Marketing is an essential activity for all businesses. It allows you to celebrate what your company is all about, sharing your accomplishments and your message with the world. Lewis Jarvis is currently completing his Level 4 Marketing apprenticeship after recently finishing his Level 3 Digital Marketing apprenticeship.
Picking up where you left off
It seems like the decision to continue on to a Level 4 Marketing apprenticeship was an easy one for Lewis. He enjoyed the experience of his Digital Marketing Level 3 and knew the practical, on-the-job learning that comes with an apprenticeship worked for him. Lewis told us a bit more about his decision to continue on to his Level 4:
“This was a natural follow-on from the Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship I completed. I chose to do the Level 4 as it focused more on general marketing, not just the digital side of things. It also talks about a lot of the different theories behind it too. With the more general marketing knowledge I’d get from my Level 4, it’s more beneficial for me as it opens up a variety of new roles in the future.”
Lewis’ experience is an example of how one apprenticeship might not give you everything you need. He saw that the Level 4 would give him a wider understanding of marketing in general, putting him in a better position in the future. It’s always worth looking at the next level of an apprenticeship to see if there are any other skills you want to develop.
Expectation vs. reality
There’s always a perceived element of risk when choosing to pursue something new. We all have our preconceptions about how things might turn out and, sometimes, we’re right. However, more often than not – we’re proved wrong. Lewis experienced this first hand when starting his Level 3 Digital Marketing apprenticeship. He said that:
“I’ve really enjoyed the two years I’ve spent doing my Level 3 and now into my Level 4. I didn’t expect it to be this hands-on in terms of the actual job when I first started – I actually thought it would be a lot more training based than it is. I’m pleasantly surprised with how much on-the-job learning I’ve been doing.”
Being proved wrong isn’t always a bad thing – Lewis has benefitted greatly from the practical side of his apprenticeship and thoroughly enjoys it too. He also feels comfortable managing his time so he can comfortably complete his assignments:
“Ever since I started my apprenticeship, I’ve been supported well in terms of doing actual work and also my apprenticeship work. I’ve always found time for both so it’s not been a problem. In terms of how I manage the split of theory and practical work, I try and set out a few hours a week, depending on how busy I am with work, to do either individual studying or assignments.”
Looking to the future
An apprenticeship can be something you take on knowing how it’s going to help you in the future. Lewis, in particular, always has one eye on his future career prospects. He sees his apprenticeship as giving him a huge advantage over his peers:
“When wanting a full-time job when my apprenticeship ends, I’ll have two qualifications alongside three or so years of on-the-job experience to go along with it. The experience is a big thing as that’s what a lot of employers are looking for now. This is especially true if you compare me to someone who has just finished university with nowhere near the same in-office experience I’ll have gained.”
This is such a great way to think about an apprenticeship. It gives you the edge over others. If an employers places experience over university education, which many do, then an apprenticeship will make you stand out from the crowd. Lewis went even further when asked what advice he’d give to someone considering starting an apprenticeship:
“I would definitely recommend it as you get a good quality training service as well as getting experience on the way to a formal qualification. Also, getting paid along with it is a nice bonus too!”
Apprenticeships with the PM Law Group
We’re always looking to take on new employees through apprenticeships, just like Lewis. He applied for the role when he saw it advertised online and we’re grateful he did. Apprenticeships aren’t just for existing employees – we advertise them on our careers page, too!
