Doing an apprenticeship at 20 years old is the best thing I chose to do, and here’s why...
I found an apprenticeship programme called The Juice Academy, which I applied for and got accepted into. I always knew University wasn’t for me, I prefer hands on experience and learning on the job to gain that experience University students wouldn’t necessarily have. Not forgetting the added bonus of getting paid to learn.
My role at IF is a Digital Marketing Apprentice. I started my apprenticeship at IF in April. I work at IF Monday to Friday, and go into Manchester city centre for my academy sessions twice a month. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I do on a daily basis, as everyday is always different for me.
Every morning of my working week I make a coffee to start the day, then check in on our clients social media channels, such as Instagram and Facebook, responding to any messages and engagements on the channels. For example, a customer may have left a message that they couldn’t get their hands on a particular product for a number of weeks, in which I would get back to let them know I will send out a couple of products for them as a gesture of good will – this means packing products up at the agency, printing out labels and dropping it off to a shop so it gets to them as soon as possible.
At lunch time I try to get away from my desk and catch some fresh air, if the weather allows! Typically I go for walks around our local park or visit Altrincham market with the team and grab some tacos or sourdough pizza, a perfect time to capture content too!
Speaking of capturing content, there have been a couple of out of office jobs for me since joining IF. One of which was a trip to our client Knowlsey Safari Park, shooting for a TV AD. It’s not everyday you spend your time with Sea Lions, Meerkats and Rhinos during work hours! I felt incredibly lucky to be there and capturing some behind the scenes footage – even to feature in parts of the filming along with the team was amazing.
I have also been involved in influencer activities and outreach. Over the past week I have been recruiting influencers via Instagram to visit Revolution Bars launch night. Their responsibility at the launch event is to capture content of the night via Instagram and TikTok, using stories, grid posts and tagging/sharing the bars to spread that awareness.
Lucy’s Top Tips For Anyone Thinking of a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship
Don’t be afraid to return to learning – it is possible to learn and earn!
Ask questions if something doesn’t make sense or if you need more information.
Make good use of your time and stay on top of apprenticeship projects and modules while doing your day job.
Lucy Beaumont, Cohort 35, Digital Marketing Apprentice at IF
