7 March 2023
On The Sofa With…Our New Instagram Live Series
Have you ever wanted to know more about apprenticeships from the people involved? Well, you’re in the right place.
We’ve launched a brand new Instagram live series, ‘On The Sofa With:’, where we hear from the movers and shakers of the apprenticeship world.
And to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, our hosts, Tatiana and Ruby, spoke with a cyber security apprentice, a former law apprentice and a recruiter to get their expert advice.
Don’t worry if you missed out. We’ve picked out three takeaways from each live we thought you should know. And we’ve saved them so you can binge-watch them any time.
Let’s get into it.
Meet Abresham, an apprentice…
19-year-old Abresham is a cyber security degree apprentice at Vodafone and smashing it. He spoke with our Senior Marketing Executive, Tatiana, about how he landed his dream role and dropped some golden bits of knowledge. Here are three takeaways:
1. Apprentices do have a social life
There’s this nasty rumour that apprentices have no time to be social or miss out on creating lasting bonds because they’re not at university. Wrong.
Abresham’s social life is very healthy, going out with friends often and even finding the time to play football and go to the gym three times a week.
“It’s all about time management”, he says. Making to-do lists and using task management services like Notion help him organise his time.
2. Apprenticeships are a quicker route to a lasting career
Graduate jobs are hard and highly competitive. An apprenticeship can help you get work-ready and on the job market much quicker than most traditional career routes.
“The job market is highly saturated, and there’s lots of competition for student roles. As a degree apprentice, you’ll already have three to four years of experience over someone who may have gone to uni and not yet had the experience.”
This and the fact that apprenticeships are available in various industries were two big pluses for applying for an apprenticeship.
3. He found his apprenticeship through RateMyApprenticeship.co.uk
That’s right! Whether you’re considering an apprenticeship, university or TikTok stardom, it’s our job to make that decision easier. Here’s how…
- 100s of paid apprenticeships in 16 industries, like Business, Engineering and Marketing
- 1000s of honest reviews from those who have completed an apprenticeship
- The Best 100 Apprenticeship Employers & Best 50 Training Providers, as voted for by apprentices
- Expert career advice to help you better understand and map out your future
- Industry Guides for tips on how to launch your career in a specific industry.
Abrasham had loads of insightful tips, wanna hear them all? Watch the live below.
Meet Maia, a trainee solicitor…
You might recognise our next guest. 23-year-old Maia is the face behind @mylegalcareer and the apprenticeships world’s very own celebrity. She spoke about her career so far and how she juggles content creation, working full-time, and being an overall boss.
1. Applying for an apprenticeship was a “no brainer”
Maia was originally looking to start her legal career the ‘regular’ way by going to uni. She had already applied through UCAS when she spotted an advert for a law apprenticeship. She noticed three aspects that looked super appealing to her…
- A free law degree
- Real experience in a law firm
- Salary from day one.
They were so good that she decided not to go to uni despite family and friends telling her otherwise.
“I’m so glad I did it…I really wanted to hit the ground running with my career and prove myself in the workplace.”
2. Be yourself during your apprenticeship
When starting your apprenticeship, it’s tempting to try to be a “know-it-all” when it’s just better to be yourself. That’s the best way to be successful in your apprenticeship.
“Be yourself…Employers are looking for your character, the skills you already have and how they can develop during the programme. Be confident and be curious.”
3. Think hard about what you want to do
Maia’s main goal with her content is to let students know they have options outside of the traditional career route. The best way she says to do this is to think about your future by focusing on your skills and what you want to do in the next few years.
If that’s getting a degree at uni, great! Or going for an apprenticeship, great. Maia stressed that it’s important to make sure that whatever you decide feels right.
Hear more from Maia. Watch the live below.
Meet Emma, an expert recruiter…
Mazars is an international audit, tax and advisory firm. They offer many school leaver programmes and apprenticeships in everything from finance to ethical hacking. It’s also massive on people and is always on the hunt for the industry’s future – and that’s you!
Mazars’ unique recruitment process focuses on nurturing the talent that walks through its doors. So Emma spoke with our People Director, Ruby and gave viewers some super helpful application advice. Read on for the best bits.
1. Use your CV to show off
Emma wants you to be your best selves in 2023. So write a CV that reflects who you are.
“People write what they think employers want to hear. Your CV is your way to show off your best assets and skills.”
2. Take your time in interviews
Interviews can feel like trying to be friends with Wednesday Addams, slightly scary. But they don’t need to be, and Emma gave two ways to how you can take your time to answer questions.
- Breathe. It’s stressful being in an interview, but take a second to breathe when asked a question. Think about it. Absorb the question, and ask to repeat it if you need to hear it again. It’s your time in the spotlight.
- Keep it concise. Don’t waffle on. Get to your point. Use the STAR technique, as it’s an excellent way to structure your answers.
- Situation
- Task
- Action
- Result
Read more about the STAR technique and how to use it to wow an employer.
3. Be yourself and show your passion for the job
Emma said she wants to see students excited about the roles they apply for. A great way to do this is by researching the role and company to ensure it’s a good fit. She also stressed the importance of being yourself.
“Just let your personality shine. Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself and what interests you, what your passions are and what motivates you and what you think will fit the role.”
Get more application advice by watching the full live below!
Thank you to everyone who tuned in. Sign up to make sure you find out about our next series. Get notified about the next time we go live by giving us a follow on Instagram.
Written by Melchi
Melchi is a stan of the written word and joined the RateMyApprenticeship team as a Content Executive in 2021. Melchi started his career writing culture content for WeAreCollision magazine before completing an MA in International Journalism at City University and interning at Insider Inc. He now uses his head-thesaurus to write inspiring content to help young people make great career choices. These include everything from blogs about how to write your first CV to industry guides outlining the latest apprenticeship opportunities. Outside of writing, Melchi loves all things music and is currently learning how to DJ.