What made me choose an Apprenticeship over University…

This time last year, after receiving several tempting university offers, I found myself contemplating the benefits of a degree over embarking on a career straight after college. Making decisions is something I have struggled with for as long as I can remember and although going to university was a very tempting option for me, I was wary that it could be naïve to think that I would emerge fresh from a uni course with employers falling at my feet.

The thought of being financially independent from my parents and not having to rely on a student loan made the desire to earn a salary that little bit more appealing, and so I made the nerve-wracking decision to decline my university offers at the very last minute, and begin job hunting. I remember sitting at my computer and trawling the internet for possible jobs, apprenticeships and courses to get me out of my part-time job as a Sales Assistant, and onto an exciting new career path.

It didn’t take me long to decide that I wanted my future career to lie within digital marketing. My passion for copywriting and interest in social media made a job in this field seem ideal. The additional thought of being paid to learn, and be creative in my every day job made me really keen to pursue this kind of career – when I found out about The Juice Academy it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a foot in the door.

Before being accepted onto The Juice Academy course, and employed as an apprentice within the marketing team at DJS Research, my only experience had been as a student. Naturally, this made the transition into the working world a little unnerving and I found it pushed me out of my comfort zone – which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing!

I am now three months into my apprenticeship and I haven’t looked back once. I’m told at work that I am excelling in my role – which only goes to show that passion, and not necessarily experience, is the most important attribute when setting out on a new path.

For all the merits that a university course could have offered me, I firmly believe that £27,000+ of debt is simply not worth it to break into my chosen industry, and that the experience I am receiving from working is second to none. Plus, I did a bit of math and worked out that you can earn the equivalent of university fees in just over two years of employment as an apprentice – I definitely know which way I prefer my bank balance to be!