Apprentice to professional: My story
Looking back to my first day as an apprentice, I was nervous, had a lack of confidence and was unsure about what it would be like to step into the PR world. Fast forward to today and I have learned so much, not just about PR but myself too. The apprenticeship journey has been fantastic, helping me grow in a professional environment at work whilst also learning through my course, other apprentices and course leaders.
The journey hasn’t always been easy with mistakes made in the process but overall, they have shaped me into who I am today. Luckily for me I have been supported by two fantastic mentors, one from FZUK and one from the PRCA, whose knowledge and guidance has been instrumental in helping me achieve my apprenticeship. Throughout the last 18 months, they have been efficient in responding to my queries, which has allowed me to build a strong relationship with both, making me feel comfortable coming to them for advice both professionally and personally.
From a work perspective, from day one I have felt like a true member of the team, immediately going from apprentice to professional, taking part in key tasks such as creating written content, pitching, managing multiple social media accounts and much more. I have also been given many opportunities such as travelling with the team to exhibitions in Scotland and Germany which has helped me learn about the industry and gather my independence. Ultimately, these experiences have shaped me and grown my confidence, particularly in pitching as I at first felt uncomfortable at the thought of this task, however after some guidance and support from my mentor and PRCA training I kept persisting and now can say I thoroughly enjoy this and interacting with the media.
As I look back on my apprenticeship, there have been many highs, although it hasn’t all been smooth sailing and blue skies as I’ve needed to show plenty of hard work and determination to complete my PRCA coursework, which has consisted of late nights, many weekends working and the stress of meeting deadlines. However, this has all been crucial in my process of becoming a PR professional as this was able to prepare me for my end point assessment, one last push to achieve my qualification, 12 weeks of gathering evidence, preparation for my presentation, practice interviews and applying the evidence all into one perfect document before the great sense of relief and pride of submitting this for the final time.
The apprenticeship journey has been fantastic with my favorite part being the networking during my time on the scheme. I have met lots of people but attending the face to face courses has been a real stand out for me as I have been able to gain great insight about the structure and format of the course from both my training and fellow apprentices, not to mention the tasty cooked lunch which is also provided.
Overall, for anyone looking to get into PR or just starting their careers, I couldn’t recommend an apprenticeship more. With dedication, patience, hard work and a strong willingness to learn the rewards are endless, from gaining valuable experience both professionally and personally to achieving a recognised Level 4 qualification, I have developed so much. My apprenticeship may have come to an end but the life experiences I have had have been influential in making me who I am today, gaining a huge boost in professional factors such as my problem solving, teamwork and communication skills as well as the huge benefits for me personally such as my confidence, independence and ability to network with others and create strong relationships.