“I love what I do!”

Jayé discovered Apprentice Nation on Instagram and immediately connected with its vibe, thanks to the presence of music artists like RAYE, Krept & Konan and Ghetts who helped her feel right at home!

After attending the Apprentice Nation concert with Headie One, gaining hands-on work experience with Lucozade and Crowd DNA, and levelling up her skills with the Youth Advisor’s Network, Jaye launched her own creative production business. Fast forward to May 2024 and she was the photographer for Apprentice Nation’s Skills Fest at the BT Tower. As you’ll see from the imagery, she did an amazing job! Plus she’s got some great advice on how to keep growing into the person you want to be.

What was your first Apprentice Nation experience?

I came along to the concert hosted by Remel London at The Clapham Grand with Headie One, Jaz Karis, and Berwyn performing. The best part? Besides the music, there was pizza! When events have food, it makes me think, yeah, this is the place to be. It showed they got me and all the other young people there too..

Tell us a bit more about the work experience days, and how they impacted your career journey?

With Crowd DNA, we focused a lot on understanding target audiences and how to reach them. It taught me the importance of knowing your audience and effectively conveying your message. I also picked up soft skills like presenting and networking.

The Lucozade day was super fun too. We talked about everything from ideation to product development and even created a drink in the lab! I learned so much about teamwork, logical thinking, and creative problem-solving.

It was a fantastic opportunity to understand corporate branding, campaigns, and product development—things you usually don’t learn until you’re on the job. This has really helped me to develop and build my own brand.

How was your experience with Apprentice Nation’s Youth Advisors Network (YAN)?

As a YAN member, I had one-to-one sessions, with an Apprentice Nation team member as well as group sessions with other members. These really helped me find my purpose and set goals.

During one call, I mentioned my photography and my interest in any opportunities with Apprentice Nation. I sent over some samples of my work, and since I’d been improving my networking skills and confidence, it felt easier to promote myself.

I let Apprentice Nation know I could deliver! So, when they reached out about a photography job for Skills Fest, I was thrilled and jumped at the chance.

What was the best thing about being an Apprentice Nation photographer for a day?

It was amazing to meet the team and hang out with people I’d met at other events or online. I loved taking all the photos and really enjoyed the performances. Networking afterwards was super rewarding too!

Finally, what tips and advice would you give to someone who wants to set up their own business?

  • Don’t feel as though you have to put yourself in a box. Be true to yourself and open to trying out new things.
  • Put yourself in challenging situations: Without being uncomfortable, there’s no growth I’ve definitely been in a lot of challenging situations myself that have helped me to grow and enabled me to share my learning with others.
  • Embrace new experiences: Once you go through a lot of experiences in different areas of your life, you get to get a better understanding and get wisdom on how to become better than your past. That’s what shapes you as a person.
  • Keep networking: Don’t be afraid to reach out to people with your ideas or proposals. It might take a few tries before someone listens or takes notice but if you’re well prepared and have a good offer, you just have to be patient.
  • Put the work in! I’ll be real, you need to put the time in because things don’t just get handed to you. It takes a lot of hard work!  

Apprentice Nation is a free platform for 16-24 year olds that provides them with the tools to shape your future and develop your career skills. By signing up you will get access to free videos and events featuring UK artists such as Headie One, RAYE, Cat Burns and AJ Tracey.

You can then earn credits to unlock rewards including exclusive mentor sessions.
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