No risk, no reward: University dropout to Social Media apprentice

From a young age it was drilled in to me that university was the best option for a successful future, mainly from my school teachers but also from certain family members and what I had seen on TV and online. Once I got to college, I felt like I was being pushed towards uni as though it was the only option. I ended up doing well in my A levels, and got accepted into the University of Leeds studying History and Spanish. I was ecstatic. I’d got into my first-choice university, one of the best in the country, I was ready to leave home and set off on a new adventure.

Fast-forward 16 months, I came back home to Manchester for Christmas and I never went back. I was saddled with debt without even completing my course, still having to pay rent on a house I’d no longer be living in and faced with the prospect of having to go to the job centre and sign on. On the face of it you’d think it was a crazy decision, however, it was the best and proudest decision I’ve made in my life. What drove me to the point of dropping out you might ask? It’s not a simple answer and there are too many reasons to go into detail on. Nevertheless, one of the key causes for me doing it was that I simply didn’t see an exciting, stimulating career that I wanted for myself stemming from a degree in History and Spanish.

For the next 8 months I worked for minimum wage at Hollywood Bowl which, despite feeling like a step down after going to university, was a fantastic experience where I met some great people as well as building my confidence and character. Today, I find myself working for MID Communications Ltd doing a Social Media & Digital Marketing apprenticeship through the Juice Academy. When I was in school/college, I knew what an apprenticeship was but was never told they were really a viable option for a successful future. How wrong I was. I’m now doing training in something that I enjoy and working in the digital industry, the king in today’s society.

I’m now almost at the end of my first year as a Social Media and Digital Marketing apprentice and what a great year it’s been. With MID Communications I’ve had the opportunity to work with and create content for teams in the English Football League, fantastic charities like Cash for Kids and many other fantastic companies as well as covering the social media for some big events like Rochdale Feel Good festival. I’m enjoying what I do now more than I ever enjoyed university. I think it goes to show you can only really put your heart into something you truly enjoy doing, and it’s no different with your career!