From Music to Marketing 🎵 🖥️

Apprenticeship after a Degree

Three Years ago, when I was excited to embark on my new adventure at the University of Huddersfield, I would not have guessed that after completing my degree in music, I would be starting an apprenticeship in digital marketing and content production. After the abrupt end to my degree and being unable to celebrate with the people I had spent an incredible three years with, I was left feeling lost and unsure of what to do next. Whilst my close friends were successfully applying to study master’s degrees or receiving job offers, I found it increasingly harder to find a job, particularly with the decline of the arts due to COVID.

It wasn’t until I discovered The Juice Academy that I became sure of a path I wanted to take after my degree. Although people may view it as a step back in terms of qualification, I have noticed that it is becoming a popular choice and in fact, can be the perfect step forward. The difference that I have found is the ‘experience’ aspect, you can study a degree and receive a high classification but without experience in the industry, for the most part, it is very challenging to receive a job offer. Completing an apprenticeship allows you to work for a qualification whilst gaining direct experience within the industry, which is more impressionable to employers in the long run.

Now I don’t favour apprenticeships over university or vice versa, however, I have comprised a list of 4 reasons why completing an apprenticeship is a fantastic opportunity. This will also hopefully help to break any stigmas surrounding apprenticeships.

1. NO DEBT!

This one excites me, as someone who has just gone through university and will at some point have to start paying back the £27,000+ debt I’m in. The fact that you can gain a great qualification and work experience with no debt, is AMAZING!

2.Practical and Relevant Experience

Leading on from gaining great work experience, by doing an apprenticeship you are surrounding yourself with professionals in the industry who you can learn many skills from. Remember that most employers look for those who have practical experience!

3.Builds Your Contacts

Depending on the apprenticeship, they often take more than a year to complete. This gives you plenty of time to build relationships and contacts with colleagues, clients, and managers. Creating a positive name for yourself and building professional contacts will benefit you massively in the future. You never know, sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know.

4.Progress Within A Business

According to the Gov.UK apprenticeship site, over 90% of apprentices go into full time work or further training after completing their apprenticeship. If you have been impressive and have shown that you're a hard worker, you may be offered a full-time position, or at least receive a great reference.

There are definitely more than just four reasons why apprenticeships are a great stepping-stone to reaching your career goal, but these are the top four that are most important to me.

Do I regret doing a bachelor’s degree and not taking the apprenticeship route Three years ago? Of course not. I have always been a studious individual and loved the idea of going to University and studying a subject that I am so passionate about. I now possess valuable transferable skills that I wouldn’t otherwise have gained, and I am so proud that I received a 1st class honours in Music. However, I am also glad that I have found the apprenticeship route as it is giving me the opportunity to learn new skills in a different area and gain crucial experience within the workplace.

It’s never too late to change your mind or decide to hop onto a different path, and who knows, maybe there’s a better opportunity at the end of it.