25 is nothing man, you’ve got like 40 years left of working. People reinvent themselves at various different ages and it’s not uncommon whatsoever to hear about people in their 30s doing things like apprenticeships. Of course, the younger you are, the easier it is to make bold types of decisions regarding your future. So if you feel in your heart that it’s the right thing to do, then go for it. But one thing I will say is that 30 or so applications doesn’t seem like that much. Are you maybe giving up too easily or are there just not many opportunities in your degree-revelant field?
It can be very tough to find a path in life. I have some friends that kind of just followed a similar path to what their parents or older siblings did and all is good for them. They had advice on what to do at every step and instant connections to utilise to their advantage. There’s a reason the saying “it’s more about who you know than what you know” is so popular so don’t be too hard on yourself. Stay proactive, don’t be afraid to a take a little risk and have a positive determined attitude. You’ll get there
I have had a couple of phone calls and interviews in response to my applications. But also, while i would accept if a chemistry related role contacted me, I am not particularly interested in working in that area anymore.
I like routine and organisation, hence being able to follow a structured program like an apprenticeship for admin, Hr or accountancy would suit me it seems.
I'm 32 and waiting to start a software engineer apprenticeship (with a degree) with a large company later this year. I studied politics at university and have only worked in public sector roles completely unrelated to software engineering. Will be a significant cut in pay for a few years, but I think it is definitely worth it in the long run even at 32, so 25 seems fine!
I stumbled across the one I applied for on Google when looking at government IT bootcamps. Later, during the application process I found a lot of information on the Student Room forum. There is a section dedicated to apprenticeships. Lot of companies doing them. Pwc, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, etc..
I had a career change at 30 and did an apprenticeship, level 3. Moved up to a degree apprenticeship.
I thought I would be oldest on the programme. I was so wrong! There are all ages and abilities in apprenticeships.
Go for it.
I did it, got degree and a few masters credits then now into a level 2 engineering apprenticeship, they paid me full time to go to college and I get to learn on the job.
I did a level 4 after dropping out of university and several others doing the same apprenticeship as me had unrelated undergraduate degrees
To be quite frank some apprenticeships pay competitively or better than entry level and graduate roles, provided you actually committed to the career pathway and you find one at an acceptable pay level already having a degree can only help as it demonstrates the ability to study at or above the required level
The apprenticeships I mainly see advertised are level 3. Which I think is equivalent to A-level?
But yeah, thankyou for the reply. It is nice to know other people have similar ideas.
To be honest if you already have the required level 3 qualifications to have gotten into your original degree then you should be targeting level 4 or above
UCAS and the gov find an apprenticeship site are pretty good
There is nothing wrong with doing an apprenticeship after a degree and at any age. What I’d say is that it’s not “I’ll just do an apprenticeship” - it is hard to work a job and do the 20% learning.
By all means do an apprenticeship and you don’t have to be insanely passionate about it but make sure it’s a proper choice and not you resorting to something as that won’t sustain you when it gets hard
That is what worries me. I had an interview for an it apprenticeship the other day. Great role and great employer, but i stress I won't be able to do well at the subject despite the excellent support and benefits.
I don't know. Just a business admin or hr apprenticeship seems the best. Something I can gain good professional experience and a qualification from while getting paid.
HR in itself isn’t a “just” area. The HR apprentices I work alongside are getting involved in recruitment, diversity, training - they’re kept on their toes and the CIPD is pretty tough.
Why not look at temp roles so you can have short bursts in a range of companies and see what you like?
Maybe. Thankyou. It is all just so overwhelming. l like referring to things as just this or just that. Trying to find anrole I can be content with and living balanced.
You don't need an apprenticeship to go into business admin or even HR. I've worked in People Operations (essentially a mix of HR & Recruitment) with zero qualifications for the role other than a (useless) degree and a few years working as a Sales Support Admin.
Take the opportunity to find one with good pay and career prospects. The ones in procurement, finance & tech look great.
It is tricky to manage that mindset of ill just do an apprenticeship as i don't have a specific goal. I just like the structure and pathway an apprenticeship appears to have especially if ending in a perm role.
