Finding the right career path can be one of the most important steps you take in life, no matter what age you are. But finding the right one can take years! It doesn’t really matter how or when you start, but all it takes is one step in the right direction!
Starting your career young with an apprenticeship means you have the experience and qualifications required to set yourself up for life, and with the professional experience at such a young age, it also puts you ahead of other candidates if you wish to change your career path.
In my experience, I studied a Level 4 HNC CAD Engineering Apprenticeship, where I stayed at the same company for 6 years – Although I was happy at my job and felt confident that I have learnt everything I need for the job, I knew I needed a change.
The new job I was applying for required certain skills that I had not yet learnt, but with my experience I was hoping they would consider my application and train me where required.
With this said, one of the skills that was required was full competency of Revit – another computer aided drawing software. Although I had come from a CAD background, I had already had experience and training within Revit which gave me a head start on other candidates that had applied but did not have the experience or knowledge with this software. This is just one example where my apprenticeship has helped me ahead of those who may have gone through other routes to get to where they are not – for example, university.
Leaving my first job was an extremely hard decision to make, but I knew it was the right one and that 2023 was the year of change! I spent a few weeks researching different companies both local and in the city to make sure I was going to find a company that suited me as perfect as my old job.
I knew that coming from an apprenticeship, I had gained a lot of confidence in meeting and speaking to new people, as well as having the correct qualifications to be able to move around within the construction industry. There are multiple opportunities within any industry, but most require a specific skills or knowledge, whereas in the construction industry (mostly within office-based jobs) there is a general consensus that as long as you know the industry, you can pretty much learn something new without having to start from complete scratch!
Starting in a new company can be very difficult and scary, but knowing it is for the right reasons gave me the confidence to get out and make a change!
With a new role/ location, it means there are more opportunities and experiences, as well as new possible qualifications which can lead to more open doors! Make sure you check out all the opportunities available on Not Going to Uni’s website, as they have lots of different roles across many sectors.
