Why I Chose to do an Apprenticeship #NCW22
After leaving school, I went on to study English literature, Media and philosophy at Derby
College. I had somewhat, taken my GCSE’S for granted, believing A levels couldn’t be that hard. I was wrong. I completed my two years with two C’s and a D. I felt uninspired and knew I needed some time out of education. So, I took a gap year, working at M&S on the weekend and spending the money I earnt, Monday to Thursday.
Even though I took a break, I knew I would always return to education and I thought university was the only option. I held the belief that if I didn’t have a degree, I wouldn’t be able to succeed and I didn’t know that apprenticeships were even available for the career I wanted to pursue.
So, during a pandemic, I enrolled at Nottingham Trent university to study a joint honor in English Literature and media. A year went by, 120 credits later and I felt I had learned nothing. I had no money, little experience of the field I wanted to work in and I felt I was wasting my time. My whole university experience was tainted and all I wanted was to be back in a fast- paced working environment. University just wasn’t for me, and it seemed a bitter pill to swallow. All my friends were working hard to get there degrees and I was failing.
Until, I found the perfect apprenticeship!
Digital marketing assistant at DBC training.
It combined my love of media and writing, allowing me to be creative and feel a part of something big, something special, something important. It wasn’t a far cry from what I had been studying in Nottingham, but it felt so much more tangible than the piece of paper I would’ve received after three years. I knew I needed this job. Gaining my level three in digital marketing whilst gaining eighteen months experience in the field. You can’t simulate the working world, it has to be real.
One month in to my Apprenticeship and already, I have met an incredible team of people who have allowed me to pursue my hobbies, who push me forward and who are always there to give direction when I need it. I feel truly valued and appreciated at DBC and I am so happy that I made the decision to start again. I wouldn’t change my journey for the world, but I am certain that now, I am truly on the right track.
Amelia Finch
Digital Marketing Assistant
DBC