Former Business Apprentice Jasmeet Bansal blogs about how doing a QA Apprenticeship aged 18 helped her become a Tech & Business Events Manager in just 2 years.
I was always told at school that university was the right route for me but I decided not to listen to peer pressure.
Throughout school, the subject ‘Business’ always excited me; it was something I became very passionate about. By the time I started my A levels I felt I was ready to work. I always knew university wasn’t right for me; I was always hands on and practical, as well as determined and motivated to start working. By the time I had completed my A Levels I felt I had studied enough and wanted to use the knowledge and skills I had learnt from school in the working world.
That was when I decided to take the apprenticeship route.
Being able to study and learn as well as work and gain experience sounded like the perfect route for me. What attracted me most to doing an apprenticeship was knowing I would be able to gain valuable work experience in a working environment and gain a qualification through studying at the same time. Whereas at university/college you are studying without gaining work experience or actually practising what you have learnt in a working environment.
I feel that doing an apprenticeship has given me an early head start in my career in comparison to those at university who are still studying. It has opened the door to a world of opportunities for me.
I started working for Doherty Associates as an apprentice Marketing Assistant doing a Business apprenticeship, and have since been promoted to Events Manager. I work very close with the Marketing Manager which has helped me learn about social media, email marketing, generating sales leads, running events, advertising our services, getting our brand name out there and ad-hoc admin duties.
I am still learning so much from the people I work with, all of whom have years of experience in the industry. I have picked up so many things that have helped me grow as a person and as an employee. Being around motivated, experienced and talented individuals has helped me progress at work. All the skills and knowledge I have learnt I will be able to use in the future to carry on progressing in my career.
Thanks to QA I am in a stable job where I am happy and constantly learning and progressing. If you are in a similar position to the one I was in at school and not knowing which route to take, I would definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship has allowed me to stretch and test my abilities and do things I never thought I could have done in the very early stages of my career. When I first met my QA account manager, Darren, he was always keen to make sure I was put in the right scheme that matched my skills and requirements. Both my account manager and assessor at QA were very helpful and I always knew I could go to them if I had a problem. My assessor, Bes, supported me through my exams and coursework and was always happy to help.
I had a great experience with QA and would happily recommend them to a friend as I know they will receive great help and support, and will also be put into a scheme/job that matches their requirements.
