Denise and Preeti share their journey from GCSE and A-Level Results Day to Multiverse apprenticeship, plus their top tips for making a decision that’s right for you.
You may not have thought about doing an apprenticeship until Results Day – and that’s ok! Regardless of which way your marks went, apprenticeships are a fantastic option for kickstarting your career debt-free.
We teamed up with Apprentice Nation co-producer Multiverse to guide you through this option. Multiverse provides year-round access to exciting apprenticeships at leading global companies just like these. By signing up, get the chance to experience an outstanding alternative to uni with applied learning, 1:1 support, and social events!
Multiverse even have an Open Day on Tuesday 23rd August, so be sure to attend if you’re free (more details below).
Read on to hear Denise and Preeti’s journey from taking their results to making a decision that was right for them and thriving in their Digital Marketing apprenticeships at Mindshare and Google.
Ease yourself in with research
Take your time with the decision-making process, especially on an energy-filled day like results day. Preeti knows how important it is to celebrate your wins first.
“I hugged my teachers and then proceeded to call my parents to drop the news (AAA!). I felt super excited and ready to take on the next big challenge.”
When the adrenaline has worn off and you’ve celebrated your hard work, get to exploring your options. Take note of the reasons you may have wanted to go to university, stepped into a job, done an apprenticeship, or even taken a year out. Researching your options will continue to help you fill up that list and compare your options.
After receiving her 3 GCSE grades, Denise felt disheartened, so she took her first and second years of college to figure out whether university was right for her. At her first year college careers fair:
“Making the Leap, a charity that helps young people get into careers, told me to come to a summer school they had. I think that was the best experience I’ve had. My career coach told me that going into an apprenticeship may be good for me.”
Being open to advice and researching led Denise to her current Multiverse apprenticeship at a leading global media agency.
“Take time alone to figure out what you like, what you don’t like, what skills you have, and what pathways would interest you. Places like Apprentice Nation are amazing sources to go and find that help and support. “
Multiverse Open Day
Multiverse provide an outstanding alternative to university with their apprenticeship programmes. If you’re 16-24 then drop by for their open day on Tuesday 23rd August from 10am to 5pm. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn about their apprenticeship programmes and speak to members of their team. Find out more and register at this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/multiverse-apprenticeship-open-day-tickets-385679978197
Keen for more apprenticeship info now? Check out the Apprentice Nation Short Set Demystifying Apprenticeships and the latest Into the Booth webinar.
Consider both the long term and short term benefits
Your decision now won’t define your career path forever! You can always pick up university or an apprenticeship at a later date.
However, the benefits of an apprenticeship might be good for you at this time. While Preeti originally chose university after getting a place at London School of Economics, she dropped out after a few weeks.
“Given that I achieved the grades I was expected to, I was accepted by all my university choices, one of which was London School of Economics.
I went to university for 1 and a half weeks and realised I was already bored by the monotony of being in the classroom environment, studying a degree that I didn’t really see the benefit of in terms of future employability and prospects.
I decided to take an abrupt step and drop out. This is where I started looking for jobs and stumbled across apprenticeships and instantly knew (after some initial research) that this was the perfect blend between learning whilst also earning on the job.”
Apprenticeships offer you not only paid work experience, but you’re also earning qualification. 91% of qualified apprentices remain in full time employment, plus with Multiverse – 87% apprentices stay with their employers long-term, and 50% are promoted within six months.
“Some think that apprenticeships are only for people that fail their exams which is simply not true – these days you can also do a degree apprenticeship. “
Let yourself get excited about your dream role
Results day can be nerve-wracking simply because you’re faced with thinking about your future. It doesn’t have to be a daunting task, though – let’s make it exciting.
Throw limitations out the window. Who do you want to work for? How do you imagine spending your working day? Do a google search and keep an eye on any companies and roles that jump out at you. Regardless of marks, you’ve got the power to get there. Preeti says:
Stick with it! There’s an apprenticeship in almost every industry now whether you’re interested in Marketing, Sales, Software Engineering, IT, Business and Law. Do your research and find the companies and roles you want, and go for it. “
Denise also got excited by all the roles out there:
“There wasn’t just business and marketing apprenticeships – you can do apprenticeships in music, arts, engineering, so many things I didn’t know was possible”
Sign up to the Apprentice Nation newsletter to receive bi-weekly future-shaping opportunities to explore your career interests.
Getting those close to you on board
In a recent Apprentice Nation survey with lead partner BT, we found out that nearly 50% of young people are inspired by their friends and family whilst 40% actively seek advice from them.
It can really help to know that our friends and family back our decisions, but don’t worry if it takes a while to win them round.
If you’re worried about what they may think about an apprenticeship, take that list of research you’ve done and show it off. Both Preeti and Denise have been in this boat:
“It took some convincing as at the time apprenticeships were a taboo and not really common but nowadays, there are so many success stories you can see online to help fight your case if you are considering an apprenticeship. It’s a matter of proving that work experience is increasingly valuable and that’s something university won’t give you, so apprenticeships are great!”
“ I realised that a lot of outside pressure from friends and family members were pressuring me to go to university and that wasn’t what I wanted to do…but, if you can get work experience, get money, get a qualification, and have that all paid for you – why would you not take that leap of faith!
Will my results stop me from getting an apprenticeship?
Your results may not have gone the way you expected. But remember, grades don’t define you. There’s an apprenticeship out there for everyone AND you can do as many as you like, working your way up from Level 2 apprenticeships all the way up to Level 7 apprenticeships!
All providers are different, and we’d suggest checking out the Apprentice Nation Go Far page to explore these. For Multiverse, the minimum requirements to apply to career-starter roles are:
Five GCSE grades C-A* or equivalent, including English and Maths.
If you don’t have these grades right now, a Multiverse team member can help you find a short course to make up those marks, or there are plenty of other providers and employers that take no GCSEs, including the Co-op.
Head to the Skills Hub to hear from RAYE how you can think beyond your grades when applying to jobs.
Make the most of the resources available!
The resources are out there to help you make the right decision. Apprentice Nation makes that as easy as possible. Sign up now to receive content to help you, or simply get in touch hello@apprenticenation.co.uk for some advice.
Multiverse staff are a great place to start chatting about apprenticeships. They’ll talk you through all your options from stage 1 – even if a role with them isn’t right for you!
Preeti says about the process:
The resources are out there to help you make the right decision. Apprentice Nation makes that as easy as possible. Sign up now to receive content to help you, or simply get in touch hello@apprenticenation.co.uk for some advice.
“Multiverse is where I found the apprenticeship I’m currently on at Google and hands down, if it wasn’t for them providing this opportunity, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today and I’m beyond grateful. They’ve been supportive every step of the way and coached me throughout. “
Looking for more tips?
Check out these great tips from our partners at Rate My Apprenticeship, we’re sure you’ll find them useful: https://www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/advice/failed-exam-results-next-steps