• Name

  Sarah

• Job Title and Employer

  Advertising, Research and Development Apprentice

• Employer

  Channel 4

• Levels

  Level 4 (Higher) Apprenticeship

• Training Provider and Qualification

  Level 4 Market Research Executive

• Apprenticeship Start Date

  Sep 2021

• Skills Gained

  Collaboration Stress Management Confidence Data Analysis Project Management

• What are your interests outside of work?

  I love fashion! Incorporating new and old trends within my wardrobe and styling outfits for myself and others. I enjoy going to concerts and festivals (This summer is going to be full on them!), trying new food and most importantly travelling. Going to new countries and places is my favourite thing to do and I have a long list of places that I slowly but surely ticking off one by one.

GetMyFirstJob Ambassador

Hello, I Am Sarah

When I started to envision what my career would be I knew I needed some industry experience but still wanted to be able to learn on the job.

Tell us more about your experience

I decided to do an apprenticeship after being at university for 2 years during the pandemic. Having to learn so much independently at home made me realise that I wasn't suited to the conventional way that university teaches students. I had heard a bit about apprenticeships, but my school didn't promote them, so it didn't seem like a choice when I was initially thinking about what I was going to do after sixth form. However, when I started to envision what my career would be I knew I needed some industry experience but still wanted to be able to learn on the job. An apprenticeship made it possible to go to work and still be extended the grace by your employer when you mess up or don’t know something because you're still learning. I knew for someone like me that it was the right fit.

My advice when applying for an apprenticeship is to take time to find which one interests you. There are loads of roles out there for everyone and when I was applying, I applied to a wide range of apprenticeships as I’m interested in a lot of things. This is important as apprenticeships can be competitive so you should apply to as many as you can and don’t be disheartened if you don’t get your first one. I would also suggest researching the companies you want to work for so you know lots about them in the interview but also so that you can know whether it’s a place you will enjoy working. I knew when I was applying that the company’s culture was very important to me and I chose Channel 4 because they align with a lot of values that I believe and it a cool place to work!

My job entails working on advertising sponsorships and partnership campaigns for Channel 4 shows and ALL4. I manage the campaign from start to finish, implementing budgets and project timelines then carrying out the research to see how well they performed. I can do this by creating a survey to send out to C4 viewers to see what they think and if there’s anything we can do to improve. I then use this to create presentations to brands and companies to show how they are doing on the channel and see if they want to continue partnering with the channel. I've worked with brands such as Domino's, Sainsburys, Citroen, Youtube and so many more. Once a month I create reports on sponsorship and ad effectiveness to show brands how they are performing when partnered with a particular tv show. Additionally, I work on thought leadership projects to increase diversity in advertising which includes increasing representation of minorities, LGBTQIA+ and those with disabilities.

The highlight of my apprenticeship so far was being able to work on a project called Mirror on the industry. It a project that looks at advertising in TV and sees how we as a TV broadcaster can make advertising more inclusive. I was able to work on the body diversity edition where we spoke about TV and social media being less inclusive and the impact this has specifically on young people. We were able to make recommendations of we believe people can do to improve this. To be given the opportunity to work on something so important and profound early on in my career was amazing. Being able to be passionate about your work is something I hope everyone can experience one day.

The biggest challenge for me has been figuring out how to navigate the working world with learning difficulties. As an adult coming into the workplace, it's so easy to forget that you can ask for help and you don’t have to go through things lone when it gets tough. Being at Channel 4, my team and manager have been very supportive and have always advocated for me to get the help I need in the office and in my apprenticeship. Since starting my organisational skills and most importantly stress management skills have improved immensely.

I have regular 1-2-1 sessions with my tutor at my apprenticeship where she goes over topics, I may have found difficult in the workshops. I also get my manager or some in my team to read my assignments before I hand them in for some extra feedback. I talk to the other apprentices regularly and have lunch with them most weeks to build friendships and network with people my age who have things in common on and off the job.