Harry Squire, Member of the UK Cyber Security Council Youth Advisory Panel

Three years ago, I started my cyber security college course. After just a couple of weeks, I realised this was the career I wanted to pursue. Like many students, I wasn't entirely sure what my future would look like, but I knew I wanted to build a career in the field. When I first started cyber security, I had no idea how big the profession was, more specifically how many careers came under one umbrella. In this blog, I will dive into the lessons that I have learnt in year one of my Cyber Security Degree Apprenticeship.

Rewind to Christmas 2023. After hundreds of part-time job applications, I had a call from ASDA. They had accepted my application for a seasonal sales assistant, at the time it wasn’t the money that was the goal. It was something far more important, and that leads me on to lesson one.

Lesson 1: You don't need to know everything before you start 

You’re probably thinking, what could be more important than cash from a part-time job? My answer to that is getting your foot in the door, having something to write on your CV, and most importantly obtaining soft skills. As an apprentice, you are not expected to know everything. In fact, during the interview for my current company, one of the first things they made clear was this, “You do not need extensive security knowledge, we can teach you that. What you do need is the soft skills to learn and communicate effectively”. That sentence stuck and made me more eager to go out and do my best. Apprentices are there to ask questions, make mistakes and continuously improve.

One of my favourite parts of being an apprentice is being surrounded by experienced people. Learning practical skills from co-workers while studying the theory at university creates a strong balance. You can learn the theory one week and the next put it into practice, making it more likely to stick. After two weeks in my apprenticeship I realised my first lesson, nobody expected me to know everything - they expected me to be willing to learn.

Lesson 2: The soft skills nobody warns you about 

During the first few months of my apprenticeship, I realised how important soft skills are, and that nobody explicitly mentions them. Looking back, my Christmas job taught me far more than I realised at the time. It built the skills nobody talks about; communication, teamwork, time management, organisation and note-taking. Those same skills carried straight into my apprenticeship.

When I first started my apprenticeship, I quickly realised I would rely on my calendar, communicate constantly, and take notes every day. A few days into my apprenticeship came my second lesson - work experience, part-time jobs and saying yes to opportunities is just as important as technical knowledge and should not be forgotten.

Lesson 3: Say yes before you feel ready

Four months ago, I joined the UK Cyber Security Council’s Youth Advisory Panel as a marketing and social media representative. It quickly became apparent that there would be many opportunities to contribute, such as webinars, blog writing and getting involved with social media content. Whilst I was abroad, I received an email mentioning there was space for one more speaker at Infosecurity Europe, London. I put myself forward, I said yes. A few weeks later something unexpected happened, I got accepted as a speaker.

Was I ready?

Had I ever done anything like this before?

Would I mess up?

These were all questions running through my head. The honest answers? I hadn't done it before, I might have made mistakes, but I said yes anyway. The day came, 3rd June 2026. I sat on the train scribbling notes and thinking of what I could say. The questions got louder in my head, but when I sat down on that seat, with everyone watching, I quickly realised what a big opportunity this was. At first, I was nervous, but after 10 minutes I was loving it, and having done it once I would do it again. That is lesson three – every one of the opportunities I talk about in this blog came from saying yes before feeling 100% ready.

Lesson 4: Your career grows outside of work too

Your apprenticeship does not finish once you’ve finished work. In fact, some of my biggest opportunities came from things I chose to do outside of my job. Take volunteering with the UK Cyber Security Council as an example, without this opportunity I wouldn’t be writing this blog, I wouldn’t have spoken at Infosecurity Europe, and I wouldn’t have contributed to a webinar.

When I was 16, I stood in London with my mum at a cyber security event, dressed smart-casual and eager to get in. When I walked through those doors I realised I was the youngest person there. It would have been easy to convince myself I didn't belong. That felt challenging because I knew networking was important for building my presence, but I did not know where to begin. Looking back, I realise that if you are already in the room, you are off to a great start, whether you are the youngest person there or the least experienced.

The same concepts apply to starting a LinkedIn, creating a home lab, and studying towards certifications. And that is lesson four – your career grows outside of work too.

What I'd tell myself on day one

If I could speak to myself on day one of my apprenticeship, I would tell myself not to worry about knowing everything straight away. You are not there to be perfect; you are there to learn, ask questions and improve each week. Technical knowledge will come with time, but the soft skills you build along the way will matter just as much. Communicating clearly, managing your time, taking notes and being willing to learn are the things that will help you settle in and make the most of every opportunity.

I would also tell myself to say yes before feeling completely ready. Some of the biggest moments in my first year came from putting myself forward, even when I was nervous or unsure. Your career will grow through the opportunities you take, the people you meet and the confidence you build outside your comfort zone.

Conclusion

If there is one thing I have learnt in my first year as a Cyber Security Degree Apprentice, it is that an apprenticeship is what you make of it. Every apprenticeship will look different, and there will be difficult days where you feel unsure, nervous or out of your depth. But there will also be incredible opportunities, moments that build your confidence, and experiences that shape the direction of your career. Success is not about knowing everything from day one; it is about being willing to keep learning, ask questions, take feedback and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.

I chose a degree apprenticeship as I wanted to earn while I learnt and gain practical experience from day one. Looking back, being able to apply what I learnt at university directly into the workplace has been one of the biggest advantages.

If someone had told me three years ago that I would be working in a Security Operations Centre, speaking at Infosecurity Europe and writing this blog for the UK Cyber Security Council, I would not have believed them. The biggest lesson I have learnt is that your career is not defined by where you start, it is shaped by every opportunity you are willing to take.