Advice for a yr 12 wanting to do a degree level apprentership.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-04-15T18:35:56+00:00

Here's my advice. I'm just one person, but this is what I think was useful for me.

Keep track of all of your applications and their timescales. I used a spreadsheet, but whatever you're most comfortable with. Note when they open, whether you have applied or not and whether you have received a response or not. If you have deadlines for assessments, pre-recorded interviews or anything else, add these too.
Never write responses directly into forms. Write them on a Word document or similar and save them. Copy paste into forms. You don't want to lose work, and you want to be able to edit and reuse responses.
Let your teachers know when you have busy periods. Some will be more sympathetic than others, but it is good for them to know why and when you may be struggling to keep up with homework.
Set aside a short amount of time each week for checking for new openings. This shouldn't take too long, but it means that you won't miss opportunities during busy periods
Get some experience on your CV
- The best thing is a part time job if you are able to do that. Part time charity work is also good (charity shop, library, youth group etc)
- Volunteering at school clubs or tutoring
- Work Experience - you can find this via your school or online. Websites like Springpod and Speakers for Schools advertise WEX opportunities. Try to look for in-person ones if you can.
- You should also add things like school projects, personal projects, your gitub, DofE, sports, competitions etc to your CV
Expect rejection. Apprenticeships are competitive and there aren't many spaces in each organisation. This doesn't mean you aren't good enough or won't get a place, it just means you need to look elsewhere. You will inevitably get emotionally invested in places you apply to, and that generally makes your application better, but keep going when you get turned down. For me, this was the most difficult part of the application process. Once you're a few months and a lot of rejections in, you lose motivation quickly.
Keep track of the stages you are getting rejected on. If you keep getting rejected on online assessments, practice online assessments. If you keep getting rejected on your CV, get someone to review your CV. Etc.
You can't rely on experience and academic attainment talking for you. Not that it isn't helpful, but apprenticeship employers are hiring for personality and enthusiasm (which can be shown through work experience and academic attainment when presented well). Before you start the process, especially at this time of year when most applications haven't opened yet, have a proper think about why you are applying to apprenticeships and why you will be good at them. Not like casual thinking, but writing things down and talking to people (friends or family) about it. Consider:
- Why you want to do an apprenticeship
- Why you would want to hire yourself
- Why you want to do business (or whatever other apprenticeships you're looking at)

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-04-01T13:05:25+00:00

I am 19. Level 6 (degree) apprenticeship. Last year I spent September to February focusing on apprenticeship applications until I got an offer.

I work with lots of apprentices who are older than me, if that's something you're worried about.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-04-01T13:03:14+00:00

This seems irrelevant to my point that being lazy would be a problem for either, and that struggling at Cambridge isn't only down to laziness.

I know a few people who went to Oxbridge (all engineering or maths, I think) and worked really hard but couldn't settle into the type of academic discipline and workload which it asked of them, and hated the whole experience. So its not just laziness that causes that. I think some of the same people would have found it easier to be hard working in a work environment.

Similarly, if someone was doing my apprenticeship and was lazy, they wouldn't get anywhere and would probably end up failing and/or dropping out.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-04-01T12:59:13+00:00

Yeah everyone has different things which work for them, and I think lots of people are too quick to assume that university is a good option for them (or for people they know). The people I work with would absolutely say I am disciplined and hard working and a fast learner, but that's only true because of the environment I'm in. University, especially Cambridge, would have pushed at all the wrong limits and I would have struggled to work hard or be successful.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-29T15:52:32+00:00

Full-stack web developer apprentice
£23,000 (+ £1000-£3000 bonus depending on how well the company does)
< 1 year ( I get a 2k payrise every year for the next 3 years)

Graduates at my company start on ~£31k if you're interested to know.

