After a rigorous interview process and thanks to the close business connections the school has forged, 3 of our Digital T Level students were fortunate to have secured themselves a work placement at Cisco - a company which delivers innovative software-defined networking, cloud and security solutions to help transform businesses.
We asked each of them to write up their experience.
Shane
Year 12 Digital T Level student
Over the last six weeks I have had an amazing experience doing my work placement at the Cisco Feltham Office. I have enjoyed every single aspect of the placement and it has thoroughly improved my knowledge of the working environment. My typical day would consist of me waking up early to reach the office for a 9:30am start. Getting a hot chocolate from the on-site Cafe in the morning also became a daily routine for me, so I am struggling without it on my return back to school! There was not a single part of the placement that I did not like. On the contrary, there were opportunities every day to learn from others and develop as a person. I loved the gourmet food that we ate every lunchtime, and meeting people from different departments and collaborating with them on different projects was something that I really enjoyed. The concept of being assigned to people who you are unfamiliar with, and having to collaborate with them on a project was something I feel has boosted my soft skills exponentially, and I'm really keen to do more of this to further my development in the future. After such a brilliant experience with Cisco, I would most definitely recommend doing the Digital T Level at Ada Lovelace because of the amazing work placement opportunities that are available and I will certainly be applying for a degree-apprenticeship with Cisco at the start of Year 13. Thank you Cisco for the wonderful experience.
Hasan
Year 12 Digital T Level student
I had the wonderful opportunity to take part in Cisco's extensive T levels work placement. One of my favourite parts of this placement was the weekly shadowing sessions. During these sessions, I shadowed a range of Cisco senior employees, Interns and apprentices in their busy schedules. I gained an insight into different roles, including Business Analysis and Solution Engineering. I made the most of each shadowing session by engaging in the given tasks and asking lots of career and Cisco specific questions. I also enjoyed the mentoring opportunities that the placement offered. My mentor provided ample support and I received guidance around the application process to apply for my goal of becoming a degree apprentice - even running a mock interview with me. A typical day was getting in at a comfy 09:30 and starting the day of with a Cisco collaboration session followed by a Cisco Experience Centre Collaboration Tour then a hour long lunch break spent in Cisco’s amazing game room, competing against fellow T Level colleagues. After that we ended the day, diving into our new networking group project. I would definitely recommend this placement to anyone wishing to gain an immense amount of industry knowledge. I learnt so much about a range of careers as well as developing my soft skills such a teamwork and communication and hard skills such a coding. After such a brilliant experience, I will certainly be applying for a degree-apprenticeship with Cisco at the start of Year 13.
Sayid
Year 12 Digital T Level student
Over the last six weeks, I've had an incredible experience during my work placement at Cisco. Each day, I eagerly arrived at the office, looking forward to my morning ritual of indulging in a comforting cup of hot chocolate before diving into various tasks. Throughout the placement, I had the opportunity to attend meetings with professionals and shadow senior executives within the company, providing me with invaluable insights into corporate dynamics and leadership. However, my favourite aspect was collaborating on projects with diverse individuals, which not only enhanced my teamwork skills but also fostered meaningful connections. Overall, I highly recommend this placement to anyone seeking practical experience in the digital field. Inspired by this enriching experience, I'm excited to pursue a degree-apprenticeship with Cisco at the start of Year 13.
You can also read the blog which the CSR Programme Manager, who organised Cisco's T Level Industry Placements wrote. Key highlights from their blog were:
"Delivering Cisco’s T Level Industry Placements – Hard but absolutely worthwhile!"
"What a ride it’s been, and I can’t wait to see what these amazing students do next!"
