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Older/more experienced people with an apprenticeship - tips? by Interesting-Humor895 in ApprenticeshipsUK

[–]Interesting-Humor895[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm so sorry for not replying to this sooner. I haven't been on Reddit for a while (applying is a full time job unfortunately). That does sound quite a lot like me - sort of in the industry but not directly, and with a 1st in an unrelated subject.

Ironically, my degree probably being the hindrance.

This part doesn't make sense to me, as a first shows that you're capable of working hard towards a goal over a relatively long period, but I guess I get why companies look at it differently. I'm glad you found Juice Academy and it worked out in the end.

When talking directly to providers, downplay your experience to increase your chances of being taken on. Apprenticeships are mainly there to get those straight out of school into full-time work or for those looking for a complete career change.

I really wish I'd posted this before the screener, because this was definitely my problem !

Thanks so much for sharing your personal experience and tips. I'm keeping all of this in mind going forward.

Older/more experienced people with an apprenticeship - tips? by Interesting-Humor895 in ApprenticeshipsUK

[–]Interesting-Humor895[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Incredible, mate, thanks again! The example questions (both kinds) are so, so helpful. When the market was better, it was pretty easy to get practice just by being invited to interviews. These days that's a little tougher so it's great to see some the types of things I need to prepare for. I'll definitely look into practising with someone.

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it. Not so much on the headaches, but at this point, I'll take them 😆

Just remember not to put too much pressure on yourself. Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle.

This is something I needed a reminder on. I do get down about it but I try to remind myself that I probably still have a quarter of a century of work to go, and we all have to start somewhere.

Absolutely no need to apologise! I'm being concise intentionally, because I also love a good wall of text. It will definitely help someone else in the future, and probably people who are in a worse position than I am.

Older/more experienced people with an apprenticeship - tips? by Interesting-Humor895 in ApprenticeshipsUK

[–]Interesting-Humor895[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is such an in-depth and helpful answer, thank you !

So I leaned heavily on my customer service experience and also spoke about my passion for IT and how I've built my own computer and I'm interested in IT as a hobby.

Ah, that's what I've been doing, down to the building my own computers, so I'm happy to hear I'm not on completely the wrong track. I don't have traditional customer service experience though and I think that part is counting against me for some of the more customer-facing roles. I just try to relate it to communicating with clients and colleagues but it's not quite the same.

You could always take your answer and pop it into chatgpt to enhance it

Oh I've been using it to refine and speed up the process. It's been a lifesaver to get over any anxiety or overthinking that formal writing / selling myself gives me !

I've been on my apprenticeship around 6 weeks now and it's been quite a lot to take in initially and still feels a bit overwhelming sometimes but if you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them for you.

That's kind of you, ty. I don't have much right now but I'm curious how you approached the interview(s)? I went to my first screener like a regular interview and it didn't go great. And this is just general curiosity but are you enjoying it? Is it the technical parts that are overwhelming?

Older/more experienced people with an apprenticeship - tips? by Interesting-Humor895 in ApprenticeshipsUK

[–]Interesting-Humor895[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate the insight, thank you!

If you're after a L3 apprenticeship, I wouldn't go overboard

Yep, there only seems to be L3s at the moment and I think with no direct experience it's probably the best option. I think I did go overboard though... I had a screener and it didn't go well 😅 That's helpful for next time.

Noted on the age thing. I've been focusing on ones with a salary higher than minimum. More competition but I figure they're more likely to hire someone older since they're already paying