to check the University website and that’s where I saw the apprenticeship.

What have you gained from your Apprenticeship – skills, experience etc?

Even though I have learnt a lot about networks and how they work, I feel my biggest progress has been through communication, which is a big part of my job especially when you are meeting new people everyday.  Also my organisation and work rate has risen a lot since last October when I started.

What do you plan to do next?

I’m not 100% sure what I am going to do after my 3 years is up as an apprentice. I am hoping that the university will keep me on so I can gain even more experience in an environment that I am already used to. I have always wanted to work in the US so that might be an option in the future.

How will your Apprenticeship help you achieve this?

My apprenticeship will have given me a lot of skills and experience working in a big organisation on top of the qualifications that I will be earning from it as well.

What advice would you give a young person who might be thinking about an Apprenticeship?

If you’re not planning on going to university then an apprenticeship is a great option that you should keep in mind because you’re learning whilst getting experience in the workplace.

What advice would you give an employer who is considering employing an Apprentice?

It gives you the opportunity to help a young person get experience in the workplace as well as giving you another vital member of your team who could even stay after their apprenticeship is complete as a full time member.