Not everybody has to have a degree to get into marketing – our team is proof of this. One other career pathway is an apprenticeship, which is becoming a popular alternative to university, with gov.uk reporting a 2.9% increase in people participating in an apprenticeship from Aug-Oct 2022, compared to the year before.

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we’re sharing the career journey of our content manager, Katie. Starting out in marketing as an apprentice, she’s worked her way up to where she is with us today.

Tell us a bit about your apprenticeship

I applied to be a copywriting apprentice at ao.com back in 2017. As an apprentice, I had the opportunity to rotate roles within copywriting – from campaign writing to UX projects. My qualification however was in digital marketing, meaning I gained the skills and context around other roles that sat within the marketing department too. This gave me a wide understanding of marketing as a whole, and how it fits within my job role.

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?

The pivotal point in deciding on an apprenticeship was attempting to write a personal statement for university. I took English language, business studies, and creative writing as my options, and I knew I wanted to include all aspects in my future. Undecided on which subject I preferred; I decided to take a break from the stress of education.

I always loved the idea of stepping back from academics and learning on the job, but because I didn’t have a set career in mind, I found it hard to search for one. I just so happened to come across copywriting on a career website and loved the sound of the role. I found and applied for the apprenticeship role at AO, and I’ve not looked back since.

The theme of National Apprenticeship Week is ‘Skills for life’. What skills do you think your apprenticeship gave you?

A really unique part of an apprenticeship that other people don’t get is that you learn more than just your job role. For me, that meant I was able to gain greater insight and appreciation for wider teams, but for others, it showed them exactly where they wanted to specialise within marketing.

Two other main skills I gained from my apprenticeship are confidence and communication. Your employer wants you to be a key member of the team, and in my case, I was encouraged to build on public speaking to set me up for success in the future.

After your apprenticeship, how did you get to where you are now?

I continued to work as a copywriter at ao.com, centering my role around blog and UX writing. After a while, I decided I wanted to channel my creativity into idea creation and looking at the bigger picture, so took an internal step into Content Marketing. In this role, I focused on the strategy and planning of content pages.

After 5 and a half years at AO, I made my move to Active Profile as Content Manager. The role has combined the best parts of my past roles, with a mix of strategy, planning, and writing content for both AP and clients.

How do you think your apprenticeship helped you reach your current role?

The apprenticeship didn’t teach me the skills to become a copywriter – I gained that from learning on the job like any entry role – however, it did give me valuable marketing knowledge that I can take into any future job, and it opened a world of content strategy that I may have only discovered later into my career. Ultimately, I don’t think I’d be where I am today without it.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship/ about to go into an apprenticeship?

My biggest piece of advice would be to ask questions and absorb everything going on around you. All information is valuable and you’ll learn from every little bit you take in. Also, view your apprenticeship as a bonus to your current and future employers – apprenticeships offer a valuable view of a business and unique skills that very few people have.

Finally, what advice would you give to companies looking to hire their own apprentice?

More often than not, apprentices have the drive and passion to learn and thrive within your business – it’s a great opportunity to shape a blank canvas and show them all the skills they’ll need to help the business succeed. Before committing, make sure you have the management and time in place to train them, or else it will waste both of your time.