What was your apprenticeship experience like?

Yes, so I first became interested in apprenticeships when I was a talent manager within our People Experience (PX) team, and one of the tasks assigned to me was to investigate, research and present back how we could use apprenticeships as part of our talent strategy.

 It was at that point when my interest piqued in terms of what potential apprenticeships were applicable for me, as well as being suited to Advanced in terms of a partnership. That therefore meant that I was in the process of setting up Aston University as a supplier of apprenticeships to Advanced, whilst also applying to study myself at the university.

I really wanted to take on an MBA Degree Apprenticeship as I’d always been interested in doing one since completing my first degree in Economics & Business Management at Newcastle University. That’s why when the opportunity to take on an apprenticeship came along, I made sure to grab it with both hands!

How did you manage your apprenticeship alongside your BAU (Business at Usual) workload?

Fortunately, Advanced ensure that employees have time set aside that is specifically dedicated to off-the-job learning that equates to 20% of their working hours. I managed to balance the two commitments by making sure that I had lots of enthusiasm for both my role and the apprenticeship, and that I remained patient throughout the process.

I also had to ensure that I set boundaries and had the right expectations for myself in terms of workload, and organisation. But I would say that it was very busy at times; there were some weeks where I was in the depths of the course, having to work seven days straight to make sure that I was on top of everything.

However, what saw me through those more intense periods was the fact that I was really enjoying my role and I was relishing the opportunity to learn alongside my day job. Throughout the process, I did also receive unwavering support and encouragement from my people managers, and designated leadership mentor Sally Scott (Advanced’s Chief Marketing Officer), and I think that made a real difference.

Looking back, would you say it was a worthwhile experience?

Absolutely yes. Completing my apprenticeship was useful for various reasons: obviously there was the accolade of getting a distinction in an MBA, there was also a huge amount of networking involved throughout, meaning it gave me the opportunity to make some new friends and connections. Then finally being able to apply all the knowledge and skills that I learned at work made it all feel worthwhile.

I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now if it hadn’t had been for my apprenticeship. The course opened up my eyes to operational leadership and really piqued my interest and motivation to develop myself as a leader in that space. It was absolutely worthwhile, and I would recommend an apprenticeship journey to anybody!

Although I would say that it’s not for the faint-hearted because there is so much to juggle, as you’re effectively doing all your learning whilst working full-time, and as much as the business supported me, there were still competing priorities, deadlines, stress, and workload to contend with. That being said, I 100% wouldn’t change any of it – it was absolutely the right thing for me to do and was the right thing for my career.

Would you recommend taking an apprenticeship to someone?

The first thing I would say is, be really clear with what you’re trying to achieve and think about whether an apprenticeship can help you get there. I think that apprenticeships are a great way to learn, but there are always other alternatives out there.

An apprenticeship is a really interesting way of getting into work and having the opportunity to learn alongside being able to work, earn and kickstart your career! Therefore, I would definitely recommend it.

My key piece of advice for anybody who wants to develop their career is to take ownership. Nobody cares like you care. As soon as you accept that no one is going to do it for you; you need to exude main character energy in your career and take responsibility and ownership of your own career and personal development.

It's also really important to keep an open mind. You never know what’s around the corner, you’re career journey might not always be as linear and structured as you think it might be. It’s all about going out into the world and finding the things you like doing, and once you find that, it’s about getting better at doing them.

What impact did your apprenticeship have on your career?

It gave me confidence and awareness in equal measures, whilst also enabling me to review and see a new career path for myself outside of the space that I was working in previously. I loved working in the Advanced People Experience (PX) team, but my apprenticeship made me re-evaluate and realise what I wanted my next step to be, and that was an operational role, which I’m incredibly passionate about.