From Police Constable to Cloud Support Analyst – Meet Daniel

After studying Aviation at Newcastle College, Daniel went to Sheffield Hallam to study for a business and IT-related degree. Once he completed his studies, he went on to pursue his childhood ambition.

In his eyes, he was heading in the right direction. However, after 1 year and 8 months as a police constable, he quickly realised that his heart wasn’t set on this career.

When an opportunity came up to study an internship at South Tyneside Council, he took a new career turn, risking a lower salary and a new work environment. Although it was a huge change, Daniel was pursuing something he was passionate about – IT, which outweighed any cons.

Ahead of starting, there were many opportunities for doubt. Had he made the right decision? Would he be able to progress internally? Is a career in IT promising?

However, as soon as he walked through the door, he knew he had made the right decision.

As an ICT Support Graduate Intern, Daniel was given every opportunity to learn and develop within his role. This allowed him to boost his skill set alongside his work and learn from others around him.

Soon after joining, a Support Technician role came up. As a role with more responsibility in the desktop team, Daniel applied.

During that time, I worked really hard. And I spent a lot of time outside of work, learning. I think the environment is very accommodating to new people.

In my first attempt, I was unsuccessful, but I got really good feedback about my development and where to move and what to study. And when an opportunity came around very shortly after, I was able to become successful in getting the job.

Daniel credits his success to the flexibility and friendly atmosphere of South Tyneside Council, where everyone supports each other and is not afraid to speak up.

Despite an initial salary cut, the range of opportunities available within South Tyneside Council allowed him to quickly progress internally.

With personal development a strong element of the culture at South Tyneside Council, Daniel never felt limited. Whether upskilling or learning new software, Daniel cares about his work, and South Tyneside Council supports him.

Daniel echoes this belief.

It’s a really cool environment to make friends as well - we’re very social. We spend a lot of time going out together and outside of work. It’s a very open and warm office.”

Flashforward to now, Daniel is a third-line Cloud Support Analyst and has high hopes for the future.

I thought I was confident from being in the police, but it surprised me that working here really helped my confidence.

Even just having the confidence to speak to other people. Everyone is so supportive to help you develop and there’s so much resource available.

Although the fear of a complex role in tech may hold many people back, Daniel recommends beginners take advantage of the free resources available online, such as Microsoft Learning. Additionally, there are many tutorial videos on YouTube to follow.

I thought I was confident from being in the police, but it surprised me that working here really helped my confidence.

Even just having the confidence to speak to other people. Everyone is so supportive to help you develop and there’s so much resource available.

Although the fear of a complex role in tech may hold many people back, Daniel recommends beginners take advantage of the free resources available online, such as Microsoft Learning. Additionally, there are many tutorial videos on YouTube to follow.

Having moved from a well-established job in the police to starting from scratch, Daniel had a lot to risk. In his opinion, however, Daniel believes anyone can achieve anything if they put their mind to it.

In a similar way to learning a piano from scratch, Daniel believes learning a skill can be achieved by anyone, provided you have passion and enthusiasm.

If you want to move to a job but you’ve never done it before. Don’t be afraid to move somewhere that allows you to develop your skills. Just be confident that you’re able to do it.

Looking back on Daniel’s time at South Tyneside Council, he has achieved a lot.

• Joined in February 2021 as an ICT Support Graduate Intern via Uni4Talent.
• Unsuccessful in Desktop Application May 2021.
• Became Desktop Support Technician in December 2021.
• Promoted to Cloud Support Analyst in August 2022.

Now that Daniel has shown he can progress internally within the company, he doesn’t have any plans to slow down. As a Cloud Support Analyst, Daniel aims to be a technical leader in his current role.

I want to be the kind of technical leader where people come to me with a problem.

Given how much Daniel has achieved in the past year, from ICT Support Intern to Desktop Support Technician to Cloud Support Analyst, there’s no limit to what he can achieve.

South Tyneside is an ecosystem of businesses, employers, and residents.

South Tyneside Council delivers essential and statutory services through its digital and ICT services. The Digital and ICT service comprises over 90 roles, covering Operational IT, Digital, Development and Business Change.

Staff in Digital and ICT are often involved in high-profile projects, such as the Leisure Management System, which modernised the way customers can book and access leisure services.

If you’re feeling inspired after reading this article or would like to find out more about South Tyneside Council and the opportunities in digital, check out their full employer profile here.

South Tyneside Council is one employer of the many in our ecosystem that is a champion for the digital growth of the North East.

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