Impostor syndrome

Quite a few degree apprentices suffer, at times, from impostor syndrome. This is an irrational feeling: you made it through the selection process and got the required grades. Your employer should be grateful that they made such a great hire!

Adapting to a professional environment

A professional workplace is almost incomparable to life as a sixth-form student. In school, you might have been a big fish in a small pond. In the workplace, you have to start at the bottom. You’ll be working with a diverse group of people. Listen and observe how seasoned professionals act in the office and interact with each other.

The basics

Arrive early every day and stay until the job is done. Dress smartly, smile and embrace a can-do attitude. Do these things consistently, and your reputation will soar.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges degree apprentices face is learning how to balance the demands of full-time work with university study. Apprentices juggle two worlds: the professional expectations of the workplace and the academic rigour of a degree. Finding the right balance will take time.

Study time

You will have quiet times and busy times (e.g. coursework deadlines). Keep the lines of communication open with both your employer and your university. For example, if you have an academic deadline, make sure your work colleagues and line manager are aware of this additional pressure. Most employers will be understanding and flexible.

Every day is a school day

At university, you will have access to the latest academic research and thinking. In your workplace you will be surrounded by bright and very experienced work colleagues. You need to become a sponge - spend as much time as possible with the smartest people in the room. If you do, you will become smarter (almost by osmosis). Also, ask questions. The early stage of your career is when it’s okay to ask dumb questions. Yes, they do exist!

Progression opportunities

As a degree apprenticeship, you will be on the bottom rung of the career ladder. Once you graduate, the world is your oyster. You will have a network of contacts, awesome employability skills and a great name on your CV. This is likely to turbocharge your career in your 20s, which is, arguably, the most important decade in your professional life.

Trailblazers

Currently the ratio of new university undergraduates to new degree apprentices is roughly 11:1. (That ratio doubles if you just look at school leavers.) That means that every degree apprentice is a trailblazer. If that’s you, you can help clear a path in the jungle for those who follow. Help existing sixth form students - they will be forever grateful.

The best years of your life

In the words of Trevin Michelo (degree apprentice): “Trying to maintain an above-average performance at work, doing the same at university, while also remembering that these are your ‘uni years’ and that they should be enjoyed.” You will be working hard for your money; make sure you take the time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. And learn and laugh every day.