As we all know, apprenticeships are the unconventional route of post-16 or post-18 studies, but this shouldn’t mean that you miss out on key information that is necessary to your journey as an apprentice.
With universities, the roadmap to apply is clear; you create your UCAS account, write your personal statement and start applying to universities of your choice. This isn’t the case when applying for apprenticeships.
The first difference is that you do not need to write a personal statement, in fact you will need to write an engaging and intriguing CV, and in some cases a Cover Letter. This does still mean that you need to ensure you have meaningful work experience, grades to back up your chosen career and extracurricular activities to show your enthusiasm. So, the first step, before even applying, is to ensure you have everything meaningful listed on your CV and to proof-read it, to ensure it is written to the best of your ability.
After this, is when you can start applying…
To apply, it is not the same conventional route as if you were going to universities.
For big firms such as Deloitte, Vodafone, EY and so on, applications open around October/November time (please check their respective websites to obtain actual dates). This is because for the larger firms there are cohort intakes each September (like university) and in most cases, the assessment process is much more intense, with the candidate having to sit assessments and interviews to reach the final stage. This means that if you are looking to apply to a larger firm, then you should be preparing your CV and interview techniques in August, in preparation for applying through September- October.
For much smaller firms, the applications for their apprenticeships are open throughout the summer, normally after you have finished your GCSEs or A-Levels. This is due to the shorter assessment process. This means that the right candidate has to be reactionary and constantly trawling job sites to look for the perfect apprenticeship. There are benefits of joining a smaller firm, as in most cases you are given more responsibility in your job role, so you can learn more about the job.
In conclusion, when applying for apprenticeships you have to be very independent, as you are most likely in your school not guided through the process like if you were applying for university. So to ensure you journey as an apprentice is as successful as possible, keep on top of job sites such as gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship and springpod.com and if you are looking to join a big firm, get your application in early, as in some cases you have to apply before the university students!
Remember, competition is big, but be yourself and you will flourish.
