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My Apprenticeship Journey

As it is National Apprenticeship Week I thought I’d share with you my journey through finding the role I have today.

Finding an apprenticeship that you will find interesting and close to home will never be easy, there will always be something that just isn’t practical, for example the area or the type of coverage that the course provides. These are the things that might just throw you off and make your search much harder. One thing my Dad told me when I was hunting for an apprenticeship was to widen my search, not to stick to a 5-mile radius from home as it’s highly unlikely that you will find something that will meet your needs.

I remember when I was first searching, I never reviewed any roles that were greater than 5 miles from home as I didn’t want to rely on public transport; it just seemed impractical at the time. My Dad said that I should focus on finding an apprenticeship that matched my requirements, then to figure out the technicalities of getting there. This worked really well for me as I’ve found the perfect job 10 miles away from where I live and getting the train to work wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be, as I knew I would be looking to buy a car shortly. So, my advice is to never worry too much about how you’ll get there, just focus on finding an apprenticeship that you feel passionate about and everything will fall into place.

My interview with KDR was my second one ever! So, it was safe to say I was very nervous, I never really understood what interviews were about and never knew the right things to say which tended to stress me more. When I read about what I would be doing at KDR, I knew I would love it here, so I was determined to make a good first impression to ensure I had a fighting chance of getting the job. I remember sitting down with lots of thoughts and feelings going through my head, wondering if I was good enough to even be here, but I realised that I just needed to take a few deep breathes and remember that the fact that being here means that they are interested in me. This mindset helped me to relax and be myself, because even if I didn’t get the job it always meant that it just wasn’t right for me so there was no point in putting on a completely different persona to match what they desire.

In the end I let my personality show and gave them a good indication of who I am, I just ensured that I was myself and was open and honest. You just always have to remember that interviews aren’t big and scary, it’s an opportunity for the company to assess who you are, what your personality is like and if you will fit in with the business. They know you have the qualifications hence why you have secured an interview, so it is nothing to worry about I promise!

Sometimes people can be unlucky at finding apprenticeships, they go to numerous interviews and get turned away and it can feel disheartening. But it shouldn’t stop you from searching, just because you didn’t get past those interview stages doesn’t mean that you never will. Getting turned away happens for a reason, it means that the job your meant to be in is still out there and you just need to go and find it. It may take a while, or it can happen instantly, but you just have to be patient. Good things come to those who wait.

I am almost 6 months into my apprenticeship, and I couldn’t be happier. I feel as if I have matured so much since I first started here, and I can’t wait to see how much more I’ll learn over another 6 months with KDR Recruitment. Exiting times ahead!

Top Tips

  1. Know your worth and always be yourself as this will impress companies as it shows that you are someone who knows what they want.
  2. Never settle for a job you know isn’t right just for the sake of having one, a couple of months down the line and you will be unhappy, and work will start to feel like a chore.
  3. Explore different areas that aren’t in your home town to really widen your search and increase your chances of finding that perfect job.
  4. Apprenticeship hunting is all about having patience, things don’t always happen instantly so don’t get disheartened when it feels like you have been searching for a while, something will come along.
  5. Do some research into the company that you have an interview for before it takes place, it is a major win if you can apply that knowledge to the interview, it shows that you are determined and that you are really interested in working with them.

What advice would give to someone looking for an apprenticeship? I’d love to hear your advice in the comments below.

KDR Recruitment is the home of the best data, technology and analytics jobs. For more career advice check out the KDR blog or follow KDR on LinkedIn.

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