My First Week as an Apprentice

To begin with I would just like to share with you all I am sat writing this on my new laptop at my first very own office desk (hooray)! My first week here at Professional Apprenticeships as the new Digital Marketing apprentice has gone by in a flash; experiencing everything from meeting the office dog to trying out the McDonald’s milkshake TikTok trend (I’d recommend!), hoping this would cool us down from the heat. I’m writing this blog in hope to give you all an insight into an apprentice’s life and how I got to where I am today.

A bit about me…

I have always lived in a house which has been very business orientated as both of my parents were originally accountants, however I quickly learned that Maths wasn’t my strongest subject and therefore I wouldn’t be following in my parent’s footsteps. I was encouraged to take GCSE Business, which I did, and quickly discovered my natural ability and passion for the subject.  Although I was predicted an A* as my final exam result and had been achieving this throughout the three years of practice papers, when it came to the actual exam, I only achieved a B. This was a big setback for me at the time but I wasn’t going to be defeated, so decided to enrol myself onto a Level 3 Business Diploma course at Bridgwater college. The next two years of learning and gaining vital work experience allowed me to achieve my recent results of Distinction*, (equivalent to 3 A*).

What has it been like?

2020, and Coronavirus happened and impacted us all! I knew I wanted an apprenticeship specifically in marketing so began my search on job sites like Indeed applying for numerous apprenticeships; alongside this I sent out a letter to local businesses asking for free work experience. Given the circumstances, a global pandemic, came lots of rejection and even no replies; but amongst all the doom and gloom I found Professional Apprenticeships, ready to help.

After a handful of emails and Zoom calls with Professional Apprenticeships I was made aware of the Digital Marketing apprenticeship vacancy the business had, I knew after months of searching that this vacancy wouldn’t hang around for long so went for it… An interview later and here I am, I’ve just landed my first ever apprenticeship.

It is fair to say the early mornings and getting back into a routine has taken some getting used to, especially after the lockdown lie-ins! Of course, starting every new job comes reading and setting up but already this week I’ve been able to get hands on and creative. You’re probably wondering if you are expected to have an extensive amount of knowledge and skill when you walk into the role. I can confirm you don’t, that’s the beauty of an apprenticeship, you’ll constantly be learning on the job. I’ve already had lots of support from the whole team, working closely with individuals from both recruitment and marketing. Both departments came together to work alongside a videographer, with some aspiring apprentices on set for an applicant spotlight. Ben, the marketing exec, and myself planned out a social media content calendar to help come up with initial content ideas. Some of these I then created using Canva (a content creator) and even scheduled for them to be published using Planable (social media management tool).

My plans for the future

The future looks bright… I believe I have joined Professional Apprenticeships at a very good time as they’re a small business which are continuously growing, this means their marketing will grow and increase too; I’m looking forward to be able to be a part of this and help shape their future.

End career goal: Marketing Director. This overall goal is a little way down the line, but I’m going to continue working hard, strengthening the skills and knowledge I have already gained and hope to continue to learn and grow my skill set and knowledge. I’m going to do this through completing this apprenticeship and hopefully moving onto a higher/degree level apprenticeship.

If you are interested in starting an apprenticeship, check out our vacancies here.

Alternatively please call on 0117 422 4000.

Or email: info@professionalapprenticeships.co.uk