My Experience as an Apprentice

Now, I’m sure you all know that stage where you can’t find a job?

Or even the stage where you have had enough of your job and want a new one?

Yes?

Well that was the position I was in.

When I first worked in retail and yeah it’s okay and everything and a great way of earning some extra money whilst at college, but I was just so bored of leaving college at 3:30 on a weekday then having to be at work 5-9. I know it’s only 4 hours but it’s one of those where you just don’t want to go, the journey there is horrible and that feeling you get just before you walk in, I’m sure you have all experienced that.

Swiftly moving on, I remember coming home and my mom had mentioned starting an apprenticeship and I thought I’d do a little research, anyhow I went to the Sunemployment Roadshow in Edgbaston and the only thing I was interested in was the apprenticeship scheme, I loved the fact that you can get paid for learning. I’ve always stuck by the quote “Find a job you like and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” I have stuck by this quote ever since I came across it. I registered on the apprenticeship website and applied for multiple positions and I had an interview for a graphic design company, I was really happy that I got an interview but something just didn’t feel right at all. I went for the interview and I thought it went really well, but it didn’t as I didn’t get a second interview.

The other apprenticeships I applied for were other graphics design positions and also a social media apprentice. At the time I wasn’t’t really concerned which one I got as I just wanted a change and I wanted something to kick start my career of. I got a screening for the social media position and I was psyched that I got it. Anyway, I had the screening and it went really well, I was nervous but on the other hand I had a really good feeling. I got a call back and they asked me to come for a proper interview, I was over the moon. When the date arrived I went for the interview, turned up nearly half an hour early and you know that feeling where you’re waiting for your interview? Time goes by insanely slow. Moving on, I got a call on the 15^th August 2013 and I got the job, the start date was the 19^th and I was so happy.

When I started I literally had no idea what social media even meant, all I could think of was Twitter & Facebook… I was wrong… Very wrong. Social media isn’t just ticking boxes it’s a way of doing business.

And to this day I have learnt so much, I have built my LinkedIn profile, generated leads and I even have my own business cards. Now I never would have thought that I would have even had my own business cards let alone my own desk. An apprenticeship has made me understand and even realise the advantages of doing an apprenticeship scheme, referring back to my quote “Find a job you like and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” I don’t work a day in my life, this isn’t a 9-5 job, it’s a lifestyle and I love what I do. I chose this route over university and boy am I glad I did. The difference between university is, at university you pay to learn where as an apprenticeship scheme you get paid to learn…  in an apprentice you get a qualification and an 85% chance that you will stay in employment and also a 64% chance that you will stay with your current employer. Whereas at university you have a 50% chance of getting a job in something that you have a degree in… Now that’s silly… You pay to learn something for 2-4 years at university and you have a 50% chance of getting a job, or you can start an apprentice like I did and not know anything about it all, and you can get paid for it…

That’s why I chose an apprenticeship.

If you would like to follow the path I took, there are 10 social media apprenticeships available now in Birmingham. For more information please click here.

By Luke Priest

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