IT Support Placement

Zak Cox

Computer Science and IT

Placement (10 Months+)

Clearswift

What do you do on a daily basis?

As an IT Placement student, my role involves providing desktop, laptop, network and VoIP support for Clearswift staff. I also ensure that the internal and external services that our products rely on are running successfully and are kept up to date.

Highlights of the job?

Clearswift have recently undergone a major refurbishment which includes a network refresh. I was able to be involved in the network refresh which allowed me to gain hands on experience in rebuilding part of a network. I was able to work with some powerful equipment which I had not been able to work with at University, which was very enjoyable.

How much responsibility were you given?

I was given a lot of responsibility. At Clearswift you are treated as a member of staff rather than an intern. I was invited to and contributed to teams meetings and I was trusted with a lot of network and administration work that could potentially have a large impact on the company and its infrastructure.

What is a typical day on your placement or internship?

My typical day at Clearswift begins at 8:30am. I check my emails and look at my calendar to see what events I have for that day. I then browse our support ticketing system which members of staff and various systems use in order to submit tickets which highlight any IT issues within the company. I aim to resolve tickets as soon as possible and prioritise them in order to fix tickets which have a higher priority first. I also run through the service checks which ensure that both our internal and customer facing services are working successfully. We have an IT meeting once a week where our department discuss all current projects and we can bring up any questions we may have. I leave work at about 5:00pm and then I head home, apart from Mondays when I play 6-a-side football with other Clearswift colleagues!

How has your placement or internship affected your career prospects?

I believe that my placement has greatly improved my career prospects. I have now worked for an IT company and have gained invaluable knowledge and experience which when combined with a (hopefully!) strong degree, will increase my chances of getting a successful career in the future. By working for Clearswift I have also now experienced working in a corporate environment which I believe will be of great use in the future.

Any top tips for a student interested in an internship at Clearswift?

I would recommend getting your application in early and preparing well for your interview. When I was applying, I was busy with a heavy workload in my second year at university. Trying to balance your university work with a placement application is fairly demanding. Throughout the interview process just try to relax, be yourself and be honest.