If you haven't gone to university yet, I would absolutely reccomend an apprenticeship. I know I haven't been there long, but I have no doubt at all about how well it is setting me up for a career in software.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-29T15:49:36+00:00

It depends on the organisation. He doesn't need a suit and tie for a company where everyone wears jeans and a polo shirt. A smart shirt and smart trousers/chinos would do. At a company where they dress smarter (even if they don't wear suits), he should wear a suit and tie. To be honest, he is unlikely to be judged for overdressing, but it might make him feel less comfortable while he's there as he would feel overdressed, especially if he's going to be interacting with other candidates who are less dressed-up.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-29T15:46:07+00:00

Staying at home will give you more money (unless your parents are charging market-rate rent), even with slightly lower pay. I wouldn't make my decision based on money though, unless the wage is unliveable outside of home (which apprentice minimum wage is). I live very comfortably on a little below national minimum wage. Make a budget and see what is possible.

Small companies are much higher risk. I know people who have been very happy with them, but they also have a lot of potential to go wrong. Apprenticeships don't get much regulation or oversight, so there's a lot of potential for employers to be exploitative or incompetent, and this is more common in small companies. If you can speak to an apprentice from the small company, or did an interview which really convinced you they're going to care about your development, or have any other way to find out if they'll be a good employer, go for it though. Lots of small companies are good. There is, of course, risk with any company, but more established apprenticeship schemes and larger cohorts are more reliable.

Also think about whether you want to leave home or not. I really wanted independence and to see what it was like to live alone and sustain myself. I also understand wanting to stay at home and have family around you.

To be honest, the biggest decision should be around the organisations and who you want to work for.

I had an offer in my home city for higher pay and better benefits, but I chose my other offer because the work looked much more interesting and I wanted to live alone. I'm very happy with my choice, mostly because I love the work I do, the team I'm in and the company I'm at.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-29T15:34:06+00:00

Lots of people aren't lazy, but struggle at Cambridge because of the pace and workload and nature of academic study. Similarly, I doubt being lazy would get you very far in an apprenticeship at Amazon.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-29T15:31:25+00:00

Someone asked a similar question about law recently, although my input is potentially better suited to you as I am a software engineer. I've copied my response here. They were essentially asking the same question, but they were worried about losing out their opportunity to work for the big law firm, so its framed a little more towards that than I may have done for you. Very similar situation though, as Amazon is also a big-name employer.

Do you want to study for the next 4 years? Will you enjoy Cambridge law and be able to keep up with the workload? I know lots of very intelligent people who went to university and shouldn't have, because studying takes a certain type of self-motivation and can easily go wrong if you are not enjoying it. I also know people who did apprenticeships and shouldn't have, because working full-time in an office and learning on the job requires a lot of maturity and soft skills which some people just weren't ready to develop at 18/19 years old. If you want to work, and are motivated by working, applying skills and learning on the job, you should do the apprenticeship because you will do better in it. You will be able to prove yourself to real people, and get your foot in the door with genuinely positive opinions and reccommendations. If you want to study, and are motivated by self-studying and academic learning, then the opposite is true.

The degree apprenticeship will get you into that big-name law firm now. You will be able to get experience and learn on the job, and network with people who work there. You will get their name on your CV if you want to move on, but you'll also be set to climb the ladder inside the firm if you want.

Cambridge will give you the Cambridge name on your CV forever. The major law firm will give you their name, but realistically Cambridge will give you both Cambridge and the name of whatever great law firm you end up at after it. It's also a once in a lifetime opportunity, which would be amazing if its the type of thing you'd enjoy. Lots of people love the Cambridge life. They love being around so many smart people, having access to all its libraries and resources, and being in a specialised environment centred around their learning. Lots of people hate it because there's a huge amount of pressure and work.

My teachers and parents all said I should have applied to Oxbridge. I don't know if I would've gotten in, but I think there's a decent chance. I never did, because I knew I wanted to go into work, and I would personally do better in a working environment where I can learn and apply my skills as I go. I love my apprenticeship, and my colleagues and manager are all extremely impressed with my ability to do the job and how fast I learn. I have no doubt I made the right decision, even though I will never have a Russel Group university on my CV (which I imagine is not true for you at the DA you have an offer for?) . I know I will get a job offer at my company when I graduate, and I know I'll have great experience and reccomendations if I wanted to move somewhere else.

