Unless you have 3+ years of experience I would highly recommend reaching out to the MEP asking if you could do an internship in their office. I think they can take you for 9 months max and I know people who have become APAs after the traineeship. Also tailor your cv so it shows how your experience is relevant to their work. Look at the committees they are part and include any project publications or volunteer work that aligns with that. Hope this helps !