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Original poster

Would you do this apprenticeship?

35 replies

ohdearwhatdoido · 03/08/2019 12:39

I'm 30 years old, with a law degree (2.2 from an average uni).

Got into retail post-graduation while I put the feelers out and, long story short, I'm still here. Hours are good for the kids, it's a small family business and I get on well with everyone. But the money is not good, and I don't feel like I'm excelling in the role. I've progressed as far as I can so where I am now is it.

I've applied for an apprenticeship (after some encouragement from DH due to my uncertainty) with my local council and been invited to interview next week but I feel so confused!

Financially we can manage but my wage will drop by half for the first year which is disheartening when I don't feel like I earn enough now! And the thought of leaving my current employers makes me feel sick - staff holidays coming up mean they'll be so short staffed they possibly wouldn't be able to open every day if I wasn't here, and with Christmas coming it would be a BAD time. But I may not get this opportunity again next year 🤷‍♀️

Argh!!!

What would you all do?

OP posts:
SmartPlay · 03/08/2019 13:12

I'd take the apprenticeship, assuming you still like to work in the area you have your degree in. The drop in payment will only be for a year and you said you can manage with that. Presumably you'll have much higher earning potential!?

You loyalty to your employer is great. However, you should put your needs first! Also: Either your employer will fully understand that you are moving on, considerung you didn't put a lot of work into your law degree for nothing. Or they will be not understanding, in which case they are not as appreciative of you as you are of them. In either case it's fine to leave.
And surely they'll manage to find a new employee until christmas. WE are not living in a time of almost 0% unemployment, where this would be an issue.

Original poster
ohdearwhatdoido · 03/08/2019 13:54

@SmartPlay thank you so much for the reply Smile

I decided a long time ago I didn't want to be a Solicitor but was happy with the law degree as I knew it could still open other doors for me. The apprenticeship is in Business Administration, and I do think my strengths would lie in this sort of role! In fact, I'm much better at the admin side of my job that I do know now than I am at the creative/customer service side of it. And my current manager would agree with that.

Everything you've said there is the same as what my DH says, and I know you're both right Grin my earning potential would increase and I'd get more job satisfaction. And even if I didn't stay there the experience at the Council would look great on my CV.

i would be tempted to take the apprenticeship if offered it, I just HATE the thought of telling them I'm leaving. Does everyone feel like that? Been here almost 14 years now as started as weekend staff in college but I hate the thought of still being here in 14 years time. If this came about it Jan/Feb of next year it would be fine, but this is the worst timing possible.

OP posts:
AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 03/08/2019 13:59

What's the qualification title and level that you get at the end of the apprenticeship? Not all are created equal....

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DisplayPurposesOnly · 03/08/2019 13:59

If you're offered it, take it.

It's nice that you are concerned about your current employers but that is literally their business. If you broke a leg tomorrow they'd have to cope.

RubberTreePlant · 03/08/2019 14:01

Absolutely do it.

Crunched · 03/08/2019 14:02

You sound an absolute gem of an employee and the business you are leaving have been lucky to have you for 14 years.
I am sure they will wish you luck as your career progresses in another area with greater prospects.

titchy · 03/08/2019 14:06

What's the qualification title and level that you get at the end of the apprenticeship? Not all are created equal....

^^ This with bells on....

flowery · 03/08/2019 14:11

Do you need to do an apprenticeship? Have you looked at ‘proper’ admin jobs?

Toffeecakes · 03/08/2019 14:16

With a law degree I don't think you should be taking a wage cut to to a Business Admin apprenticeship - you could work in admin for a good wage without doing an apprenticeship. I'd stay where you are whilst looking for well paid admin jobs and then move. You don't need Business Admin and if the quality of this qualification in most of the places I've been is the level then it's not particularly taxing.

SealPenguin · 03/08/2019 14:24

I'd also ask about an average day in the role and what their previous apprentices are doing.

I did a local authority business admin apprenticeship. I spent a year as an apprentice and then a year on a temporary contract. The job was very heavy on photocopying and data entry, very boring, very simple, very unskilled, and of course, they replaced me with a new apprentice after two years.

Make sure they're after somebody to develop rather than cheap labour to do the crap nobody else wants to do.

Original poster
ohdearwhatdoido · 03/08/2019 14:27

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages as @titchy I don't actually know! I wrongly assumed they were all the same? Have just logged in and had a look at my application but can't see anything on there so will have to question them on this...

OP posts:
Original poster
ohdearwhatdoido · 03/08/2019 14:28

@flowery and @Toffeecakes I've applied for almost 50 admin jobs over the last 6 months and haven't had so much as an interview.
Was invited to a preliminary recruitment meeting with an Estate Agent to informally discuss the role, left my CV with them and never heard anything 🤷‍♀️ I'm becoming very disheartened now.

OP posts:
Original poster
ohdearwhatdoido · 03/08/2019 14:30

@Crunched thank you so much Smile I know on some level they'll be very happy for me. But I also know there will be a level of disappointment that I would leave them at this time of year. I've never let on to anyone at work that I've been looking for something else so it will be a bolt out of the blue!

