Billy Holbrook was an intern at GÉANT from June 2023 - June 2024.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF
I grew up in Yorkshire and Northumberland, and spent most of my childhood in a little town called Alnwick, which is famous for the Harry Potter castle! I’m studying Computer Networking at Sheffield Hallam University, and in September 2024 I started my third year after completing my internship at GÉANT.
During my time at sixth form I worked at McDonalds, which was a very different experience to working in the GÉANT Operations Centre! I hadn't heard of GÉANT before, and was surprised to find out they supply eduroam at my university!
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT GÉANT PROVIDING INTERNSHIPS?
At university we have a platform called ‘Handshake’ which enables employers to reach out to the university to select potential interns. This process is much simpler than trying to find internships through job listings. I applied for the Operations Centre intern role through this platform, and two weeks later I had my first interview! This interview was online with HR, and my second one took place at the office with Tony Barber, Head of the GÉANT Operations Centre. This was more of a technical interview, where I was asked to describe and “teach” various networking concepts. A few weeks later I received a call to say my application was successful!
“There is a huge element of trust among colleagues and managers. I felt respected and recognised for my talents, and privileged to be provided with the opportunity to work alongside intelligent and highly skilled individuals.”
WHAT DID YOUR FIRST FEW WEEKS AT GÉANT LOOK LIKE?
My first few weeks consisted of inductions with colleagues from different departments. I found this really helpful as it gave me a good insight into how all of the departments collaborate with each other. I also had a one to one with the CEO Erik Huizer, which gave me the chance to introduce myself, and learn more about him and the organisation.
Even though my internship was just for a year, I was still entitled to many of the employee benefits - such as the pension and private healthcare schemes, and the generous holiday entitlement!
When I started I was slightly worried I would feel a divide between myself and the rest of the team, as I am younger and less experienced, however, I was made to feel very welcome from day one.
WHAT WERE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN INTERN?
I was pleasantly surprised about the level of responsibility I was given. A stereotypical concept of an intern is that they are just a temporary addition to the team, there to be given easy tasks - but that certainly wasn't the case at GÉANT! I enjoyed working in the Operations Centre as it’s the first point of contact with customers who have issues or concerns, meaning I did a lot of troubleshooting.
I'm grateful for the number of learning opportunities that GÉANT provided. Alongside on the job training, I completed the Juniper JNCIA certification, and the RIPE NCC BGP Security Associate certification, which tied in with the areas of the network that I was responsible for maintaining and upgrading. I was also given a Juniper Learning account so I could complete courses in my own time.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT WORKING AT GÉANT?
There is a huge element of trust among colleagues and managers. I felt respected and recognised for my talents, and privileged to be provided with the opportunity to work alongside intelligent and highly skilled individuals. I have a good understanding of my specialised subject and area of work, and I loved working with people with similar interests - it’s important to work with people who genuinely take the time to understand you.
DID YOU JOIN ANY SOCIAL EVENTS AT GÉANT?
I participated in a GÉANT cricket match which was good fun considering I knew nothing about the sport! After work one evening a group of us played a match which provided a chance to socialise with different colleagues. It was a great opportunity for me to show off my poor cricket skills… and I got to keep the ball at the end!
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
One option is to complete a Master’s degree in Advance Computer Networking. However, after speaking to previous GÉANT interns who returned after graduating to work here permanently, I would definitely be interested in approaching GÉANT about a suitable role once I've graduated.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WONDERING IF LIFE AT GÉANT IS FOR THEM?
Talk to someone who has been here! Reach out! People at GÉANT are always happy to offer advice and support. Whether that be with something work related, or with anything else (such as the rules of cricket!).
TNC
The largest and most prestigious research and education networking conference, TNC attracts a diverse audience of over 800 participants from more than 70 countries, representing national and regional research and education networks, schools, universities, technology providers and exciting scientific projects.
FUTURE TALENT PROGRAMME
The Future Talent Programme’s Lightning Talk Challenge offers students and young professionals the opportunity to present their project or idea to TNC’s international audience. Nominated by GÉANT project partners, participants receive training to help them master presentation skills and prepare to deliver an impactful talk.
Billy presented a Lightning Talk - "The cryptographic keys to a safer internet: the RPKI Revolution" - at TNC24, as part of GÉANT's Future Talent Programme.
ABOUT BILLY
After joining his university sailing club on a whim, Billy is now passionate about sailing, and enjoys the rush from leaning over the side of a dinghy in 30 mph winds! Billy races against other universities in nationwide events, and even owns a little boat!
Life @ GÉANT
