Technical Infrastructure.
Hands-on experience.

Because the Technical Infrastructure placement is rotation based, it’s given me the chance to work with several different teams in the department. This included the Workspace and Internal Platforms teams, as well as first- and second-line technical support, where I helped to provide a first-class trouble-shooting service to Baillie Gifford’s employees around the globe.

One of the learning opportunities that stood out for me was the Make Your Mark course, which was delivered to all the summer interns by a specialist coach. It was about managing your inner critic, the effect of body language, fight or flight responses in the workplace, and more. I found it an eye-opening experience, covering topics and skills I’ll carry with me for a long time.

I really enjoyed the variety of tasks and learning opportunities that were available from day one. I had the chance to complete a number of overviews on various technologies for the Infrastructure Service Delivery team and I also worked within the Internal Platforms team on identifying overallocated resources. And, when I was involved in the project with the Workspace team to help colleagues migrate from old laptops to newer ones, I was given responsibility for some of the migration myself.

Working at Ballie Gifford is not just about doing a job – it’s about developing your skills, building strong relationships with your colleagues and sharing your knowledge. I had the chance to work with amazing people who always made themselves available whenever I needed help. It can sound like a bit of a cliché, but meeting people across the business has been the highlight of my placement – everyone’s been so welcoming.

In my third year at university, I visited Baillie Gifford’s Data Centre and was surprised by their networking set up. I had already completed a network-focused placement for a firm in Cheltenham, which I assumed would have state-of-the-art structure. However, they were only beginning to implement the networking architecture Baillie Gifford already used (and were about to upgrade). The technology here is already cutting-edge, but there is a constant push to optimise and improve existing business solutions. 

It was clear early on that my role as a placement student would not hold me back from getting involved in any projects or opportunities available to full-time employees. For example, during my time on the Service Desk, there was an opportunity to work on a project to roll out Jamf, a mobile device management tool for Apple devices. When I volunteered to help with the project, I got kitted out with everything I needed, including a MacBook. I hadn’t used Apple before, so it was really motivating to know that my colleagues had put their trust in me. In addition, I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong to support the office there with a different project, which was a truly amazing opportunity for anyone, never mind a student! 

At Baillie Gifford, it’s not just about the skills you have; it’s about your willingness to learn new ones too. You are constantly encouraged to think about how you can develop your strengths and overcome any weaknesses. For example, I’ve been on internal assertiveness courses, and during Baillie Gifford’s LearnFest week, I attended a leadership skills course and a visual thinking session. These have really changed how I behave professionally and given me a new level of confidence.  

At the end of the summer, I was lucky enough to be offered a permanent position. The internship was a fair reflection of what it’s like to work here full-time. It’s a very open and inclusive workplace, where trainees are a valued part of the team. For example, since re-joining, I’ve been afforded the same level of opportunity as I was before.  

I found out about Baillie Gifford when some recent interns gave a presentation at my university. They spoke so passionately about how positive their experience at the company had been and explained how they had put their lab and theory work to practice in a real business environment. I was also able to join a student visit to Baillie Gifford’s Data Centre and was amazed that we had the opportunity to see their servers and how the technology behind the scenes worked. They made us feel really welcome, and I chatted with many of the department heads.

I was quite nervous when I started at Baillie Gifford, as I’ve not had much professional work experience before, but they take you under their wing. For example, during my induction I had a series of one-to-one meetings with the team managers across the Information Systems departments to help understand everyone’s roles. I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in various projects of my own, including handling a server upgrade and taking responsibility for Zoom.

Since joining, one of my jobs has been to help set up equipment in a new area of the office, and I have also worked on a project to ensure the firm’s MacBooks remained compliant and functional within the business. I’ve been treated as any other staff member through my time here and given the responsibility and trust to take on important tasks. Along with this, the training and support I’ve received have been outstanding.

As I’ve moved through the placement rotations, everyone has made a real effort to make me feel part of the team. For example, in my first week with the firm, I was given a ticket to the TEDx conference in Glasgow. About 15 of us from across the department attended. I also went to the Service Desk away day, during which we discussed how improvements could be made to our service, took part in team-building exercises and completed an escape room. Spending time within different teams also allows you to build strong relationships across the department.

Towards the end of my placement, I had experienced many aspects of the Infrastructure department: first-line support, third-line support, maintenance and projects. I had enjoyed them all and built strong relationships within each area. So, when it came to the end of my time here, I didn’t want to leave and knew I wanted to continue my professional career at Baillie Gifford, luckily, I am now back as a graduate.