Seeking an apprenticeship · Toulouse & across France

Infrastructure, Networking & Security.

2nd-year student in the BTS SIO (SISR track), a two-year French IT degree roughly equivalent to a U.S. associate degree. I'm seeking a paid work-study apprenticeship during the final year of a bachelor's degree (Licence Pro or L3) in infrastructure, systems and networking. I already run a physical and real personal infrastructure: an HP ProLiant server on Proxmox VE, up 24/7 and reachable only over a Tailscale VPN. My long-term goal is to move into cloud engineering and cybersecurity, ideally in an international environment.

Schedule an interview Explore my labs LinkedIn profile

// Target environments: aerospace & defense (Airbus, Thales), IT services & consulting (Sopra Steria, CGI, Capgemini), cyber defense (Orange Cyberdefense).

bash - root@homelab
▸ Seeking a Bachelor's-Level ApprenticeshipInfrastructure • Cloud • CybersecurityToulouse • Opportunities Across France
01

Expertise

Two areas of focus: building infrastructure, then monitoring and securing it.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Building segmented foundations with secure remote access.

  • → Virtualization and containerization with Proxmox VE and Docker.
  • → Routing and switching (Cisco NetAcad, VLANs, trunking).
  • → Firewalls and remote access (pfSense, OPNsense, Tailscale, IPsec).
  • → Directory services with Active Directory: domain, GPOs, DNS/DHCP (see the AD Lab).

SECURITY & MONITORING

Limiting exposure and keeping visibility into what happens on the infrastructure: least privilege, segmentation, centralized logs.

  • → Centralized logging.
  • → Real-time monitoring with Grafana, Loki and Syslog.
  • → Secure web publishing behind reverse proxies (Nginx, Caddy).
  • → Events I follow: failed SSH logins, blocked traffic, application errors (see Monitoring).
02

Selected Projects

Environments I build and maintain in my homelab to practice real enterprise infrastructure problems.

[ COMPLETED ] // Operational projects
✓Homelab Infrastructure✓Active Directory Lab✓VPN Site-to-Site✓Monitoring & Logging✓Network Segmentation✓Docker Services✓OPNsense / pfSense

// Quick access: AD Lab · Homelab · Ongoing Improvements · Monitoring

Vintrack: Automation Project

View the architecture

Automation project hosted on Proxmox and deployed with Docker: Linux services, a PostgreSQL database, a Redis cache and remote access through Tailscale.

// Skills demonstrated: deploying Docker services, databases, networking, Linux administration.

Docker Proxmox VE PostgreSQL Redis Linux Tailscale

Multi-Site Network Lab

View the topology

A virtualized network spread across several sites: VLANs, inter-VLAN routing, firewall filtering and site-to-site traffic over an IPsec VPN.

// Skills demonstrated: segmentation, filtering, site-to-site VPN.

pfSense Cisco IOS VLAN & Trunking IPsec VPN

Log Monitoring & Centralization

View the pipeline

Logs from network devices and servers are centralized with Syslog and Loki and viewed in Grafana dashboards.

// Skills demonstrated: log centralization, monitoring, log analysis.

Grafana Loki Syslog Debian Linux
03

Active Directory Lab

A lab Active Directory domain: centralized identities, permissions and policies, following the principle of least privilege.

LAB SCOPE

  • → Deployment of Windows Server (AD DS, DNS, DHCP) on a Proxmox VM.
  • → Organizational Unit (OU) tree, accounts and groups, using the AGDLP model for permissions.
  • → GPOs (Group Policy): password policy, workstation restrictions, mapped network drives.
  • → Windows client machines joined to the domain and administered with PowerShell.
  • → Hardening: separate admin accounts, auditing of security events (4624, 4625, 4740).

// Next step: forward Windows events to the Loki / Grafana stack.

