GetMyFirstJob Ambassador
Hello, I Am Umar
For me, I mainly went for an apprenticeship for religious reasons - interest from a student loan is forbidden in Islam. But not just that, I realised that after Uni I would apply for a job anyway, so why not! Not to mention the free degree! Another big factor for me was that most degrees don't translate to a job role - most of the knowledge from the course wouldn't be used anyway, so I didn't want to waste my time on that. With an Apprenticeship you're actually being taught how to do your job - you're learning and applying the knowledge, so it was a no brainer to me!
Tell us more about your experience
Can you describe your job and what you do on a day-to-day basis?
Day to day I work on client projects, wherein the client has asked us to look at their processes e.g. recruitment and see where it can be proved. We do this through taking samples of these processes and testing them to see if they are up to scratch. Other responsibilities include report writing, risk assessments and writing minutes on client calls
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
My highlight has been travelling to a client site in Oxford to spend the day with the client working on and discussing their processes
What has been the biggest challenge of your career so far?
Biggest challenge has probably been just learning new skills as they come, technically speaking such as drafting a report or making a risk assessment report
What sort of support network do you have at your company?
There is plenty of support available. Right when you join, you're given a buddy - another apprentice you can talk to. You also have your performance manager and performance leader who are also always open to give support. Finally, just chatting with other apprentices in my cohort helps greatly
What will happen at the end of your apprenticeship and have you discussed this with your employer?
Typically, if you meet the standard performance metrics, you'll be promoted to a new role. From there its flexible - you can stay with the company or look for other opportunities elsewhere
What would be your words of advice to someone thinking about doing an apprenticeship?
Apply to loads of them. It's a very competitive process but it's so worth it in the end. Rejections are very common, so do not be disheartened when it happens. It's short-term struggle for long term gain