Is an apprenticeship worth the time and investment? Eloise reflects over her first six months as a digital marketing Apprentice here at 4CM.
Before I embarked on my journey as an apprentice, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a career. I enjoyed creative topics at school like art, design and English, so after sixth form, I ventured off to university to try out graphic design. In my final year, I specialised in advertising, this eventually led me to marketing and I started to realise how much I enjoyed the subject. It suited me and my style of learning compared to creative advertising, and I couldn’t wait to learn more.
After graduating in the summer of 2020, at the centre of the pandemic. I wanted to gain some work experience at different agencies to get a feel for what type of marketing I would enjoy and for what sort of company I wanted to work for but covid had other plans… no one was offering such a thing due to most offices working from home. So, I worked in a local supermarket for nearly a year, keeping myself occupied during lockdown but also gaining transferable skills along the way whilst I looked for the right marketing opportunity.
A connection of mine on LinkedIn had reached out with potential apprenticeship openings and this really interested me, I had never considered an apprenticeship before. The opportunity to learn and work at the same time inspired me and I immediately knew it would be the perfect opportunity to kick my marketing career off on the right foot.
Home life to office life
Working as a Digital Marketing Apprentice has been an insightful experience so far. My first month working at 4CM exceeded my expectations. I didn’t know what to expect as I’d never worked in an office environment before but I’m adjusting well to office life (even if I’ve been having slightly too many coffees and biscuits).
For me, a typical day consists of planning and scheduling social media posts for clients on Twitter or LinkedIn, sending press releases to the relevant publications on behalf of clients, searching for recent press coverage, collating coverage reports, client research, helping with proof-reading and general admin tasks such as answering the phone and checking emails. However, every day is different, and I never know exactly what each day will bring.
Face-to-Face to virtual
I’ve also experienced what office life is like post-pandemic, with video meetings, a mixture of working from home and in the office, and all the covid protocols that go along with working in a shared office space during this time. I also experienced an in-person exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham, CHEM UK, finding out for the first time what it’s like to be with clients face-to-face, listening to industry talks and getting a feel for the industry atmosphere.
My working week is supported by a full day of training at college where I have been studying the fundamentals of digital marketing. So far, I have been covering the basics such as the 7Ps (which if you didn’t know, the 7Ps are Product, Place, Price, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence) I’ve also been learning about government laws around advertising and data protection. Additionally, being able to discuss these topics with peers who are at the same stage in their career as me is insightful, we draw on each other’s experiences and learn about each other’s fields such as SEO or social media marketing, discussing their thoughts on the industries they work in and what they get up to on a day-to-day basis. My studies and work intertwine with each other, and I apply what I learn at college into my work at 4CM, so the structure of the apprenticeship works effectively in supporting my learning throughout.
I have gained a considerable amount of knowledge so far in just six months at 4CM and I can’t wait to learn more. I look forward to creating more content for social media marketing, writing copy for blogs, and working directly with clients. So far, this apprenticeship has been a wholly positive experience and I can’t wait to gain my level 3 qualification and progress further in my marketing career.