Windows Server Active Directory DNS / DHCP GPO PowerShell
Discuss this lab
// ad-structure.ps1
corp.lab
├─ OU=Utilisateurs    (Users)
│  ├─ OU=Direction    (Management)
│  └─ OU=Support-IT   (IT support)
├─ OU=Postes          (Workstations)
├─ OU=Serveurs        (Servers)
└─ OU=Groupes         (Groups)
   ├─ GG_Support_IT   (Global)
   └─ DL_Partage_RW   (Domain Local, share R/W)
PS> New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Serveurs" -Path "DC=corp,DC=lab"
PS> New-ADGroup -Name "GG_Support_IT" -GroupScope Global
PS> Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='Security';Id=4625} -MaxEvents 5
04

Homelab Infrastructure

My testing ground: a Proxmox VE server hosting my labs and services, reachable only over a Tailscale VPN.

root@SRV-PM: ~
root@SRV-PM:~# fastfetch
root@SRV-PM
───────────
OSProxmox VE 9.2.11
HostHP ProLiant ML150 G6
CPU2x Intel Xeon E5504
Memory25 GB
VirtualizationProxmox VE
Availability24/7
LocationSecured room · air-conditioned · controlled physical access
VPN AccessTailscale (only)
Exposed ports0 (no port open to the Internet)
MonitoringGrafana + Loki
ServicesAD · DNS · DHCP · Docker · Nginx · Caddy · PostgreSQL · Redis · OPNsense / pfSense

// Used daily for my personal projects.

// architecture.txt (simplified diagram)
Internet
   │
┌──┴─────────┐   IPsec    ┌────────────────┐
│  pfSense   ├────────────┤  Remote site   │
└──┬─────────┘            └────────────────┘
   │ trunk 802.1Q
┌──┴─────────┐
│ Switch     │
│ Cisco      │
└─┬──┬──┬──┬─┘
  │  │  │  │
  │  │  │  └─ VLAN MON  : Loki · Grafana · Syslog
  │  │  └──── VLAN LAB  : AD Lab · Network Lab
  │  └─────── VLAN SRV  : Docker · Nginx/Caddy · PostgreSQL · Redis
  └────────── VLAN MGMT : Proxmox VE (SRV-PM)

Tailscale: encrypted remote access (mesh)

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

  • Segmentation first

    One VLAN per purpose (management, servers, lab, monitoring), with filtering rules on the firewall.

  • Remote access without needless exposure

    Tailscale and IPsec handle remote administration and site-to-site links, instead of services exposed to the Internet.

  • Everything is observable

    Logs are centralized with Syslog and Loki and viewed in Grafana.

  • Virtualization and containers

    A Proxmox VE server, containerized services with Docker, published through Nginx or Caddy.

Proxmox VE pfSense Tailscale Docker Nginx / Caddy
04.1

Ongoing Improvements

The infrastructure keeps evolving: availability, redundancy and monitoring.

Active Directory Redundancy
[ IN PROGRESS ]

Adding a second domain controller to remove the directory's single point of failure.

Multi-Site Architecture
[ IN PROGRESS ]

Extending the inter-site lab, with sites linked by IPsec VPN.

Service Continuity
[ IN PROGRESS ]

Identifying critical services and what must stay available during an outage.

Monitoring Improvements
[ IN PROGRESS ]

Windows events into Loki / Grafana, plus more targeted alerts.

05

Monitoring & Logging

Collect logs, make them readable and spot abnormal behavior.

1. Sources

pfSense firewall, Linux servers, reverse proxies.

2. Collection

Centralized Syslog: a single entry point for all logs.

3. Storage

Loki indexes logs by label for fast queries.

4. Analysis

Grafana dashboards and alerts to visualize and respond.

EVENTS I FOLLOW

  • → Repeated failed SSH login attempts (brute force).
  • → Traffic blocked by pfSense, grouped by source.
  • → Application error spikes on Nginx and Caddy.
// queries.logql
# SSH failures over 5 minutes
count_over_time({job="sshd"} |= "Failed password" [5m])
# Hosts logging the most errors
topk(5, sum by (host) (rate({job="syslog"} |= "error" [5m])))
06

Certifications & Training

What I've completed, what I'm studying now, and the certifications I'm aiming for.

// COMPLETED CERTIFICATIONS & COURSES
ANSSI – SecNumacadémie

Online course from ANSSI, the French national cybersecurity agency: security awareness, operational security, best practices and digital risk management.

