Tell us a bit about yourself...
Hi! I’m Izzy and I’m 18 years old. I now live in London and am in the process of starting out a new job being the new Business Administration Apprentice for the London Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (LAAN). I’m relatively new to the world of work but the opportunity of working and learning was a seamless transition and one of the best decisions I could have taken as a young professional. I’m eager to experience what’s next to come; not only in my new role in the LAAN but as I grow as a member of a great team and learn from the mentors around me. From the day I stepped into the office for the interview for the role, I felt welcomed and supported, one of the key attributes I felt was important to accept the job. I wanted a kickstart to my career and I have definitely achieved that. Completing this apprenticeship will give me a huge sense of pride, confidence in my own ability at a professional job as well as a step up when the time comes to venture into furthering my career in the future.
Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
Without the obvious reasons of an apprenticeship being an excellent gateway to access a company or career path without initially starting out going to university, the fact that once I’d be able to prove myself as responsible, young professional within the working environment is just one of the reasons that I decided to pursue an apprenticeship. I also wanted the opportunity to essentially get ‘stuck in’ right away giving me experience in the business industry, learning from other respected professionals as guidance as I start out my own career. When the pandemic struck, I was a student in sixth form, learning from home and spending a lot of time indoors gave me the time to reflect on my own about where I was going in life and how I wanted to change that. The deadline of university applications drawing close made me quickly realise that attending wasn’t really on my agenda. In all honesty, I felt a little lost as I didn’t really know what to do and wasn’t aware of the vast options of apprenticeships out there. Once I began to research apprenticeships that interested me, my values and where I saw myself in my future career, I have never looked back. Gaining this apprenticeship has essentially changed the course of my life for the better, and the chance to work with an organisation with a strong focus on apprenticeships on a whole, has left me feel proud being part of the team.
What were your initial thoughts on starting the apprenticeship?
Starting something new I was totally apprehensive. A new job, new environment and new people was a daunting process. However, throughout the whole process from applying, to the interview, then onto my first week in the office, I have gained so much confidence, which has even surprised myself! I wasn’t sure what to expect at all, which worried me a little, but I had to remember that being an apprentice meant I was there to learn on the job and that I didn’t need any prior experience. Everyone has been so welcoming and encouraging that the prior anxieties have gone, now after completing my first week, I am just excited to see where this apprenticeship journey can take me and how much I can grow with this fantastic opportunity.
What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship?
My first bit of advice to someone considering an apprenticeship is to go for it! As simple as it is, just even looking and researching into apprenticeships that you may be interested in, even if you’re considering attending university should be done as you have nothing to lose and could be pleasantly surprised. There are so many different types of apprenticeships out there that there will be something that suits everybody. While apprentices may be a competitive field, remembering that while you may not get the first apprenticeship that you’d have liked, another one will come up. I know first-hand it can be quite disappointing but being confident and assured of your own skill set will always work out in your favour in the end. As cliché as it sounds, the bit of advice I would give to someone starting an apprenticeship would be that while today may not be your day, there’s always tomorrow. A starting out apprentice has nothing to lose and everything to gain!
What are your long-term career goals?
The future career goal of possibly extending the job and transferring the learnt skills of my apprenticeship into a permanent future career would be an ultimate career goal. But being successful in everyday tasks and doing them to the best of my ability and beyond in some cases is an all-round goal I’m looking to achieve to be a successful member of the team. However, the ultimate goal would be to attain a leadership role, establishing the steps to show that I would make a great team leader is the hard part, but it would be worth it to do a ‘full circle’ and show new apprentices another example of how successful apprenticeships can be and being a mentor to those following in similar footsteps to mine.
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