Elizabeth Launches New Business Alongside Marketing Apprenticeship
Why did you decide to become an apprentice?
After 4 enjoyable and successful years of visual merchandising for two premium fashion brands, I was made redundant from my role during the pandemic. Due to worldwide store closures and the rise of online sales the retail industry made the decision to cut back on physical merchandising and focus on digital alternatives. With this change, visual merchandisers across all brands were placed in the same boat as me, with little to no alternate opportunities or progression in the field of visual merchandising and the added pressure of generic competition for permanent full-time roles at that time.
I decided to review my skills and interests to discover a future-proof career path to step into. Of course, my mind went straight to online/digital, but I also wanted something where I could continue to express my passion for design and creativity. I enjoy using social media and spend a lot of time online so I’m a bit tech-savvy already.
After some research, digital marketing was one of the areas I wanted to delve into further to find out if it would be a good fit. I took some online courses on Google's digital learning garage as a taster and was surprised at how well it linked in with some of my previous experience in merchandising.
As I had no direct experience or official qualifications, I knew it was going to be a challenge to go straight into a full-time and permanent position. College or university was not really an option for me, I already studied in the past for Fashion Design & Textiles and found it was not that beneficial to my career prospects and lacked the practical experience that you gain from being in an actual role working for a company. I also had to consider the fact I have a mortgage and bills to pay so I need a steady income, therefore I then turned to the option of becoming an apprentice.
How have you found the course?
I’ve found the course to be beneficial to me so far, I love the flexibility and fact that the course is remote. However, you do miss out on any group work or activities and socialisation with others that are on the same course as you. We have created a WhatsApp group to connect with one another and discuss our progress on the course along with our businesses and industries.
The monthly meetings with my coach are so helpful as we use the time to run through a new area of the course and then I have the chance to ask questions and discuss how things are going. I believe the meetings could be a little longer, so we had more time to review the previous month's work together before jumping into the next assignment straight away.
Plans after completing your apprenticeship?
Upon completion of my apprenticeship, I am going to keep my options open, although I plan on staying at Boffix for the time being I will also be looking for available opportunities in the fashion industry that make use of my newly gained skills.
As much as I am enjoying my time at Boffix, the biggest challenge has been the change of industry, marketing services instead of physical products that I have a real passion and interest for.
The areas of digital marketing in which I would like to focus my time on or specialise in would be branding, content creation, social media and email. So, these would be the types of roles I would be looking out for but also the areas I would want to continue to cover at Boffix.
If I do decide to remain at Boffix I would also consider expanding my skills further with the possibility of additional courses and qualifications that may be beneficial to my career progression. Graphics design is another path I was considering previously, and I may want to try that out.
In addition, I have also had the idea to start my own business and launch a lingerie brand. One of the benefits of working at Boffix and in a completely new industry is the skills and knowledge I have also gained in business management and accountancy. Starting my own business would incorporate all my skills and allow me to fully embrace my interests and passions at the same time. It would have to be something I’d do part-time and grow alongside whatever role I end up in.
How have you found working with DBC?
I know there are people I contact if I have any concerns and how to reach them easily. My training coach has been very supportive throughout and sends additional resources regularly such as tips and tricks related to my position and general marketing trends and updates.
In conclusion, I would recommend DBC Training to those looking to becoming an apprentice or those looking to hire an apprentice for their business.