Profile: Working for BT

Rhiannon Warburton, a BT project manager from Oswestry, Shropshire, speaks to Get Smaart about her career and why choosing a BT apprenticeship was such a smart move.

Did you go to work for BT immediately after school/college?
No, I went to college for 2 years to study Business Management, where I won the overall college award for Outstanding Commitment and Achievement and was also Regional Finalist for the EdExcel National BTEC ‘Student of the Year’ award 1998. Achieving so much academically, I was under enormous pressure from college/career mentors to go onto University. So I did. I went to Keele University in Staffordshire on a Dual Honours Degree Programme in Business Management Finance and Personnel Management. I'd only been there 4-5 months when I decided university was not for me. So I took a year out to re-assess my career plans.

How did you hear about BT’s apprenticeship scheme?
During college I completed a two week work placement at BTs National Network Management Centre, Oswestry.  It was here I learnt about their apprenticeships and indeed the exciting world of communications. After university, I applied for a temporary agency role, and then discovered it was at BT!  Excellent!  A foot in the door of what could be an exciting career opportunity. The chance of applying for an apprenticeship arrived and BT were accepting applications for Oswestry. I applied, went through the usual selection process and was successful in getting an apprenticeship. I had a permanent role within a hugely successful company with excellent career prospects. I was so excited!

When did you start with BT?
I started as an apprentice September 1999. It was excellent. I loved the balance of academic study and hands on experience with so many inspirational people to meet and learn from. The best way to learn!

How did family/friends react to something they may have seen as a traditionally male dominated career?
They were thrilled. Yes, the apprenticeship was technically focussed with the need for me to go back to college and study Electrical Engineering, but having already done some aspects of the apprenticeship i.e. key skills; I was exempt from needing to do them again. This gave me time to carry out job shadowing across a diverse range of roles and get a feel for where I'd like to work on completion of my apprenticeship.

I was the only female on the engineering course at college. I felt real pressure to prove myself to the guys! It wasn’t easy, but I did...finishing top of the class! 

What made you decide to go into project management?
A bit of a bundle really.....A background in Business Management and great technical awareness thanks to the apprenticeship scheme, combined with my natural attributes to plan, organise, control and drive. Also, the role was within Broadband Services, a growing area of the business that really interests me.

What does your role entail?
As a manager I am responsible for managing my own time and my current role gives me a certain amount of flexibility. I have my own BT office, which is an excellent base to work from and I also work from home occasionally. The nature of my job requires a certain amount of travel and attendance at meetings across UK.

Within Broadband Services there are a number of initiatives ongoing to improve the way we do things, helping us to be more efficient and effective. My role, as part of a wider team, is to manage and co-ordinate these initiatives through to completion. In doing this there are a number of face to face meetings and audio calls (meetings via telephone), in addition to lots of communication via email and 1:1 telephone conversations.  Each day varies considerably. I regularly interact with Project Managers, Finance Managers, Communication Managers, and Operational Managers. In summary it’s about policing the delivery of improvements within Broadband Services - making sure we deliver our promise.

Are the promotion prospects good at BT?
Excellent. I think I am proof that if you want to achieve, there are opportunities to be had.

Do you enjoy working for such a large company?
YES! There are really good benefits. I love the people I work with and get on really well with my boss. I get a real sense of job satisfaction.

For more information about BT's apprenticeship scheme and to apply online visit www.bt.com/careers