Top 5 Tips for Apprentices

Having been the Digital Marketing Apprentice since August 2020 for Infinity Nation, I’ve learnt a few tips about being an apprentice and I’d like to share them with you!

1. Know Thy People
2. Ask Questions
3. Say Yes
4. Stay Organised
5. Research

 

1. Know Thy People

As the apprentice, you’ll get to know lots of different people. This will involve managers, SEO & PPC specialists and administrators. While you’re working at your desk with your head down and completing your tasks, try to make sure that you speak to the other staff members in your organisation. This will help you to learn more about other people’s roles and understand how these roles are relevant to your overall career goals as well as learn more around the tasks that their jobs bring with their titles.

                                                                  

One top tip for this would be to ask a colleague, who you don’t get many opportunities to work with at the moment, if you can have a 15-minute conversation with them about their job role (if they have the time). This will allow you to ask them questions about their role and develop a better relationship with them and they will remember you especially if they require your help in the future. I have received so many useful tools and tips during my apprenticeship that has made my job a lot easier thanks to my wonderful colleagues!

 

2. Ask Questions

When you start the role, don’t forget that you are a learner in this role! Therefore, you need to learn! So, ask questions from your colleagues. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Every question that you ask is a good question if it helps you to have a better understanding of your role, your colleagues’ roles and your company’s operations!

                                                      

At the beginning of my apprenticeship, I heard a lot of acronyms such as SEO, PPC and CTA. So, my questions at the beginning of my apprenticeship were as basic as ‘what is GA’ (Google Analytics) and ‘how do I use Google Trends’. However, once I gained a better understanding of my role, my questions advanced to more complex terms such as ‘what could be the potential ramifications of a negative keyword in the next ad group after seeing its inclusion in the previous campaign?’ which shows my development so far. So, with time and experience, I’m sure that you’ll develop into productive and capable members of your companies too.

 

3. Say Yes

As you’re inexperienced, be enthusiastic and take all the opportunities that are sent your way. Say yes to any task and this will be the perfect opportunity for you to learn new skills. This could also help you to be involved in more exciting projects when you’ve developed your understanding and meet with some of the company’s top clients. Additionally, enthusiasm and saying yes doesn’t go unnoticed. A positive attitude will always help people to remember you.

                                                      

A top tip from me would be to speak to your mentor (college & work) on a regular basis and keep them updated on the tasks that you are performing and how you personally feel you’re developing while you complete these tasks. This will give your mentors more of an understanding of your development and as they have more experience than you in this environment, they are best suited to suggest strategies that will be the best thing for you! Also, speaking to your mentors will allow you to ask to shadow the senior staff members and experience more through exposure as well as learn the right strategies that can make your tasks more efficient!

 

4. Stay Organised

When I first started my apprenticeship, I had a very empty calendar with one or two meetings per week. So, I added my tasks into my diary as allotted times, and I would make sure that these tasks were completed by the allotted time. This made me more aware of how long a particular SEO task could take and if I was spending too much time on it. Now, my schedule is consistently full of meetings and tasks but as I have started a great habit of working to my schedule, I am (mostly) organised and on track with my deadlines!

                                                            

A top tip from me would be organise the odd 5-minute break for your mental health. This time can be used to move around as you’re probably also sat down for most of your workday. One thing that I tend to do is just a very short stretching routine while the kettle boils and this helps to ensure that my back doesn’t hurt, and I feel fresher for the next task! This also helped me to reflect on the previous task and clear my mind before I start the next task resulting in a better mental state when I change from one task to the next task.

 

5. Research

While working and learning new skills, don’t forget to take 15-30 mins in your week to take a look at industry trends. This will really help to improve your knowledge, and these can be shared with colleagues to help them to stay up to date as well. Also, don’t forget to ask your colleagues about what sources they use to keep up to date with industry trends.

                                          

A top tip from me would be to use social media as a way to follow certain industry leaders and monitor the trends in your spare time. These industry leaders also interact on their posts so if you have a question or comment, don’t hesitate to ask them and I’m sure that they’ll be happy to respond!

I truly hope that you find these tips helpful. If you’d like any further tips or just have a question for me, feel free to message me on LinkedIn.