You want to start a career by getting an aapprenticeship, but how can your parents help you get your dream job?

Encouragement

It’s only been over the last couple of years that parents have started seeing Apprenticeships as an Education choice for young people. It used to be ‘go to College, get your grades, then go to Uni’ but this isn’t always effective in getting you into your dream role. Parents should be supportive of YOUR decision and help you as much as possible to achieve your career goals.
 
Have they got a friend who you can do some work experience with?
Do they know someone who is looking for an apprentice?
 
The majority of Apprentices start their career with an Apprenticeship with a family member or friend of the family.

Preparation

Putting a CV or application together can be very daunting if you’ve not done it before, your parents probably have years of experience doing this so don’t be afraid to ask for help!
 
You want to make sure your application is informative and sells you as a person, you could always ask friends for words that they’d use to describe you, so that you can use them to enhance your application. Your friend might say to you that you’re always on time and don’t stop talking which can convert into ‘punctual’ and ‘excellent communication skills’
 
Now, you’ve got your interview, what next? It’s always nice to get a new outfit for an interview, if you can afford it, as it gives you a sense of pride and this weird feeling of being more confident (how it works I don’t know, but it really makes a difference!). If you can’t afford a new outfit, why not see if someone in your family or one of your friends has something you can borrow?

So, what can your parents do?

Give you a practice run on how you’ll get to the interview on the day, this will help to work out when you need to leave and what time you’ll arrive.

Help with practice interview questions, it’s always weird answering interview questions that are asked by someone you know, so try your best to pretend you’re in the interview, not in your kitchen/dining room or wherever you decide to practice.

Make sure you have questions to ask the potential employer, which I’m sure your parents actually want to know but are trying to encourage you to make your own way, such as; What are the hours? How will the Apprenticeship work, are there College days and Work days or is it Work Based Learning and the assessor coming out to see me on site?

Support

Whatever the outcome of the application/interview your parents should support you through it.

Not right for the position this time

It’s a shame but think of the experience you’ve gained from applying/interviewing for the job. ALWAYS ASK FOR FEEDBACK. This way you know how to improve next time. Parents should encourage you to try again and stay positive.

Success, you’ve been offered the role

CONGRATULATIONS! That’s great news! Now you’ve got to get everything ready to start work; making sure you know how you’re going to travel to work, are you going to take lunch or buy lunch, have you signed all the paperwork with the employer/training provider, when is your first day?
 
Parents should help ensure these are all in place for you, BUT they should also encourage independence as you are now starting your career and entering your adult life.

Apprenticeships Advice for Parents