I initially went to university after finishing school, but I soon realised it wasn’t the right fit for me. The experience taught me I wanted to be learning in the real-world, so I left my course after four months and spent the rest of the year trying out different part-time roles to understand what I enjoyed most – from teaching to hospitality and even working for the NHS as a 999-call handler.
During this time, I realised I still wanted to get a degree and began researching apprenticeships as a potential option. I decided this route would suit me better than a traditional university course as it meant I could combine study and hands-on practical learning in the workplace. It wasn’t long before I found out about the Sales and Business Development Apprenticeship scheme at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence. I was in the cadets at school and had an awareness of both the organisation and the wider defence and security industry, so I applied and fortunately was successful. The rest is history – I couldn’t be happier with my choice.
Fast forward to today, I’m now the final months of the three-year scheme. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s been an incredible experience. Alongside studying towards a degree at Middlesex University in London, I’ve had the chance to rotate around the organisation every six months, learning from different teams about the areas they work across, including space, defence and international markets. I’ve gained invaluable knowledge about sales, account management, organising events and internal processes such as using our Customer Relationship Management system.
I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s been an incredible experience. Alongside studying towards a degree at Middlesex University in London, I’ve had the chance to rotate around the organisation every six months, learning from different teams about the areas they work across, including space, defence and international markets.Amelia, Sales and Business Development Apprentice
Most of all, though, the scheme has allowed me to develop my soft skills. I’ll always be an introvert at heart, but my confidence in work environments has grown significantly over the past couple of years. I’ve learned how to collaborate with people at varying levels of seniority, solve problems, work in an agile way and the list goes on. If I’d stayed on at university, I would have left with a lot of knowledge but not these work-specific skills which I believe put me at an advantage in my career.
As with any job there are challenging days, however the support network at BAE Systems is amazing. Everyone wants you to learn and have the best experience possible. It’s given me so many opportunities, including the chance to travel internationally to Saudi Arabia and, closer to home, to Belfast for the UK Space Conference.
And I’ve also really appreciated the financial aspect of the apprenticeship. In my case, earning a salary while studying meant I didn’t need to take on student loans, and it helped me reach personal milestones such as saving for a deposit and securing a mortgage.
For me, pursuing an apprenticeship has been the best route possible. If you’re considering it, I say you should go for it too.
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Whether you’re taking your first step into the working world or switching up your career; with operations in more than 40 countries you’ll be able to find a role that suits you, collaborating and learning from people with diverse skills, ways of thinking and backgrounds.