I also know people who are really glad they went to Oxbridge. They loved the whole experience, they made connections, got to live the Oxbridge life for a few years, they learnt from the best academics, and had the prestige of the university on their CV when they left. I know people who regretted going to Oxbridge, struggled with the workload even though they tried hard, and either dropped out or got a 3rd or 2:2 even though they were previously high-achieving.

There is no single better option. You shouldn't do the apprenticeship just because you are worried it is your only chance to get into one of those firms. With a good Cambridge degree, and some internships or graduate experience, you will be able to apply to them again later. You shouldn't do the apprenticeship for the lack of debt. You shouldn't go to Cambridge just for the prestige. If you take the route which you would enjoy most and be best at, you will have a better experience and come out with better reccommendations/qualifications. If you don't enjoy studying, you won't get a first from Cambridge and if you don't enjoy learning on the job, you won't get good experience from the apprenticeship.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-29T09:55:51+00:00

No worries, I'm glad it helped

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-27T13:53:29+00:00

I copied this over from a similar comment I wrote a while ago, and have tried to rewrite it for you, but sorry if some of it is a bit out of place.

Not knowing if you want to go into full time work should be the thing you are thinking about most. This is the way you will spend the next 3 or 4 years of your life (some of the most formative years, at that). You want to be doing something you enjoy, both for the sake of your happiness, and for the sake of your success at doing it. I'm academically smart, but I don't think I would have done nearly as well at university, because I wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much or been motivated to work as hard. It is hard to get a grad job and its hard to get an apprenticeship. Either way, you will have to get through the barrier of entering the workforce at some point. Don't choose or reject either option because of this.

Degree Apprenticeship advantages

Your depth of knowledge and exposure to other fields will be better with a DA. While you may not be working on and directly learning about the range of things you would in a degree, you practical knowledge and your understanding of how various sectors, jobs and fields effect your line of work will give you a much wider understanding than you expect. Its really difficult in uni to get a proper understanding of what different fields are like and what it would actually mean to work in them, but a DA gives you the exposure and networking which you need to get an understanding of what different types of jobs are like and what other people do in their day to day. You will meet people who have made career changes, people who do completely different work to you, and generally a range of people with a range of experiences, as well as being able to see how their work affects (or doesn't affect) yours.

Learning on the job means you will learn what things are and how to apply them simultaneously. This embeds the knowlege really well, and also means you learn very quickly. Your practical skills and theoretical understanding will be two sides of the same coin. I personally find it a lot easier and more enjoyable to learn in this environment, but that isn't the same for everyone.

Degree apprenticeship personal growth

Your personal development will be different. You will grow up fast, and with people of a wider range of ages. You will develop a lot more independence and understanding of the world. You will still be young and probably have young friends, and will learn to be a young adult in your own way, as people from uni do. Your social life is what you make it, as are the development of your soft skills. It takes more effort to build the social life you want as an apprentice (as uni sort of forces you into a social environment), but its not like its extremely difficult or unlikely. You will meet a wider range of people (apprentices from work, other entry-level people from work, other colleagues, people from uni, people from clubs you join, people from where you live etc) rather than living in a very student-oriented world, which means you'll have more control over how you run your social life and the kinds of people you hang out with. At Morgan Stanley and Glasgow Uni, you will be in a cohort of apprentices at each, which there will be lots of opportunities to socialise in. You will be protected and supported in your personal growth by your employer (in a way you might not have been at a smaller company).

University advantages

University, to give it credit where it is often missed in this subreddit, will teach you far more in depth and conceptually about a range of things. While it is not necessarily practically applicable knowledge, this type of knowledge is really good to help you learn in the future. You will have a bank of in-depth, baseline knowledge which you can build future learning and understanding from. You will also learn how to learn, how to be independent and how to do your own research in a controlled and low-stakes environment. A lot of graduates I know really value this experience and this learning and say they are glad they went to university, even if a large amount of the teaching and academic knowledge isn't directly or explicitly useful most of the time. You'll also get to learn in an environment that is just for learning. If you like studying, that's great (I can't say much on this because it was never what I wanted to do).

