Meet our Academy Consultants – Ibrahim Lawal
Read about the impact Ibrahim is making as an Export Control Engineer following his Ten10 Academy training
At the Ten10 Academy, we know that you don’t just need talent with technical knowledge – you need the right person who will fit into your team and make a difference from day one. Ibrahim Lawal is just one example of our Academy Consultants who joined a client team and is already excelling. He joined the Academy in 2022 and then joined his client in the Defence sector as an Export Control Engineer.
Here’s what Ibrahim had to say about transitioning from Academy training into the workplace, and the support he receives as he continues to develop:
Take us through your client work – what teams have you worked with and what projects have you worked on?
“I am currently working with the Export Control team as an Export Control Engineer, and I work closely with the Product Owner of a product classification system. Since I started, I have been required to take on several responsibilities like the monthly environment patching we have for the application servers. For this, I send comms out to all 800+ users to let them know when patching will commence and when it has successfully ended. I also coordinate the call when patching takes place to ensure the servers are shut down and restarted gracefully. I have also been required to help end users when they require assistance with using the product classification system or have a problem accessing the system.”
How do you feel you’ve transitioned from the Ten10 Academy to your client work?
“I have transitioned quite well and been able to use all the knowledge I acquired from the Academy to ease into my role. Both my client and Ten10 have provided me with training and support to help me fit into my role. For example, my line manager provided me with knowledge packs and several relevant information that was required before starting my role. I also spent the first few weeks shadowing my line manager daily to learn the basic role requirements which helped me ease into the role.”
What technology, tools, frameworks, and processes have you gained experience with?
“The two tools I used the most are the product classification system and ServiceNow. I have learned as much as I can about the two and also shadowed my line manager each time he has used them. Internal documents have helped me improve my knowledge and I plan on undertaking certifications in the near future that will help make me better at using the tools.”
What parts of the Ten10 Academy training have been most useful in your work?
“The most useful part of the Academy training for me was the soft skills which I apply to my day-to-day activity with the client. For example, I find it easier to communicate effectively in team meetings and 121s. Previously I would wait after the call or would not say anything, but thanks to the Academy training I find it easier to give any suggestion I have and explain myself diligently.”
What is a normal working day or week for you?
“My day usually begins with a Product Team stand-up call where me and the team talk about our activities for the day, the activities from the previous day, and any blockers that we need support with. I then make sure both pre-production and production of the product classification system are operational, and I check ServiceNow to see if any tickets have been raised against the toolset and require attention.
“I then see what meetings have been booked in, and I sometimes have calls with other teams looking to implement the product classification system in their business units and needing guidance on how best to apply the system. I have meetings bi-weekly with the Ten10 team working with the client in the afternoon on Wednesdays and Fridays. My daily tasks are quite varied, although I do have some recurring tasks that are monthly or bimonthly, such as patching and conducting access management audit checks for the product classification system, then updating various technical catalogues within the system to aid in its data validation checks when end users provide supplier declaration data in the toolset.”
How have your client and Ten10 supported your development?
“My client has been very supportive. I have 121s every week about how I am coping and if I require any help. I have weekly stand-ups on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays where I catch up with other members of the business. I can also use this meeting to ask for any help I need or if I need to raise any questions. As I mentioned earlier, I have been constantly shadowing my line manager since I started and have been able to pick up numerous skills that will help me carry out my role with the client to a high standard.
“I have been given access to be able to reach the Wellbeing team whenever I need and I receive regular check-ins from the team asking how I am finding my feet with the client.”