GSAP? What’s that? GSAP stands for Global Services Associate Program. So let’s break that down. As a GSAP you will be a Technical Support Engineer (TSE) for one of Dell EMC’s products from their suite of industry-leading business solutions for large multinational company’s worldwide ranging from government agency central banks to Disney Pixar Nickelodeon to Sony.

The 24

The first day of GSAP begins with 23 other graduates to commence your eight-week bootcamp. The bootcamp is loads of fun and very educational from a number of different aspects, it can also be intense at times as there is a huge amount of material to get through. This intensity helps you strive for success, and hey who doesn’t love a bit of a challenge! As a reward for getting through this large volume of information you also get certified in an industry-wide recognised exam, the ISM [Information Storage and Management].

More importantly, you learn about yourself and your peers along the way. The vast social network that you build with your program peers stands by you as you move into your role as a TSE in the company, one of the most outstanding aspects of joining a large multinational company. Not many people get an opportunity to learn what it is like to work with so many surprisingly different products while at one company. Through the GSAP program, members of two completely different teams can collaborate and win together.

The People, the Team

After you finish bootcamp it’s time to move on to your new team. I found this scary at first as I had a few personal doubts.  Do I have what it takes? Am I capable? Will I fit in with the team? Will I understand the technology? In reality, it was actually fairly easy and the team made me feel comfortable. Right away you will be introduced to your mentor who is your go-to person until you feel more comfortable to reach out to more members of the team. This allows you time to figure out who’s who and where to go when you have a question about something in particular.

If you ask me one of the best things about my life as a GSAP is the people I have met along the way! I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with my team who are all very helpful. They don’t help because they have to, they help because they want to. This is part of the culture code at Dell EMC!

Winning together: We believe in and value our people. We perform better, are smarter, and have more fun working as a team than as individuals.

Work / Life Balance

I work on a shift rotation which allows me to see my family and friends regularly even though they live at the far side of the country. I also like the fact that I can attend the gym in the evenings and get it out of the way early then have the evening to myself to wind down and chill out with my friends, play some games, play some guitar and watch some TV.

Career Opportunities and Training & Development

In Dell EMC there are ample opportunities for training in areas that you are interested in. If you feel you are more skilled in an area and feel this is your best route to go you will be encouraged to pursue it. Alternatively, if you feel weak in a skill set, you are given the opportunity to change that. These are all opportunities that are possible. If you have drive and commitment, the opportunities are there.

Company Culture / Values

One of the things that I love about working for Dell EMC is the commitment to the community. As part of a global GSAP initiative the Cork GSAP’s raised €485 for Laura Lynn Hospice with a cake sale.

We also raised money for our partner charity, Barnardos, and designed a golf hole that was really fun and for an amazing cause! I even did a round of the golf myself and our team won!

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the bootcamp experience and love my position on the Isilon Support Team where I feel valued and can continue to broaden my knowledge of the IT sector. This is all thanks to the team and management of the GSAP.