There is a question I have been asked several times over, quite understandably so actually.
That is, why am I doing an apprenticeship as a 25-year-old?
Surely, you can’t become an apprentice in your 20s?
It has to be unheard of.
Actually, it isn’t. Completely the opposite, actually.
I have to admit, I wasn’t fully aware of it being an option at this age either. That is, until I found and applied for the role.
So, why an apprenticeship now?
The simple answer? I felt it was the best option for me.
However, to go deeper into this and provide the context you deserve, I want to take you back a few years.
Back in 2017, when I was 19 years old, I landed my first paid job, working for a digital agency in my local town as a Digital Marketing Apprentice.
Even that is going to raise questions.
“Wait, you have been an apprentice before?”
Yes, I have, but stick with me, as I’ll explain everything.
I started working at this agency in August of 2017. At this point, I was still working through some of the barriers I was personally facing, which were affecting the confidence I had in myself.
Up until that year, I had never thought about a career in digital marketing.
To be honest, it was still in the early stages of becoming a growing industry. In a way, it very much still is at that stage, just slightly further along on the journey.
It was only through blogging and the experiences I had gained through doing this that helped me conclude that I could do this as a job and build a thriving career from it.
Clearly, it worked.
I started working my way through the apprenticeship materials. I completed all assignments and was undertaking the work set for me within the office as well.
Although I completed a digital marketing apprenticeship that generalised digital marketing as a whole, I knew from the get-go that I wanted to specialise.
I loved content. Blogging gave me that passion for writing long form content and the community side of marketing, as well as experimenting with social media practices.
I knew that was the way I wanted to progress in my career. I couldn’t see any other option for me.
By the end of the 15-month apprenticeship, just as I was coming to the end, the company delivering the apprenticeship went into liquidation, so I was unable to receive the qualification I had worked towards.
Slipped out of my reach. It truly felt disheartening.
But regardless, I stayed with the agency.
I stayed for an additional 3 and a half years in the role of Digital Marketing Executive, so even without the qualification, the proof of my work had not gone unnoticed.
However, by mid-2020, I knew I could no longer stay where I was.
It was the feeling of reaching my ceiling. I couldn’t progress any further where I was.
It was like being stuck.
I had to make a decision. Stay stuck or move forward and continue.
Over the next couple of years, I would go on to take on two more roles. Both of which were not what I wanted out of my career path.
Both left me feeling stagnant and with the thought that maybe I should have stayed where I was previously.
But here’s the thing: sometimes you must face what you don’t want to get to where you do want.
And low and behold, I found the job I am in now.
I was out of work for maybe a month before I came across the Digital Content Apprentice position at my local council.
It was perfect.
A chance to get my foot back in the door and finally earn the qualification I wanted in the field of my choosing as well as being specialised in content marketing.
I could not have written it better myself.
Even now, after a few years of experience, I am still learning and discovering things about the industry.
There is something new all the time.
I love that about my job.
So, there you have it. I may not have intended to be doing an apprenticeship at my current age of 25, but I am so glad I am.
It’s opened me up to new ideas, new ways of thinking, and a chance to expand my skillset further and improve myself personally.
A win-win situation!
As a final thought, I realise apprenticeships will not be the choice for everyone, but if you are unsure of the route you want to take, it is worth finding out more about what they can offer you and your career.
Even if, like me, you are coming into it at an age you would not think would be accepted, you’d be happily surprised. I’ll have you know that between 2021 and 2022, 47% of UK apprentices were over 25.
You can take that one to the bank.
Always here to help.
If you have any questions or wish to leave a thought on apprenticeships or the route you took into your career, let me know below. Be great to chat!
Chloe Lauren.
Life Past Twenty Four 