When coming out of full-time education you're expected to know there and then what you want to do with the rest of your life. It can be daunting but you can only work it to your advantage. One of the most important things to consider when choosing your career path is what you actually want to do for the rest of your life, what are you good at and more importantly, what do you enjoy?
With tuition fees constantly rising, young people are finding themselves wondering whether the £30k debit is worth it. Without even starting their degree, universities expect thousands of pounds from students forcing them in to a life of paying off massive debts. The ‘student life’ can seem tempting with constant parties and social opportunities, but is that really what you’re paying for? If you’re going to get yourself in debt up to your eyeballs, you may want to avoid spending it on nights out and cheap kebabs.
During the decision of my career choice, I sat myself down and asked, where do I see myself in a few years? I decided I liked to socialise and work closely with the valued opinions of important people. That led me straight down the path of PR and marketing. But would sitting in a classroom every day really benefit me in such a ‘hands-on’ field of work? It was with this thought that I decided to really explore my options and do some research in to the benefits of university in comparison to an apprenticeship.
One of the largest benefits for me when considering an apprenticeship was the diverse mixture of education and work based learning. With the chance to settle in to two different atmospheres, an apprenticeship was the best of both worlds for me. With marketing and PR being my first career choice, it was then that I was introduced to the hard-working team of the Jammy Dodgers! After applying for a place to become the next Digital Marketing Assistant at JAM Marketing, I received a call back and passed my initial interview. I thought I had done my research to its full extent; however, the world of digital marketing is a lot more complex than I had first understood. You may think that digital marketing involves posting on Facebook and Twitter for a living, but I can tell you first hand, you are wrong. With constant hustle and bustle in the office, the Jammy Dodgers have truly shown me how much work is put in to a marketing business to make it successful.
On my first day, I expected to be making coffees and changing printing toner due to the exceeding reputation of apprentices being given tedious tasks to fill the time. However, I was thrown straight in the deep and accepted as a valuable member of the team straight away. My responsibilities involve writing posts for multiple clients across social media platforms such as, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest. As well as this, I am sometimes given the delightful task of writing editorials and blogs on behalf of our clients; this is one of my favourite jobs! When I started JAM I was very surprised to be trusted with the task of writing for clients however, when I completed my first blog, the client had no changes to make and it was published soon after. I was ecstatic and well praised within the office team. After being given the task of writing, it was then that I was shown that an apprenticeship does not always consist of faxing, copying and being told what to do in an unappreciative manner.
When choosing the path to your future, do your research. Do you work better in a learning environment? If so, possibly starting your first steps at a university would be more suited, but is the money worth it? When applying for university, sit and think about how much effort you are willing to put in to your course? If you’re not going to attend classes or put in the work, a place at university would be a waste and someone else may really use it to its full potential. If you’re like me and prefer a more ‘hands on’ approach to work, an apprenticeship may really compliment your future aspirations.