OP posts:
Original poster
ohdearwhatdoido · 03/08/2019 14:31

@SealPenguin thank you, I'll make sure to ask about that. I would hope with it being the council that they wouldn't just be after cheap labour but I appreciate that may be a naive way of looking at it!

OP posts:
Flower777 · 03/08/2019 14:38

I would say definitely go for the interview because that should give you more information to help you with your interview. Good luck OP! Sounds quite exciting.

IncrediblySadToo · 03/08/2019 14:42

I’d be wary of someone accepting an apprenticeship like that because they are usually high on the photocopying/crap jobs and low on any real training or growth

I see you’ve applied for a lot of jobs and haven’t been successful, I assume that’s down to your lack of experience - but also, how good is your CV? You might find getting that rewritten for you changes things a lot.

As for leaving, unless you plan on staying there until you retire you’ll leave sometime, and it will never be a ‘good time’ to do it

If you suddenly got ill they’d have to cope, & if you leave they’ll have to cope 🤷🏻‍♀️

It is gutting when you lose a brilliant member of staff, especially in a small business & when they’ve been there so long, but I was always happy for them if they were leaving for something ‘good’ (SAHP, brilliant job, travel, whatever

You HAVE to do what’s right for you, butbthst mat/may not be this apprenticeship.

flowery · 03/08/2019 14:44

”I've applied for almost 50 admin jobs over the last 6 months and haven't had so much as an interview.”

Sad I’m guessing people aren’t seeing past all that recruitment experience and are thinking you basically don’t know how an office works.

Hopefully if you can get this apprentice you’ll be able to progress really quickly as you’ll have current admin experience as well as the skills/intelligence required for your law degree. Smile

goodwinter · 03/08/2019 14:47

With a law degree I don't think you should be taking a wage cut to to a Business Admin apprenticeship - you could work in admin for a good wage without doing an apprenticeship. I'd stay where you are whilst looking for well paid admin jobs and then move. You don't need Business Admin and if the quality of this qualification in most of the places I've been is the level then it's not particularly taxing.

I agree. I have a degree and did a Business Admin NVQ (level 3 or 4) as it was funded by my employer - it was incredibly basic stuff. OP I'd see what you can find out about a) the course content and b) the expectations post-apprenticeship (i.e. are the council likely to employ you permanently afterwards?) before you make this sort of move.

goodwinter · 03/08/2019 14:49

I've applied for almost 50 admin jobs over the last 6 months and haven't had so much as an interview.

My suggestion in that case would be to have a good, hard look at your CV, and spend more time creating genuinely impressive and tailored covering letters to support your applications.

Take a look at askamanager.com - it's US-oriented so bear that in mind, but she has the best CV and cover letter advice I've ever seen (along with interviews, and anything else people write into her advice column for). Changed my whole perspective on job-searching!

RuthW · 03/08/2019 14:57

Personally I wouldn't take the apprenticeship. Why not look for a new admin job. We certainly wouldn't employ someone who had a qualification over someone who hadn't.

We have employed a 40 year old apprentice as we needed more help, but the course would be boring and easy for you with a degree. Are you willing to spend a year filing and photocopying and doing all the required assignments you get a year to do but realistically could be done in less than a month? Then to have no job at the end and no money?

Original poster
ohdearwhatdoido · 03/08/2019 15:16

Thank you all for the replies, will try and respond to all of you Smile

@Flower777 thank you! It's interview experience if nothing else - I've had this job and 6 month stint in a HR role alongside this job a few years ago but pretty much walked into both roles, I've never been interviewed.

@IncrediblySadToo and @goodwinter my CV has been written and rewritten, and I tailor my cover letter to each job application. I do believe that I'm just being pigeonholed into retail-only work and the assumption is that I couldn't do anything else 🤷‍♀️

@RuthW as I said in a previous post, I've applied for close to 50 admin jobs and never had an interview. It's disheartening when I KNOW I could do the role.

I don't know if this apprenticeship is the right thing for me but if it isn't, I don't know what is. Or where else to go from here.

OP posts:
goodwinter · 03/08/2019 15:26

@IncrediblySadToo and @goodwinter my CV has been written and rewritten, and I tailor my cover letter to each job application. I do believe that I'm just being pigeonholed into retail-only work and the assumption is that I couldn't do anything else 🤷‍♀️

When this happened to me, I ended up with a temp agency who got me a temp-to-perm contract at a large company. It was initially for a call centre role, but I got made permanent and then moved into another department eventually. Could be an option for you?

titchy · 03/08/2019 16:03

Can you look for admin roles in retail company head offices? They'd at least see the retail experience alongside your other stuff as a positive rather than pigeon holing you.

And I hate to say it but have you tried applying for admin jobs and leaving your law degree off?

Original poster
ohdearwhatdoido · 03/08/2019 17:34

@goodwinter yes possibly! I will look into that, thanks 

@titchy I've only seen one of those in my area since I started looking for a job and there was something in the job description about how 'at busy times ALL staff need to pull together and be on the shop floor with customers etc' Hmm but it's that I'm trying to get away from!

OP posts:
RubberTreePlant · 03/08/2019 17:46

I really think some posters are underestimating quite how hard it is to secure an office job with a retail only CV.

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