My Apprenticeship Experience

Eighteen months ago I was the typical teen, leaving school clueless about what to do next, apart from knowing I didn’t want to spend another three years in education, racking up debt at University. Today, in light of #NationalApprenticeshipWeek, I’m celebrating my experience as an apprentice and reflecting on how it’s helped me to where I am now.

At first, I was hesitant to look for apprenticeships due to the stereotypical view of ‘they’re not as good as a degree’. However, I quickly changed my mind when I stumbled across The Juice Academy, while looking for digital marketing apprenticeships. The more I read about the job, the more I was intrigued. Getting paid to be on social media? Is that even possible? With it being the first ever (proper) job I’d applied for, I was obviously chuffed when I was invited along to the boot camp.

As the day came closer, I had mixed emotions. I was excited at the thought I could get my dream job, but understandably nervous. Surprisingly, the day consisted of enjoyable and fun tasks which gave everybody the chance to shine. My favourite was definitely the ‘speed dating’ task (yes really), which allowed us to speak to various employers for two minutes each – a lot better than the usual interview style. At the end of the day, I was given the opportunity to start my career in social media and marketing with Tangerine!

Fast forward 18 months and I’ve learnt a ridiculous amount at Tangerine and I still learn something new every day. Not only am I working with big brands such as Pizza Hut on their day-to-day social media content, putting into practice everything I learnt at The Juice Academy, I’m working on iconic press office accounts for brands such as Carmen Products, Recycle Now and Peugeot, to increase their awareness offline. I’ve created strong relationships with journalists in multiple industries, from beauty to pharmaceutical, consistently delivering strong results and coverage for my clients.

If you're leaving school and you're undecided on what you want to do, I highly recommend thinking about an apprenticeship. You'll gain knowledge on the job, learn from industry experts and not only come out debt free, you're earning money whilst you learn - which is always a plus!