Starting Out As A Social Media Apprentice

Making The Decision

At first, I was adamant that I wanted to go to University. My college tutors spoke everyday about how amazing university was and how it would be a one in a life time experience. I started looking into different universities and courses but none of them ticked all the boxes. I went to one open day at Leeds University and looked into an Information Technology course. I went with my mum and dad to the talk about the course and listened about the individual units. What I found quite surprising was that the tutor emphasised the importance of the work experience in the final year and how it was the best part of the course. This instantly made me think of an apprentice as the course didn’t focus on the aspect of Information Technology that I liked the most which was Digital Marketing. I had studied Information Technology at college for 2 years and found that this was my focus in life.

The World Of Apprenticeships

After being disappointed about University, I started looking into Apprenticeships. I applied to a few training providers who would look for suitable apprenticeships based on my area, sector and qualifications. I went for a few interviews with companies but found that a lot of them had no idea about Digital Marketing and wanted to start up from scratch and other companies were not something I felt passionate about or interested in. Eventually I found a Social Media Apprenticeship with a company called Blue Whale Media. It was a perfect fit as it was only around the corner from where I lived, they were based on web design and marketing which I felt strongly about, and they were a small family run business, so I knew I would get the experience and guidance I needed. Being the eager person, I am, I immediately rang the office and asked to speak to the managers. I was booked in for an interview with the help of the training provider, 3aaa Liverpool.

Interviews, Interviews and more Interviews!

Once I had my interview time and date, I started to prep to make sure I was fully prepared for any questions I would be asked. On the day, I headed to the Blue Whale Media office feeling very nervous but determined! When I walked in the office I was greeted by 2 lovely dogs and I instantly felt like this was the place for me – I absolutely love dogs! The interview took place in a meeting room with the two owners, Stef and Gary. I was asked many questions and I also got to show some statuses I had created as an example of my work as well as work I had completed at college. When the interview had finished, I was off to my next interview which was with 3aaa Liverpool. Usually this happens the other way around but because I was so persistent I had my interview for the job first! As I was on the train to 3aaa Liverpool, I received a call saying I had got the job. As you can tell, everything happening in one day was a big shock to me but I was over the moon as I must have made a good impression.

Starting at Blue Whale Media

On my first day I headed to the office at 9am sharp on Monday morning. I was given my own desk with all the stationary and equipment I needed. Stef the Operations Director, gave me a tour of the office, introduced me to all the members of staff and went through a few final documents. My first few tasks included setting up a work Facebook account for myself and creating 30 statuses promoting the services that Blue Whale Media offer. I also got to learn a lot of new skills through training provided by Steph and Gary. This consisted of a variety of things including WordPress, AdWords, SEO, PPC, Hootsuite, Photoshop and much more. As time went on, I found myself settling in and being able to complete tasks without the help on anyone else. For me, it was all about experience and getting the help from my managers as I believe most managers wouldn’t take the time to do this for their apprentices. I was also glad to be treated like a real member of the team who was valued and trusted with work for clients.

Where Am I Now?

So 2 years down the line and I have now progressed from a Social Media Apprenticeship to a Marketing Executive with my very own Marketing team. I am still here at Blue Whale Media and have gained many qualifications whilst working here including my Level 4 Digital Marketing. I am looking to develop within the company, focussing on more qualifications to complete. I am happy to have had this experience and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Blue Whale Media. My advice for anyone looking into Digital Marketing apprenticeships would be to make sure you find a company that you have interest in and think of it as a career and not just an income. If you would like to work at Blue Whale Media, contact our team to see what roles we have available at [email protected] or call 01925 552050 today!

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