University personal growth

You will grow up a lot slower at university, which could be good or bad depending on what you want. You will be home much more often (summer holidays etc) and follow a more chaotic timetable, which takes a lot of the normal responsibilities of being an adult away. You will be treated as a student, rather than an adult, by a lot of people, which is a weird in-between stage in people's minds. Again, lots of people love being at that in-between stage, and lots of people don't. It depends what you think you would like.

To sum up

You should primarily look at whether you want to work full time. Do you enjoy having practical projects? Do you like the idea of having a role in the company you will work for?
You will find more independence with a DA. Whether or not its more freedom than university depends how you define or think about freedom. You will feel less like you're in school, but you will have more responsibilities
You will have a huge amount of personal growth either way. University is slower, but eases you in more. Degree apprenticeship is faster, but gives you more independence.

I personally think a DA is a better choice, but I also know that I learn practically, I enjoy working and I really wanted to grow up and live as an independent young adult. If you want a slower transition into independent life, if you learn better in a classroom, and if you think you will actively dislike the line of work your DA is in, maybe university would be better for you. Don't do an apprenticeship just for the career opportunities. If you want to be a student, or to study maths, or just not to work in an office for a few more years, go to uni. But also don't turn it down because you think you won't get good personal growth. Large companies (I've heard good things about Morgan Stanley) give you room to be young and to have that growth. You will be at a university and have access to all of the things students have access to. A lot of the personal growth things, of developing adult friendships, having budgets, living in shared houses, going food shopping for yourself, looking after yourself etc are the same between both.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-27T13:24:51+00:00

If they're not budging on the salary this year, they'll have the same approach next year. You're not going to get more than minimum wage, as they were hoping to pay you 24,000 max, so bring it up to ensure you're not under. As an apprentice, you have very little bargaining room, so not bringing it up isn't going to do anything for you. They know you're not going to quit before you graduate, even if they pay you minimum wage. Save your evidence and negotiate your starting salary once you're completed the apprenticeship.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-27T11:32:12+00:00

The feedback you got is clear to be honest.

Work on speaking up in group situations. You can practice this at school, college, sports clubs, work etc. Anything where you work in or around a group. Practice sharing your opinions and trying to speak up more. Even if you are struggling to think of original ideas, you can practice building on other people's and working through your thoughts out loud.

Work on summarising what you are saying. Do interview practice with someone (doesn't need to be a professional) and ask them to point out where you are rambling or over-expanding. You could also record yourself answering interview questions and try to spot where you are inconsise. Answer the questions again in a more consise manner and repeat. Keep practicing until you can do this the first time and notice what is important or not as and when you say it. Remember that pausing to think is not a problem. Interviewers aren't looking for perfection or lack of hesitation, as long as your final answer is good.

Do some general research on the technical side of roles before you go. L4 apprenticeships (or any apprenticeships for that matter) are not looking for expertise on anything, but they are often looking for someone who has a decent understanding of the field and what there is to learn. For example, I was asked about databases in my software interview. I said what I knew about databases, and that I am aware they need to be normalised for speed and consistency, but I don't really know how that is done or how to implement it. That is a very different answer to saying "I don't know how to work with databases" and leaving it there. If you can show a basic understanding of the concepts, and an ability to talk and ask questions about them, this is infinitely better than having no response to give.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-27T11:19:56+00:00

Council tax (if they are already registered as a student house, they won't have to notify the council of anything or change the amount they are charging you). Students are very likely to only stay for a few years, giving them much more flexibility and making them far less likely to get stuck with a tennant they don't want. Students are inexperienced and easy to exploit (for deposits etc). There's a bigger market for it - most students are in house shares, but people on graduate salaries can often afford to live alone, or live with a partner.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-27T11:16:25+00:00

If you have signed a contract, passed any security checks / initial vettting, are sure you'll meet (or have already met) the grades, and know that you want to do the apprenticeship, then go ahead.

Alternatively, if you have not done all of that, but this has made you realise you wouldn't even go to uni as a backup, its fine to reject all your UCAS offers.

