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Find the right career pathway #GEW2020

This Global Entrepreneurship Week we're catching up with former PR apprentices to hear how their career has emerged since successfully completing their apprenticeship.

Unlike the majority of students at my school, it was clear in my mind that university was not a path that would suit me. I believed it would not complement how I learn best nor my future aspirations. With this in mind, I left school at the end of my first year of A-Levels with the goal of getting a job in an industry that I loved.

A few weeks after leaving school, I was incredibly fortunate to be given the opportunity to gain work experience in the heart of Westminster for a prestigious Public Relations agency, where I worked for a couple of months before joining a Government volunteer programme in Kenya for 3 months.

When I returned, I knew I wanted to expand my knowledge and experience in the PR industry, but I also knew university was still not the right avenue for me and wouldn’t support my preferred learning style. That is when I was given the fantastic opportunity to start my PRCA apprenticeship journey with the PR agency I had previously worked for and consequently been inspired by.

Within my apprenticeship role, I had the opportunity to be hands-on in all elements of the exciting and fast-paced business, from press releases to face-to-face client proposal meetings. In addition, I was able to apply all the knowledge and experience I was gaining from my day-to-day work to my coursework and therefore complete my qualification.

It is becoming more and more clear that each individual learns in different ways, and for me I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect balance. My PRCA apprenticeship journey involved copious amounts of hard work, some late nights and lots of cups of coffee, but it was worth every minute to have worked with some exceptional people and to have gained so much experience.

I began my PRCA apprenticeship back in August 2016 and since then I have worked in a variety of agencies where I have continued to learn and build on my experience as an apprentice. I am delighted to have recently accepted a role with a prestigious Soho based Communications agency even during these difficult times. I am certain that the skills I developed as an apprentice contributed greatly to this and, without the support and experience I gained in Westminster and from the PRCA, I wouldn’t be where I am today.