Our MA Profiles

Sue Kneill – Systems Development

Shortly after I started with EDS my time was being billed to clients so I had to be productive almost immediately. On the job training is a great way of getting valuable experience early on in your career and a chance to really learn from the people around you . I’ve had the opportunity to travel with my work, which I’ve really enjoyed and seen places that I might not have travelled to otherwise.

Having visited clients abroad with colleagues a few times I then had the chance to take a more junior member of staff. It was nerve wracking to have the responsibility of being the most senior person and having to make decisions on a client site but there is a sense of achievement when you do something like this for the first time. This was only a few years after starting at EDS so it gives you an idea of how quickly you can progress.

There’s a huge emphasis at EDS that you’re in control of your own career. You choose where you want to go and how quickly. There are plenty of opportunities to move around into different groups as well, so you can see how different teams work and what different technologies are used – it gives a valuable background for your future career.

NVQs can equip you for a degree in the same way that A-levels do, so it’s a way of keeping your options open. I am currently working on a BSc (Hons) in Information Systems with the EDS Degrees for Modern Apprentices (DfMA) programme.

I think the reason IT isn’t always the automatic career choice is that it’s not as visible as a lot of other professions. But the fact remains it’s a very fast growing industry, and the MA Programme gives you practical work experience and maturity that will make you more employable in the longer term. It’s good to know that the only thing holding you back is your own ambition.