Introduction to the EBIOS Risk Manager Method

Fundamentals of risk analysis and threat management, using the risk-assessment method published by ANSSI.

CNIL – GDPR

Personal data protection and regulatory compliance, from the French data protection authority (CNIL).

GDPR Certificate of Completion

Data governance principles.

OpenClassrooms – Introduction to Cybersecurity

Overview of the threat landscape and how systems are defended.

OpenClassrooms – Python Programming Basics

Automation, scripting and programming logic.

// CURRENT STUDIES
BTS SIO – SISR track
[ IN PROGRESS ]

Two-year French higher-education diploma in IT, roughly equivalent to a U.S. associate degree: infrastructure, systems, networking, virtualization.

Cisco Networking Academy
[ IN PROGRESS ]

Routing, switching, VLANs, networking fundamentals.

// GOALS
Cisco CCNA
[ PRIORITY ]

Networking: routing, switching, VLANs.

CompTIA Security+

Cybersecurity fundamentals.

Microsoft SC-900

Security, compliance and identity fundamentals.

Cisco CCNP Enterprise
[ MID-TERM ]

Enterprise networking.

Infrastructure→Networking→Cloud→Security
07

Career Roadmap

A clear direction: start from infrastructure, move up to networking and then cloud, and secure everything I build.

  1. NOW

    BTS SIO SISR, 2nd year

    Strengthening my systems and networking foundations through hands-on labs: Active Directory, homelab, monitoring.

  2. NEXT STEP

    Infrastructure / Networking Apprenticeship

    Joining a team, in Toulouse or elsewhere in France, to learn on real systems: operations, incident handling, hardening and documentation.

  3. THEN

    Bachelor's Degree in Infrastructure or Cybersecurity

    Going deeper into networking and infrastructure security, and validating my skills with the CCNA, then Security+.

  4. THEN

    Cloud & Security

    Extending my infrastructure skills to cloud platforms and cloud security.

  5. LONG-TERM GOAL

    Moving into cloud engineering and cybersecurity

    Long-term goal: designing and securing cloud infrastructure, ideally in an international environment.

08

Background

Background and goals

I'm in the 2nd year of a BTS SIO (SISR track), a two-year French IT degree. I built my own homelab: a Proxmox VE server, VLANs, OPNsense and pfSense firewalls, a site-to-site IPsec VPN and Grafana / Loki monitoring.

I'm looking for a work-study apprenticeship at bachelor's level in infrastructure, systems or networking, with an interest in security and, later, cloud. I'm open to relocating for the right opportunity: my first choice is Toulouse, but I'm open to opportunities across France.

Outside the terminal, running my own micro-business (French micro-entrepreneur status) and leading a Scout pack (Meute Notre Dame La Réal) taught me project management, team leadership and real independence.

// profile.ts
const Anatole = {
status: "BTS SIO SISR, 2nd year (≈ US associate degree)",
targetRole: "Infrastructure & Networking apprenticeship",
locations: ["Toulouse", "France"],
nextStep: "Bachelor's in Infrastructure / Cybersecurity",
longTerm: "Cloud engineering & cybersecurity",
focus: "Infrastructure, Networking, Security"
};
09

Tech Stack

Linux
Debian
Docker
Bash
Grafana
OPNsense
Nginx
Windows Server
Proxmox VE
pfSense
Cisco
Active Directory
Tailscale
Loki
Syslog
10

Let's Talk About an Apprenticeship

I'm looking for a team that will support me on infrastructure, networking and security work. Here's what I can bring, depending on your environment.

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE
Airbus, Thales

Rigor, network segmentation and controlled remote access: habits I practice in my homelab.

IT SERVICES & CONSULTING
Sopra Steria, CGI, Capgemini

Technical versatility, fast ramp-up and the ability to adapt to a wide range of client environments.

CYBER DEFENSE
Orange Cyberdefense

An interest in monitoring and log analysis, practiced in my homelab with Loki and Grafana.

Email Anatole Request my CV View my LinkedIn

// No mail client? sabater.anatole.pro@gmail.com