Currently doing a business administration level 2 apprenticeship for The Apprenticeship Centre.
I decided that doing an apprenticeship would be the best option for me as would prefer to gain a qualification whilst gain valuable experience in the workplace.
I really believe this will help me become more successful in the future.
I finished school with 6 GCSE’s including Maths and English. I originally wanted to get into the law industry so, my first option was to do A-levels.
However, I was told that my GCSE grades were not good enough to complete the A-Levels I would need to do to pursue this career.
I then went to a career advisor within the college who recommended a college course for me and told me it would be my best option. I was unsure of the course as it was not what I wanted to do and three months in I decided it was not for me and dropped out of college.
Personally I found college quite boring as and it wasn’t full time. I had some days where I was only in for a few hours. This made me want to get a job alongside my course.
The problem was, I had no experience which made it hard to find jobs. I eventually ended up dropping out college and looking for a full-time job whilst I decided what I really wanted to do as a long-term career.
I managed to find a full-time job in sales and customer service. I did enjoy this job at first but then I started to realise that there was not much progression and ended up considering going back to college to complete another course but I knew that I wouldn’t enjoy the college environment and preferred a working.
I decided I was going to start looking at apprenticeships and made an account with The National Apprenticeship Website.
On this website you could look at vacancies for a specific industry and within a specific distance from your house.
I was determined to find an apprenticeship so every morning as I woke up, I would log on and look for new vacancies to make sure I was always one of the first to apply for new vacancies. This helps the employer know that you are pro-actively looking.
I also had a CV that I had access to constantly. This means I would be able to send my CV over as soon as it was requested. I made sure my CV reflected me in the best light as this is what the employer would initially judge me on. I made sure I had a personal statement followed by my skills and qualities. I also made sure I had all my GCSE grades on my CV and the school I went to, this also included my start and finish date so the employer would be able to know my age.
I also made sure any experience was on my CV, even my weeks work experience was on there.
I checked my emails constantly to make sure I was monitoring if anyone had emailed me about interviews or for any further information. I would also make sure I answered my phone to receive all phone calls, as these could be potential employers calling to arrange interviews. If I missed the calls, I would always make sure to phone them back as it could be important.
Applying for apprenticeships can be hard as there are many people applying, therefore it’s important to make sure that your CV and the answers you give when applying make you stand out and you draw positive attention to yourself.
I found it hard to find apprenticeships that I would enjoy within a reasonable travelling distance. However, I kept looking and managed to find an apprenticeship with The Apprenticeship Centre.
Now I am currently doing a business administration apprenticeship. This is one of the best decisions I have ever made as I am enjoying working here and everyone is friendly and helpful.
Part of my job is to screen other candidates for apprenticeships, so I now have experience from both sides. I know how it feels to look for an apprenticeship and going to interviews. I also now know what candidates look for and the best way to help yourself when becoming an apprentice.
Doing an apprenticeship is a great option if you want to start earning a wage and gain a formal qualification at the same time.
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