Name: Ruth
Company: DWP Digital
Job Title: IT Service Manager
Ruth is an IT Service Manager; her journey has taken her from early self-doubt to completing her apprenticeship with a distinction. She is now thriving in her role, contributing to critical services and supporting new apprentices.
How did you get into your current role?
I had never worked in tech before, but when I spotted an apprenticeship opportunity at DWP Digital, something clicked, it felt like exactly the step I needed to make a real change.
I wanted a role where I could bring together that growing curiosity and the skills I'd built up over the years. IT Service Management felt like the perfect blend, translating business needs into digital services that actually work for people.
DWP Digital stood out for its reputation for strong apprenticeship programmes and a genuinely supportive, inclusive culture. As someone managing a chronic illness, flexibility and understanding are important and DWP Digital offered that environment.
Finding out I was successful genuinely changed my life. I joined the Debt Live Support team in March 2024, learning on the job while working towards my qualification. The apprenticeship gave me the technical foundation I needed, helping me transition from someone with no tech background to a digital professional.
What made you want to become an IT Service Manager?
It’s a role that combines analytical thinking, people skills and problem-solving. It's about making sure digital services genuinely meet user needs. I loved the idea of being at the heart of that, taking business objectives and turning them into reliable, accessible services.
What does a typical day look like?
No two days are the same, which suits me perfectly. My team manages critical services that are central to how customers interact with DWP.
On an incident management week, my day might start at 7:30am with checks to make sure everything is running smoothly. From there I move on to tasks like file transfers and managing incidents which could be anything from a straightforward password reset to a complex incident requiring coordination across multiple teams and fast decision-making.
Other days I might be handling internal queries, access requests or documentation.
Do you have a favourite part of the job?
The collaboration. I love working with people across so many different teams. Whether it's an incident, a new piece of guidance, or continuous improvement work, the level of teamwork here is remarkable.
What do you enjoy most about working at DWP Digital?
DWP Digital is always evolving, looking for better ways to serve customers and colleagues. I love being part of a culture that genuinely encourages innovation, improvement and learning.
The investment in development is amazing, whether that's through apprenticeships, or wider career progression routes. As someone who felt quite lost in my twenties, finding an organisation that believes in you and actively supports your growth has been transformative.
I feel a huge sense of gratitude for finding the right place to grow my career at this stage in my life. DWP Digital has given me the belief, support, and opportunity to build a future I didn’t think was possible.
What's your proudest achievement so far?
The project I completed as part of my apprenticeship end-point assessment stands out. One of our legacy services wasn't fully accessible for colleagues using assistive technologies. As someone who understands deeply why accessibility matters, I wanted to make a difference.
I designed and ran a survey campaign, gathered user feedback, replicated the issues, worked directly with affected colleagues, and helped identify workable interim solutions ahead of a longer-term cloud-based fix. My team has now decided to run the survey annually. Knowing I improved someone's day-to-day working life means everything to me.
Completing my apprenticeship with a distinction was also an incredible moment and proof of how far I'd come.
What challenges have you faced, and how have you dealt with them?
When I first joined, I put enormous pressure on myself. Coming from outside the Civil Service, with no IT background, imposter syndrome hit hard.
The key was learning to slow down, trust the process, and be patient with myself. My confidence grew as experience built up, and I realised I didn't need to know everything immediately. The support from my team and mentor helped me push through the self-doubt.
What support is available?
My manager gave me encouragement and opportunities to take on projects that stretched my skills in the best way. My team have been very patient, to the point where I became known as the "question queen" because I never stopped asking, and they never once made me feel like I couldn't.
My apprenticeship mentor was brilliant too, especially during my end-point assessment. She helped me prepare, kept me grounded when the nerves kicked in, and was there every step of the way.
Now that I’ve completed my apprenticeship, I’m a mentor supporting new apprentices, helping them prepare for their assessments, building their confidence, and giving back the guidance that made such a difference to me.
What skills help make an IT Service Manager successful?
- Adaptability as every day brings something new, and you need to adjust quickly.
- Initiative as you have to be willing to step forward, get involved and learn by doing.
- Curiosity, especially when you're starting out, asking questions is essential.
- Calmness under pressure as incidents can escalate fast, and a steady head helps everyone around you.
- Communication and collaboration as you work across many teams, so strong people skills are vital.
- Problem-solving for troubleshooting technical issues to helping colleagues navigate challenges.
What have you learned since joining?
Being able to explain complex work clearly, in my second language, is something I'm particularly proud of.
On a personal level, I've learned that it's never too late to change direction. I'm genuinely grateful that DWP Digital has given me the space, the opportunity and the belief to build a career I'm proud of.
Thank you Ruth!
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