James’ Apprenticeship Blog – Part 2
James Jenkins | Second Month at Bright Solicitors | April 2023
Hi, my name is James, I started my IT apprenticeship on the 20th of February 2023.
This blog series is about my experiences working as an IT apprentice at a successful law firm in the heart of Plymouth.
Why have I decided to start an apprenticeship?
I decided to go for an apprenticeship because I felt it would give me better opportunities and be better for me as I prefer practical experience over being in a classroom. I felt that Bright Solicitors would be able to support my career further by learning new skills and developing vital office experience for the future. By choosing an apprenticeship, I believe I will become more confident and have better knowledge and understanding of IT so I am able to progress further in my career. I also wanted to come here because Bright Solicitors seemed like a very friendly place and I was right, everyone is very supportive and helpful.
What did I do during my second month at Bright Solicitors?
As my second month at Bright comes to an end, I began to take on more responsibilities and challenges. One of my biggest accomplishments was setting up and maintaining the firm’s website. With the help of the IT team, I was able to design a modern and professional internal website that accurately represented the firm’s values and services. This project taught me a lot about web design and coding, and it was satisfying to see my work come to life online.
Another project I worked on was updating the firm’s software and the antivirus I learned how to install this by doing it on my own computer first. I helped the IT team install antivirus software on everyone’s computer to keep the firm’s data safe. This project showed me the importance of cybersecurity and how it is a constant battle to stay ahead.
What do I have planned for next month?
Next month I will hopefully have the opportunity to shadow different departments at the firm which also contributes to my course, I will be spending at least half a day with each conveyancing team, which will allow me to gain a better understanding of how the firm operates as a whole and how the different departments work together to achieve common goals.
How is my Apprenticeship helping with my studies?
In addition to my work at the firm, I continued to study for my college course. I found that the practical experience I was gaining at Bright Solicitors was directly applicable to my coursework for example taking apart a pc, laptop and server, I was able to apply what I learned from the IT team to my work at the firm and also to parts of my course. This helped me to better understand the material and reinforced my understanding of the IT concepts and skills that I was learning.
I am proud of the progress I made and the skills I acquired. I feel that the apprenticeship program provided me with a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the IT field and helped me to develop the skills and confidence I need to succeed in my career. I am grateful for the support and guidance of the IT team and the rest of the staff at Bright Solicitors, and I am excited to see what will happen next month.