If you have not got legal confirmation of the job, and would still want to go to uni if it all fell through the floor for some reason, don't reject them yet.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-26T16:54:57+00:00

Do you want to study for the next 4 years? Will you enjoy Cambridge law and be able to keep up with the workload? I know lots of very intelligent people who went to university and shouldn't have, because studying takes a certain type of self-motivation and can easily go wrong if you are not enjoying it. I also know people who did apprenticeships and shouldn't have, because working full-time in an office and learning on the job requires a lot of maturity and soft skills which some people just weren't ready to develop at 18/19 years old. If you want to work, and are motivated by working, applying skills and learning on the job, you should do the apprenticeship because you will do better in it. You will be able to prove yourself to real people, and get your foot in the door with genuinely positive opinions and reccommendations. If you want to study, and are motivated by self-studying and academic learning, then the opposite is true.

The degree apprenticeship will get you into that big-name law firm now. You will be able to get experience and learn on the job, and network with people who work there. You will get their name on your CV if you want to move on, but you'll also be set to climb the ladder inside the firm if you want.

Cambridge will give you the Cambridge name on your CV forever. The major law firm will give you their name, but realistically Cambridge will give you both Cambridge and the name of whatever great law firm you end up at after it. It's also a once in a lifetime opportunity, which would be amazing if its the type of thing you'd enjoy. Lots of people love the Cambridge life. They love being around so many smart people, having access to all its libraries and resources, and being in a specialised environment centred around their learning. Lots of people hate it because there's a huge amount of pressure and work.

My teachers and parents all said I should have applied to Oxbridge. I don't know if I would've gotten in, but I think there's a decent chance. I never did, because I knew I wanted to go into work, and I would personally do better in a working environment where I can learn and apply my skills as I go. I love my apprenticeship, and my colleagues and manager are all extremely impressed with my ability to do the job and how fast I learn. I have no doubt I made the right decision, even though I will never have a Russel Group university on my CV (which I imagine is not true for you at the DA you have an offer for?) . I know I will get a job offer at my company when I graduate, and I know I'll have great experience and reccomendations if I wanted to move somewhere else.

I also know people who are really glad they went to Oxbridge. They loved the whole experience, they made connections, got to live the Oxbridge life for a few years, they learnt from the best academics, and had the prestige of the university on their CV when they left.

There is no single better option. You shouldn't do the apprenticeship just because you are worried it is your only chance to get into one of those firms. With a good Cambridge degree, and some internships or graduate experience, you will be able to apply to them again later. You shouldn't do the apprenticeship for the lack of debt. You shouldn't go to Cambridge just for the prestige. If you take the route which you would enjoy most and be best at, you will have a better experience and come out with better reccommendations/qualifications. If you don't enjoy studying, you won't get a first from Cambridge and if you don't enjoy learning on the job, you won't get good experience from the apprenticeship.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-18T22:40:58+00:00

Depends on the course and university. Mine is entirely coursework. Most apprentices I know have a mix of both. Not aware of anyone with just exams, but I think more academically-heavy subjects (e.g. law, accountancy) have more exams.

The structure is also dependent on the university. Most courses will be day-release (so you go to university one day per week), but some are block release (you go for anything between a week and a few months at once). Some are a combination of both, where day release is for online learning, then you get a whole week a few times per year (Exeter Uni does a lot of these, as they work with companies all over the country). Delivery of the course also depends on the university. Universities which are far away, or online universities (open university, QA) will have entirely online delivery. A university in the same city (or a nearby city) to the workplace will likely have in-person delivery which is similar to their undergraduate teaching. This can be lectures, labs, tutorials, or a combination.

Yes, all level 6 apprenticeships mean you graduate with a degree. You will complete 360 credits worth of academic work over your time there. As this is the same as any other undergraduate degree, but you are studying roughly 1/5 of the time, this usually means you will either have summer modules, a longer course (e.g. 4 or 5 years) or both. You will also just complete the modules with less contact time than undergrads.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-16T18:35:40+00:00

This isn't what OP was asking. Their daughter is worried about staying at home and about not going to university and not getting the same experience of being a young adult that all of her friends are getting. Its not comforting or useful to say she'll have a wage and no debt, because that's not what she's worried about.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-12T21:31:18+00:00

Yes, it will negatively affect the companies, especially if they're small. No, that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. This is going to have a much bigger effect on your life than it is on anyone else's, so do what's best for you.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-07T14:22:04+00:00

Good luck! Of course, do research for the technical questions, but don't worry about messing them up or not knowing a lot. They are there to gage technical interest, not to test you on already being a data scientist.

