I can’t believe the first year of my apprenticeship has come and gone. When I look back to this time last year, I had just finished my induction and was about to just kickstart my career. This summer has been a great time to reflect as I continue looking ahead on the journey set before me. There were a few things I did in preparation for the second year of my journey that I would like to share.
Firstly, I gave myself a pat on the back for completing my first year! I am a huge fan of celebrating wins, and I believe there’s no such thing as a small win. A win is a win. Completing my first year is a win. I celebrated with those around me who kept me going on this journey. Those who kept encouraging me and cheering me on.
The second thing I did was reflect on the year. I am a reflective person by nature, I keep a journal to help me keep track on the journey and see my personal growth. I took time to reflect on the good, the not so good of my first year.
The good helps me to know what to keep doing, and the not so good is room for improvement. I did this in the aspects that I had control over. These include my attitude towards learning and my role, my reaction and responses to the stimuli in my life, my work like balance and so much more. This was a great way to take in the previous year and see how to go forward in a greater way. Sometimes looking back can help with the journey ahead.
Another thing I did in preparation for second year is looking at the modules that are to come and start doing some pre-reading. I guess you can call me eager, but I just wanted to go into this year with some knowledge of what’s to come.
Throughout the summer, as apprentices it is compulsory for us to continue learning and developing our skills. Learning does not stop during the summer, to be honest, learning never stops on this journey. We are constantly learning new skills and upskilling whenever and wherever possible.
During the holidays, the sessions of the first module were added to my calendar and I decided to use my learning day to start looking into the topic of IT Project Management. I spent the day understanding the basics of Project management which aligned incredibly with my role in my new team.
As I look forward to starting the second year of this journey, I have learnt to always take time to take everything in. Taking time to be grateful for where I am coming from, as well as where I am going. This time last year I was extremely nervous for what was to come. I had been out of school for over 5 years, and I was starting a completely new career like many of us on this journey.
Being overwhelmed is expected, however, we cannot let those emotions get the best of us. Looking forward, taking every day as it comes, and remaining prepared are great ways to not let life overwhelm you or drown in anxiety. Here’s to second year of this journey, no matter where you are on your apprenticeship journey, celebrate the wins, reflect, and prepare for what is to come.
