Before The Apprenticeship

Before I joined Inspira, I studied; Maths, French and Art at A-Level at Ullswater Community College, while working as a part-time pot wash at my local pub.

Studying A-Levels was a real challenge for me and it was a huge jump from GCSEs!

I found myself always stressing about deadlines, coursework and exams. I also put a massive amount of pressure on myself to achieve the grades I was aiming for, and would give myself a really hard time if I didn't reach them.

This experienced really deterred me from the idea of attending university, because I didn't want the same anxieties and pressures following me there too!

Despite this, my school and family still pushed me to apply for university (which I ended up doing) and I actually got offers back from all my choices! However, my mind was still set on not going to uni, so I started exploring other options... Apprenticeships.

Why An Apprenticeship?

Well, at first I thought it was a scam! It had to be, it was too good to be true! You're telling me I can:

Gain on-the-job experience in the industry that excited me
Studying towards a free qualification
Earn while I learn
Receive ongoing support from my employer
Networking opportunities
Paid annual leave

Sign me up!

Why Marketing?

Having a passion for art, I knew I wanted a career that would allow me to be creative. This led to me deciding that I wanted to pursue a career in Marketing.

Marketing was perfect for me, as it's so varied -I'd never get bored- and it would allow me to develop a range of different skills.

Finding My Apprenticeship

So, after realising an apprenticeship was going to be the right course of action for me, I started looking online for marketing apprenticeships near me. This is when I discovered Inspira...

I came across their marketing apprenticeship vacancy on social media, and began researching the company. I knew straight away I wanted to work with Inspira; helping people reach their potential, helping young people uncover their futures and just playing a part to help my community.

What's more I felt I would be perfect for the role, as I could identify with one of Inspira's key demographics -young people.

I applied for the position, through Carlisle college (who were the training provider for the apprenticeship). They then sent me an apprentice application to fill in and return along with my CV. The form asked questions like my previous work experiences, my grades and some of my key achievements, it was very similar to my original CV.

A few days later I received a call from the college who gave me some exciting news... I'd been invited for a job interview!

I began preparing right away, doing research on how to prepare for an interview, reviewing common interview questions and I even read upon some of the interview advice Inspira has on their website!

As excited as I was, the nerves began creeping in leading up to the big day...

Despite my nerves, the interview went really well and at the end of it I had to do a short social media task, where they could assess my current knowledge and skills.

A few days later, I was offered the job!

A Day In My Life

In my day-to-day role as a marketing apprentice I work within a marketing team, and help carry out tasks such as:

Updating the Inspira website
Co-ordinating Inspira's social media channels
Creating graphic designs for a range of purposes, including posters, infographics and social media content

as well as having a some office administrative responsibilities too, such as helping out on the phone lines every once in a while.

I'm based at Inspira head office, which is where you'll find me 3 days a week. I work from home one day, and spend one day per week at college working towards my apprenticeship.

I really enjoy coming into work as the atmosphere is so positive; everyone is so lovely and every day is unique, so I never feel like the days repeat themselves.

Sometimes I even get out and about on the job! At the end of 2022, I had the opportunity to attend a careers fair event, where I was able to speak to a few young people myself, and take photos for our social medias. It was a lot of fun!

Why I Would Recommend An Apprenticeship

I would definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship, as it's a fantastic way of getting key experience in the sector you want to have a career in, you meet a lot of interesting people, and you receive so much support, both from your employer and the college or education facility you attend to as well.