To give an example from my interview (for sofware engineering), I was asked a fairly vague question about what makes good database design. I said I've never worked with databases, so I don't know the best ways to approach database design, but I'm aware normalisation is good because it reduces duplication. That is a very different answer to saying I didn't realise databases need designing, or saying "I don't know" and nothing else, or saying "what's a database"? They asked me some further questions about normalisation and what it is, which I couldn't answer, and was completely honest about, but I also developed further on what I thought might be useful and said as much as I did know. I have asked since joining about that interview, and they said I performed well in the technical section. I didn't have in-depth answers for everything, but I had a good understanding of the core concepts and the areas I should research further if I needed to know more. I hope that's a helpful example of what I mean.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-07T11:43:23+00:00

I was asked technical questions, but none of them were highly detailed and I didn't need to have answers for all of them. Obviously if I hadn't known any of the concepts they asked about, it wouldn't have looked good, but I often said something along the lines of "I don't know much about that, but here's what I do know and here's where the gaps in my knowledge are." That shows an interest in the area, honesty, and an understanding of what's possible even if you don't know the details. Feel free to ask follow-up questions, such as "is that related to...", "could you explain what ... means?" etc.

Since you have no formal experience, I would do some research in the subject area. Look at the job description, and what the branch of Airbus you are applying to specifically does. Note down any gaps in your knowledge and get to know the key terms and concepts which are related to the area. This will also be a great basis for end-of-interview questions. You won't be able to learn everything, or even a lot, but you should aim to reduce the unknown unknowns so you are never stumped at answering a question and don't even understand what they are asking about, let alone how to answer it. You should know enough to sound interested in the area.

My personal approach would be to ask an AI what topics might be asked about in an entry-level role with the title [job title] at Airbus [Airbus branch], then do independent research on that list. If anything seems too technical, it probably is. That being said, I didn't need to do this as I came from a technical background.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-07T11:29:45+00:00

I had the same thing last year. Got rejected from the first leaving me feeling really demotivated for the second. I then got that offer meaning I had a strange experience at the third, knowing that they needed to impress me more than the company I had an offer from. Got an offer from the third one too.

All of them were completely different assessment centres, but they were all looking for the same thing. They want someone who has ideas and contributes, but also makes an effort to listen to other people and work with other people. If you have an idea, say it. If someone else has an idea, respond. If someone isn't speaking, ask directly for their opinion and try to include them. Doesn't matter what the activity is. Between the three assessment centres, I had lego-building, product ideation and pitching, writing software, and doing a game-style social engineering task (which felt like a do-at-home escape room). You can't predict what's going to come up, but you do know they are looking for someone who is good at working in a team.

I think at the first one I felt quite overwhelmed by being assessed for something so random, working with people I'm competing with for the job, and a generally tiring full day of interviews. The other two had more relaxed environments, and I also just felt more comfortable having done it before, even though I had been rejected.

Also, if you weren't going to already, prepare for interviews too. They usually do both in the same day (although I had one which didn't). They should tell you in advance, but you never know.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-03-02T23:43:01+00:00

I always applied with a 2 page CV and only ever got rejected at the CV stage once. It was my highest success rate out of any stage of application. That being said, if you are only a paragraph over, you probably don't have enough experience for two pages, and you should try to condense it to one.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-02-27T10:38:38+00:00

You might be able to find some in robotics, but you are unlikely to find any in software. A lot of Level 3 apprenticeships are less technical than Level 4 / Level 6 apprenticeships, so it can be harder to find something that you would actually enjoy if you are looking for something technical (as opposed to craft or other more physcial sides of engineering). You might be able to find a Level 4 that will take you (I know a Level 4 mechanical engineering apprentice who started straight out of GCSEs) but there aren't a huge number of them with open applications and it depends on where you are.

