Searching for an apprenticeship can be time-consuming and frustrating if you look in the wrong places! Having a clear understanding of how to go about exploring different roles is a skill and requires planning in advance as well as decision making during the process.
Start the Search
It may sound simple but start searching for roles sooner rather than later! Opportunities come and go, so having an understanding of what you’re looking for will help you for future searches, to help you refine and tailor searches specifically for you. You may find an opportunity in a sector which you never expected you’d be interested in but suddenly find yourself being drawn to. Explore, search through the hundreds of opportunities and keep note of what takes your interest and the sort of companies/sectors that you find yourself keep coming back to.
Be Patient
It’s not as simple as looking for an apprenticeship, liking one, applying and being offered it the next day (although that would be fun). This can be quite a drawn out process and it takes a prolonged period of time from starting the search to walking into the apprenticeship. There are many steps and discussions to be had along the way. Talk to parents/guardian, friends, teachers and respected people in your life and get their opinion on what’s best for you. This will help you get an overall understanding of yourself from an outside perspective and this will aid in refining searches.
Precise Searching
It’s good having a broad search to begin with and really exploring the plethora of options. However, as you get further down the line and are looking to start applying, be sure to narrow these searches down and really focus on what you are interested in and what suits you the best. Each opportunity will have different requirements and expectations which will be included in the brief. Ensure you read these carefully and think to yourself; ‘are these the requirements a match to my skills and do I want to be responsible for these expectations day-to-day?’. Some job titles may stand out to you, but the brief isn’t quite what’s suited to you, that’s fine! Apply for the job briefs that match up to your skills and interests and please remember, there’s no pressure to apply for something if you’re not completely comfortable with doing so!
Have Your CV Updated
Your CV is arguably the most decisive thing when applying for a job/apprenticeship. It’s essentially how an employer gets an understanding of who you are without having you in front of them. Be sure to keep your CV short (2 pages max) as an employer will often skim through and look for what appeals to them, but if it’s too long, will just dismiss it. Include the main things such as grades and experience and, one thing that people may find difficult, big yourself up! Highlight your success and things you’ve achieved, be big-headed in a sense. Your CV is essential for getting you an interview and must be one of your biggest focuses in the application process.
Practice the Interview Process
Interviews may seem daunting and this often makes people anxious. There’s no two ways around them, they can be scary if you let them be! However, if you prepare, research, practice and gain experience, they suddenly become enjoyable and almost a game between you and the employer. The key is your mindset when going into an interview. If you take the front foot and have done your research and all those other tips above, you will be able to assert your personality easily. Ask questions about the company, about your role and of your expectations. Focus on what you could bring to the role and how the company could benefit from having you as an employee. Most importantly, be yourself! This is your opportunity to show your personality and express yourself, be confident, be yourself.
It can be a tough process, but if you follow these steps and tips, adapt them to yourself and implement them, you can find this process becomes enjoyable or a real project. Finding the perfect role can be tough, but on our website, there are hundreds of opportunities across a range of sectors. The best time to start is now, go and explore these opportunities by clicking here.
Good luck!
