My Story which leads me to a Digital Marketer-
My name is Hadeeka, and I will be summing up my story of how I landed a digital marketing apprenticeship for one of the leading media companies in the world and why I chose to go down this route. I’m sure most of you would agree that growing up we are taught the norm is finishing college / doing A-levels and going to university to become a graduate. Growing up I was never made aware that there are alternative routes after finishing school instead of the traditional route of university. Due to this, I applied for a place in university, alongside most of the rest of my year group. Having attended all my interviews, I realised this isn’t for me. I would much rather do something which will give me hands-on experience, a salary, and the opportunity to learn while I work!
I knew there wasn’t much representation of apprenticeships and when I was doing my research I came across an article on the UCAS website which said, “A third of students and only half in colleges said that they were not told about apprenticeships, despite there being a legal requirement placed on schools to do so” I hope this changes and more people are made aware of the opportunities available to them. Doing an apprenticeship was one of the most rewarding experiences, and I couldn’t recommend it enough!
After School, decided to take a gap year and during this time have done a lot of research to see what else is out there. I came across the apprenticeship network website and found heaps of information about apprenticeships and all the different courses available. The selling point for me was that if I chose to do this not only will I be earning a qualification but also a competitive salary! I spent hours reading through the blogs and there was nothing but positive feedback. I was so quick to press the sign-up button and ready to find my dream job.
Marketing has always interested me and I am a very creative person, so when I saw that digital marketing was a course that is offered, I knew this was for me. I assumed finding and getting accepted for an apprenticeship would be extremely difficult and competitive, however, I was able to; sign up, create my account, got offered multiple interviews, and got a job all in the space of 2 months! This all wouldn’t have been possible without the endless support I received from the team at apprentice network team from the get-go.
I am now 10 months into my apprenticeship and now only have 2 months to go, this really has been the best experience and I wouldn’t miss it if I was you! Below I have listed the main benefits of being an apprentice from my personal experience.
5 Benefits of being an apprentice:
- Able to gain hands-on experience whilst you work alongside a team of experienced professionals
- You are eligible for student discount, entitled to an NUS student discount card which offers deals across many restaurants, shops, gyms and so much more!
- You will be getting paid a competitive salary to learn and will be gaining an industry-recognised qualification (between 17-25K!)
- There are a range of careers to choose from and go into and even more, are being introduced
- This is an opportunity to improve your employability
- You will be able to enjoy your holidays – receive all employer benefits
- Benefit from ongoing and personalised support
- Develop your skills