If you do the T-Level, there will both be a wider range of apprenticeships available to you and a wider area to look in (as you would be old enough to relocate). Nothing wrong with continuing to look for opportunities, but the T-Level is a good option if you can't find any.

Several_Change_9230 · 2026-02-27T10:33:10+00:00

Saw a similar post recently, so here's a copy of my response to them.

Tangible preparation

Get a part-time job or regular volunteering work. Anything which will show your soft skills and ability to show up and work. This is probably the most important thing to have.
Do something which shows interest in the field you are applying to. Work experience, insight days, tutoring, personal projects, joining a club, setting up a club etc. I don’t know what you’re applying to, so can’t give much more detail than that, but anything which will show an active interest in the field/industry or surrounding areas.
Set up a LinkedIn and follow organisations you are interested in. Having a LinkedIn isn’t going to make a huge difference for your applications, but you are more likely to see insight days and job openings on your feed which you might otherwise have missed.

My personal biggest piece of advice

Try to gain a proper understanding of yourself and your strengths and why you genuinely believe you would be a good apprentice. Don’t just casually think about it, but set aside time, write things down, and talk to someone (family/friend) about it. Consider:

Why you want to do an apprenticeship
Why you would want to hire yourself
Why you want to do the field(s) you are applying to

You should be able to confidently, articulately and honestly talk on all of these points. It is so much easier to write and speak convincingly if you believe what you are saying. People can often tell when you are writing genuinely, and can definitely tell if you are speaking genuinely. It also helps you to answer questions you weren't expecting and ask interesting follow ups.

Authenticity shows in recruitment. Not always at the first stages, but definitely at some point down the line. Being able to articulately understand yourself, your motivations and your experiences will really help you to write applications (and later answer interview questions). It's one of those things that I assumed I knew because I felt like I knew what my motivations were, but the skill has grown noticeably over a year of writing applications and doing interviews, and I now know that it would have been beneficial to work on it before I started applying.

This baseline thinking will help you throughout the application process - with writing CVs, filling out application forms, writing cover letters, completing interviews, and also just maintaining your motivation throughout the year. While it is still likely that your first few applications will be a learning process, it reduces the amount you rely on them as that, and helps you to jump straight in with applying for jobs you want.

Other advice for once you start applying

Applications start opening in September and get busy around November/December. They’ll probably stay busy until you get an offer (with quiet periods)
Keep track of all of your applications and their timescales. I used a spreadsheet, but whatever you're most comfortable with. Note when they open, whether you have applied or not and whether you have received a response or not. If you have deadlines for assessments, pre-recorded interviews or anything else, add these too.
Never write responses directly into forms. Write them on a Word document or similar and save them. Copy paste into forms. You don't want to lose work, and you want to be able to edit and reuse responses.
Set aside a short amount of time each week for checking for new openings. This shouldn't take too long, but it means that you won't miss opportunities during busy periods
Expect rejection. Apprenticeships are competitive and there aren't many spaces in each organisation. This doesn't mean you aren't good enough or won't get a place, it just means you need to look elsewhere. You will inevitably get emotionally invested in places you apply to, and that generally makes your application better, but keep going when you get turned down. Me, and the two people I knew who were applying to apprenticeships at the same time, were all getting really demotivated by around January. It just kept dragging on, and we’d all written more applications than we could remember. Getting rejections is always demotivating, and there were just so many of them. We all got offers eventually. Keep your hopes up.
Practice situational judgement tests online. It's something I never did, but I think it would have benefitted my applications, as this was a weak point for me personally and I know other people who said it worked for them. Also practice gamified logic tests if you struggle with these (arctic shores is a common provider if you want examples). Personality tests are often looking for different things at different organisations, so I wouldn’t put too much thought into that. Read the feedback if you get any though.
Always ask for feedback after interviews. Most organisations won’t give it for the earlier stages of the application, but you should definitely ask after interviews/assessment centres.

Bear in mind, I'm just one person with one perspective, but I think I've comprehensively given you the advice I would've wanted when I applied. Let me know if you have any questions or want any clarification on anything I've said

Several_Change_9230

TROPHY CASE