Two weeks into his new role at Allianz, we caught up with Dale to hear all about the onboarding experience so far and find out what inspired him to move on from his career in the Army and start a career in Information Security.

Firstly, can you tell us a bit about your previous career in the Army?
Why did you decide to leave the Army for a role in Information Security?
Can you talk us through the retraining process?
How did you find a role at Allianz?
"I started applying for jobs early on, before I’d even finished the course because, at the very least, I was keen to get some interview experience. I applied for the first job that got announced on the CAPSLOCK jobs board - Information Security Education and Communication Analyst at Allianz - and my career mentor agreed it sounded like a great match for me.
As soon as I had my first chat with the Allianz team, I was confident that the job sounded great and that I’d be looked after. I explained my background to them and they were very reassuring in terms of the support and development opportunities on offer at Allianz and how they’d help me transition into the industry. As I moved through the interview phase, people development and the importance of individuals kept coming up. That's something that I firmly believe in so I knew we shared the same ethos. The fact that I was shown I’d be supported and given opportunities to develop and shine, meant a lot to me.
I was offered the job but still had to finish my course. With my ideal job in the bag already, my attention was 100% focused on making sure I got the most out of the course in terms of what I needed to learn for my new role. And that’s what I did until I joined Allianz."
Why did you choose to work at Allianz?
How has the virtual onboarding experience been for you?
"Allianz has placed a real importance on making me feel included since day one. I was actually in the office for my first two days as the team thought it would be beneficial to meet everyone in person for my induction - which it really was. We went out as a team at lunch and just got to know each other a bit better. They made me feel part of the team right away.
Since then, I’ve been working from home. I’m just trying to absorb as much as I can as quickly as I can - asking lots of questions and adapting. Everyone’s been very understanding that, having been doing something completely different for the last 12 years, it’s all alien to me. I’ve been assisted but I’ve not been spoon-fed - and I know the door is always open if I need anything."