Do your research and be strategic
Whatever you do, don’t just apply for anything and everything you can in the hope that something sticks! It’s important to be at least a bit selective and apply some strategy to your apprenticeship application process.
Really spend the time researching different opportunities and the companies offering them. Which ones do you feel excited about? Which ones do you really see yourself fitting into? Which ones would you feel a bit gutted about not getting?
Those are the opportunities you apply for.
Nail your application
We could probably dedicate an entire section of our blog to what aceing your application could include but for the sake of keeping things short and sweet here are a few starting points:
- Read ALL instructions on the website/application guidelines and follow them EXACTLY.
- Get a careers advisor, parent, teacher or someone in the know to help you.
- Proofread EVERYTHING at least twice.
- Ask some successful apprentices for their tips on nailing it!
Don’t dismiss the interview preparation
Don’t wait until you have an interview to panic and try and cram preparing into a week (or less!). You can start prepping NOW for the common interview questions, practice talking confidently about your skills and experience, and do some background research into the roles you really want.
That way when an interview does land your way, you’ll already feel pretty ready to take on the challenge. Don't forget to take a look at what to take to your apprenticeship interview.
Show some passion
It’s really easy for us to throw this in as a tip but what does it really look like when it comes to your application or interview? Well, as you asked:
- Do some micro-courses online on specific areas of the role/industry you want to work in(it’ll look great on your resume AND give you something to talk about at the interview!).
- Join a team, hobby group or some other extracurricular thing that helps your skills development (think teamwork, communication, managing deadlines).
- KNOW your chosen industry - keep up to date in the latest news, chat to people in the industry, attend networking events or open days - it will all give you talking points and help you stand out as someone who’s passionate about what they want to do.
Keep applying!
Apprenticeships are a competitive market, especially when it comes to degree apprenticeships. It’s as simple as that. You might land the first opportunity you apply for - or you might not. Either way, it doesn’t make you any less amazing.
Resilience is a great personality to trait to develop. Tackling application rejections can be demotivating, but see it as an opportunity to build this trait.
Ask for feedback. Learn from the experience. And keep applying!
You’ll get there.
Get started by applying for some roles below!
