Tell us a little bit about you?My name's Katie Soper and I am a final year Degree Apprentice on the RDA scheme. After finishing college at 17, I didn’t feel that I knew enough about the type of career I wished to pursue, to jump straight into a 3 year degree. Instead, I decided to take a year out and work full time. This was in order to gain work experience within a marketing department, to ensure that this was the right career path for me. This led me to wanting to study business in further depth through a degree.What are you studying?BA (Hons) Business Management DegreeWhere are you working?My first role on the RDA scheme was at Pearson College London in the B2B team.Next, I was given the opportunity to work as an RFS Manager at IBM.After this, I moved to Tesco where I joined the Social Media team!For my final placement I have used the skills and knowledge I have developed over the last 2 and a half years, to contribute back to the team at Pearson College London. I now work within the Content and Communication team.Why did you choose a Degree Apprenticeship?I chose the Degree Apprenticeship route, because after having worked in part time and full time jobs since I was 15, I have always had a passion for working. However I believe being educated to at least degree level is very important, as it teaches you the foundations of your sector, and enables you to progress to much higher positions. Therefore the degree apprenticeship route allowed me to combine my passion to work, with the importance of a degree qualification. It also allows me to put the theory I learn into practice in the workplace.What have you enjoyed most about your course?My favourite modules have been my self-managed learning and consultancy modules. This is because I have been able to conduct research into a real-world business problem, based on the current company I am working at each year. This has been a great opportunity because it has allowed me to contribute to each company whilst also ensuring that the coursework I am working on is relevant, and therefore interesting to me.How has your placement helped you with your studies?My placement has helped with my studies because when I learn something new, I am able to relate it to my current organisation. Not only has this helped with my understanding of topics, but it has also led me to challenge theories and models, due to noticing that they don’t correspond with how my organisation works. My placement has also helped me to develop vital skills. I now have a better understanding of how to manage my time, and ways to organise my work that suit me. I have noticed that, these skills have translated over to my studies as I now set personal deadlines to complete work and ensure that I am always on top of what I need to do to avoid having to rush work at the last minute.
