Many people don’t know exactly what an apprenticeship is. This is causing them to miss out on opportunities to learn and earn while getting on the career ladder. I’m going to explain what an apprenticeship is, how I got mine, and tips I recommend to you.
As we know, many jobs want people to have experience already, which is not the case for many. Apprenticeships allow you to get a job without knowledge as you learn various skills while working on and off the job. Going into my role, I had no idea how to use Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and managing multiple projects under strict deadlines. However, since doing my apprenticeship, I’ve learnt these skills and feel very comfortable using these in my day-to-day responsibilities. There are many types of apprenticeships at various companies. For example, Software Engineering at Facebook or Digital Marketing at Google. These top companies have seen the way apprenticeships help the apprentice themselves and the company grow, which is why it could be the option for you!
Apprenticeships last around a year but can vary based on the type of apprenticeship you are doing. For example, Degree apprenticeships last up to 4 years. You also get support throughout the duration of your apprenticeship with coaches and regular learning sessions, where questions can be asked. At the start of my apprenticeship, I had a 6-week training session to help me learn some of the skills needed and transition into my role more manageable. I also had sessions throughout my apprenticeship on topics such as Coding and Digital Marketing. You are also part of an apprentice community where you can make friends and participate in events.
From my personal experience, apprenticeships are something I will always advocate. After finishing A levels, I knew University wasn’t the option I wanted to pick. However, I didn’t know exactly what an apprenticeship was and how I could get into my desired field. After deciding I didn’t want to go to University, I started researching more. Which is something I would recommend everyone do. Research allows you to make informed decisions and even helps you decide what career path you want to go into. With my research, I narrowed my interest to digital marketing and started learning more about it to make sure it was what I wanted to do. It was something I loved! I applied for only digital marketing roles, which also helped me nail my interviews. I finally landed a role in a marketing agency!
I am now near the end of my apprenticeship and can say I have learnt so much. Alongside the training portion, where 20% of my time goes, I have enjoyed the work portion. When I first joined, I was given time to train and get used to the role. Then as I grew confident, I was given more responsibility and the ability to take ownership of the role.
My recommendation for you before takes the leap into starting an apprenticeship.
- Research what careers interest you. As it will be what you are doing for the duration of your apprenticeship.
- Do some learning on the career you want to go into. This will help you in the interviews. There are many recourses for all careers on platforms like Google, YouTube & Websites. For Digital Marketing, I did the Google marketing course.
- Be open-minded and patient; this is a learning session for you.
