Christopher Derrien
Christopher Derrien
Being a student at Derby allowed for much more than just obtaining a degree. The personal development obtained from living away from home is as valuable as the degree itself.
”Christopher Derrien is 23 and from Jersey. He studied BSc (Hons) Networks and Security and won the Arthur Ashby Award in 2010. This award is given to the student who best illustrates an innovative approach to a business problem, leading to a practical solution, through their final dissertation.
Why IT, and why Derby?
My beginnings in IT revolved around my grandads brand new Commodore Amiga 500 and, a couple of years later, my very own Intel 486 PC.
I quickly began to be immersed in the early stages of my IT learning, exerting a keen personal requirement to understand what made these PCs tick, and how.
After leaving school I spent a gap year working at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in Jersey. This certainly taught me a few things and made me realise what career I wanted. Having the lowest level of network access frustrated me, as did not being able to fix my own IT problems. I envied those in the IT department, many of whom had undertaken a degree in some IT related subject - and so I concluded this must be the path to follow.
About the degree
The course appealed to me not only because it was it structured around networking - an area in which I had most interest - but it also closely followed the Cisco CCNA which is a highly valued professional industry standard qualification. The degree would place me well in the industry and then give me a very good groundwork for entering the IT sector.
The structure of the degree was brilliant, beginning on the core networking principles in the first and second years and then working up towards a more upper level approach such as IT project management and network management during the final year.
The course also took me through a bit of a rollercoaster ride through the world of programming. It was challenging but the knowledge I gained through the programming modules has helped after my degree.
University life
Being a student at Derby allowed for much more than just obtaining a degree. The personal development obtained from living away from home is as valuable as the degree itself. I have also made a great number of lifelong friends whom I will always keep in touch.
Being on placement
By far the most valued part of my degree was my work placement. I worked as a Trainee Network Administrator, at a small Jersey-based firm named iConsult. My work experience at iConsult allowed me to work in various networking environments both on my own and in a team where required.
iConsult is a young forward facing company which offers small to medium businesses a hosted cloud based IT solution. The experience, understanding and knowledge gained from working with this system allowed me to develop a good understanding of the cloud area. From working with customers I could understand the pitfalls and benefits that this new technology had to offer. I took this knowledge forward to my dissertation where I discussed cloud computing and its feasibility in contrast to the traditional in-house client-server model. The skills and knowledge gained during my placement placed me in great standing after my degree.
How my degree has helped me get the job I want
I am now employed at Jersey Telecom as a Trainee Information Systems Administrator. Working in a team of five, we are responsible for the configuration and maintenance of over 100 core servers and key systems. I will also be studying towards my Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) qualifications.
The knowledge I gained from university helps me in this role. From the core networking principles through programming and up to the legal and managerial aspects of IT, every aspect of my degree comes in use.
Winning the award
I am so appreciative and honoured to receive the Arthur Ashby Award as an indication of all the work I have conducted as a student at Derby. I would like to say thank you to everyone, both staff and students, for helping me in my studies and for the fantastic time and experience I gained while being a student.
