Last week it was my 2 year 'workaversary' (work + anniversary = workaversary... see what I did there!). I thought now would be the perfect time to write about why I chose an Apprenticeshop and try to (hopefully) help others make a decision if they weren't 100% sure on what to do...Enjoy, x
I never
intended to head off to university, I couldn't imagine LIVING anywhere but
Bristol, and when it came to Sixth Form in 2012 further education wasn't compulsory, which meant that I wasn't really bothered about taking on tricky
subjects for some extra points that I may (or may not) need for university. I
wanted to do subjects that I knew I would ENJOY, but I also just wanted to have
some fun with my friends (I had so much free time). I chose Media Studies,
English Language, Sociology and Btec Health & Social studies.
After
completing multiple mocks and my final year12 exams, I knew that 6th form
wasn't for me! The best result I achieved in an exam was a D... Did I really
want to come out of further education 2 years down the line with a grade D?
Absolutely not! So this is around the time I started to look for an
apprenticeship...I've always wanted to be a qualified (and a very good) Estate
Agent, but most apprenticeships offered an hourly rate of £2.65, and I was not
prepared to work 40 hours a week for that amount! I could obviously only
turn down a job if I actually passed the interview stage which, in my case,
took several attempts!
After I had
finished all of my exams and applied for endless amounts of apprenticeships, I
needed to hand in my 'leavers form' which meant Sixth Form was over for good. I
had no job, no university offer and no go-to college course. On the day I
handed in my form, I received a call from somebody who asked me if I wanted to
attend an interview for an administrator role for a Mortgage & Protection
advice business! I had a really good feeling about this call, and I.M.O the
interview went really well. I changed my CV, the way I answered questions, and
the way I presented myself. By the end of the day, I was informed that I'd got
the job! I remember celebrating with chocolate cake (that's the way to
celebrate everything).
Full time
work was very different to Sixth Form, where I could go home at lunchtime and
'chill with my friends', but there was something very satisfying about
receiving a pay check at the end of the month. It was MY money; I had earned
it, and at the same time I was learning how to work in an office
environment and at the same time developing my people skills. I didn't have to go to college
once a week; I had a learning mentor who visited me approx. every 2 months to
make sure my progress was on track. Every now and then I would need to
write 'college' assignments, but I was happy to do this because the tasks were not
tricky, and I was being paid during the working week.
1 year later – It’s fair
to say that I missed my friends a lot during their first year. The majority of
my group had left for university, (All over the UK; Plymouth, London,
Leeds, Wales) and I was still in Bristol! I think one of the hardest things
during this time was the fact that some of my friends were also having a bad
time (feeling homesick) and there wasn't a lot I / they could do about
it.
For me, I
was coming to the end of my apprenticeship and couldn't believe that a year had
passed so quickly! I had been nominated as a finalist in the Business &
Admin Bristol Post and Bath Chronicle's Apprenticeship Awards... Ok so I didn't
win, but it was a really nice evening out, it's a great thing to put on my CV
and it's always nice to hear that you've made the right decision!
2 years
later - Moving Experience have since taken on a
new Administrator who supports me in the business daily. I'm currently studying
for exams so I can become a qualified Para
Planner.. No I'm not an Estate Agent (or training to be one) but I think that I was sugar-coating that job to be
something it's not. Both my friends at university and in Bristol seem to be a lot
happier, and I think we all agreed that 2014/15 felt like it finished a lot quicker
than the first year. Whilst my
Bristol mates have made new
friends, and I sometimes feel like not a lot is happening to me, there
are at least 13 weeks during half-term & holiday time which I can use
to spend time with them in Bristol, or I can always pop up and visit and vice versa..
Eventually,
everybody has to grow up and
potentially this may means moving away. I just remind myself that it can be a
lot tougher for them because they
need to make new friends, learn to live on a budget and move into a house with total strangers!
My top tips
for you:
1) Everybody gets nervous (including me!). It can be daunting for anybody if they're told that they need to make new friends, or learn a completely new
& different set of skills! 2) If you have decided to go to university, make sure you check out the opening days. You don't want to choose the right course, at the wrong place!
3) If you're
not sure about university, leave
it for a year. Go travelling, save money, complete a college course in the subject that you intend
to study further. These could all benefit you in
different ways.
4) Not
interested in University or an Apprenticeship? Don't worry, there are so many
different things that you can do.E.g. The Army, or Full-time employment. Book
an appointment at your local Connexions to receive some more information and
details about all of the options available.
5) Don't make decisions based on a relationship. If you did break
up with your partner after deciding to stay at home and you've passed up the
option of University, a placement abroad, The Army, etc; then you will feel
like you've wasted some great opportunities. You can always learn to make it
work.
Please feel
free to comment if you found a
successful alternative! Or if you have any ideas for future blog posts, I would love to hear them!
Thanks for reading,
Yvette Marie
xo
