Shelby was recently recruited as an apprentice for the government and wrote a fantastic piece on her recruitment experiences with us!
Before starting my apprenticeship, I was studying in sixth form and was planning on going to university to study business. I considered an apprenticeship and made my decision to choose this route on the basis that within the field of business, experience is hugely valuable, equal to or even more so than grades and higher education.
After I had applied for an apprenticeship opportunity in Government, I got a phone call from Katie at Hawk, who let me know about my upcoming interview. This was exciting because it was somewhere I'd love to work but at the same time I was very nervous so Hawk gave me a few days to prepare using lots of online resources.
Once the day of my interview came, I learned being nervous was unnecessary because once I stepped into the interview room, I was met by three very welcoming people. During the interview, I was very focused on projecting my strong qualities and showing them I was right for the job, I did this by giving examples of when and where I had used certain skills. A few hours later, I was very pleased to receive a phone call from Hawk informing me that Government wanted to meet me again.
The next interview was more like an informal chat and after meeting with a couple of employees, I was informed that I had got the job!
Overall I would say the whole process was much better that I had expected, it was less about what you know and the experience you have, and more about focusing on what you can do and what you can bring to the business. Now I can begin my career and focus on the future.
I would just like to say thank you to Hawk for all your help in supporting me gain my apprenticeship. The CV changes and the interview preparation was useful and I wouldn't have got this job without it!
My tips for anyone preparing for an apprenticeship interview would be:
1) Prepare and go over any questions you think you might be asked - sounds obvious but it's easy in those situations for your mind to go blank, I had a folder with any questions that could possibly be asked in it and that helped a lot!
2) Be confident when you talk to your interviewers and ask them questions too - make it clear how much you want the job and be confident that you know you can do it.
3) BE ON TIME
4) Tell your interviewers what you will bring to the company - it's an apprenticeship, they know you won't be a professional but it's good to show what kinds of skills you have and let them know that you're eager to learn more.
If you are interested in taking the same journey as Shelby, why not take a look at our vacancies and start your journey towards becoming an apprentice!