I first developed an interest in business while studying it from year 9 at GCSE. We had a class trip to the Accenture Headquarters, and we had talks from various different people and I loved it. On that day I won an Alexa for my enthusiasm, and I knew the world of Business is what I wanted to do in the future.
I then took Business for my A levels and loved learning about it but was so eager to put all my knowledge into practice. Throughout my GCSEs and A Levels I had the same Business teacher who encouraged me so much as she knew I would thrive.
In year 12 we had to do some form of work experience. I had already had a few jobs in the past, alongside it being the pandemic, I thought virtual work experience would be fun to try something new. I found the spring pod website and there were loads of different courses. Now although I knew I wanted to do business, I wasn't sure what department was for me. I then came across the Marketing course and thought it would be good to try it out.
My experience with Springpod was great. There were loads of great, detailed information around marketing and many different activities to get us stuck in. What stood out to me was the live Webinars from industry professionals and I found this really engaging. It gave me a real taste of the different pathways business could lead me to. This affected my Career Direction because it showed me all the different places business can take you and that there are endless exciting opportunities.
Apprenticeships, especially in the Business world, are more competitive than ever. Dont expect to get the first one you apply for- you have to apply for loads! I got declined from a few which was a blessing in the end because I now have my dream job at Lloyds. The process is hard but if you want it badly enough you will get there in the end.
You may think you have to put on a front of who the employer wants you to be, but that's far from the truth. They are looking for people to be authentic and unique. Especially in the financial service industry, you may worry that you don't know a lot but that's absolutely fine. I didn't know anything about insurance and they don't expect you to. Be yourself and that will go a long way.
While being yourself is essential, you have to find the right balance. You also have to do your research- research the company e.g. their values, purpose etc... Being professional, be on time, reply to emails will all go a long way. Being prepared is vital as the interviews, assessment days aren't easy.