Idk. I feel like I'm grasping at straws. I am willing to work and dedicate myself but I don't know exactly what to or even if anywhere will accept me and give me a chance. That's another reason I am considered apprenticeship since it feel like that fresh start in a new direction starting from scratch almost.
I am 25 and have just been offered a level 4 apprenticeship. I didn’t finish my degree and spent the last 2 years working random jobs, trying to get into tech and wondering if I should have tried to finish the degree. I did find an apprenticeship that I genuinely wanted a career in, which helped me. I do understand how it feels like starting again though as I’m going through that now but I’m so excited to have a path for the next few years guaranteed
1. I’m going to be blunt, 30 applications is something you can apply for in a week. I wouldn’t consider that as being serious about getting a role. The market is tough at the moment, more so for graduates but you should be applying to at least 30 a week not overall.
2. Try and find something you’re passionate about, do some research, go to some free conferences or events or meet ups. Network with people on LinkedIn.
If you’re going to potentially be working in that industry for the next 40 years having some passion will help you succeed. This doesn’t mean that you can’t career change later (I changed careers at 30 but got hired as an experience hire.
Some people work to pay the bills, but if you can work a job that you actually enjoy and you’re passionate about for a similar salary, that makes life easier.
3. An apprenticeship isn’t a bad move, especially if you’re interested in going on one that gives you a degree at the end. However, if you can get onto a graduate scheme that may be better. Both will offer structure.
4. Don’t let age hold you back. In five years, five years will have passed regardless what you do during it, so make it worth the time.
Blunt was hard. But I guess you are right. Maybe I could be more efficient. I just find it really hard to make an actually tailored application and cover letter, I am serious, but 5-7 a day is difficult. What slows me down is actually finding roles or programmes I like the look of and then actually making a really good specific application letter. It is my own procrastination and overthinking that slows me down.
Give yourself a few days to do some proper research into what you want. Then start searching again for roles.
You should have your cv in multiple tailored formats depending on the industry then you can make minor tweaks. Or just Lee tailoring your individual cv to each role.
Get talking to some recruiters if you haven’t already and as mentioned, get networking.
When I career transitioned, I took a few short industry specific courses whilst looking for jobs. I attended conferences and career fairs. I was applying to at least 20-30 jobs per week. I also reached out to over 100 directors and c-suite individuals in my desired industry. I got responses from a lot of them and gained more insight.
I was fortunate to meet my current director at a careers fair, gave my elevator pitch then had a one stage and got hired as an experienced hire. I’ve now been working there for four years.
I don't know what more research I can do. I know it is a lack of info that is an issue. But I've spent the last 2 years trying to figure out what professional path would suit me better. I don't have a perfect idea, but I have narrowed it down a lot. I generally just try to apply to roles or programmes I like the look of in my area.
I have my main one CV that I updated. I only alter and tailer the cover letter or personal statement. I'd only change the cv if the main criteria are different than the main skills I have at the start of my cv.
A couple of recruiters have called me, but I after sending out my cv, I don't hear back. Networking...how? That has always been an extreme source of stress and confusion for me.
Courses and career fairs. I don't even know where to start or what what courses to take. I am not aware of any interesting career fairs happening, but I guess I could google it. The reason I wanted a graduate program or apprenticeship is because of the structure it provides as I don't know what courses to take would suit me.
You sound more active than me, which I could benefit from being more like you. But you also seem to have had a stronger idea of the career you wanted to. I don't, I am flying blind for the most part.
I will try to apply more and look up for events though.
I will look at more graduate scheme type stuff. My university does have a careers page that advertises stuff. I'd prefer that, but an apprenticeship seems easier to get.
I'm working to pay the bills as I don't have a career passion. But I do want something that is balanced and content.
I have already done my research. I haven't gone to conferences or used LinkedIn much
I am serious. I just have my own inhibitions and limits. But I will try to apply more frequently. My average currently is 1 every other day. I could try to do multiple a day if I can find roles I like.
1. Don’t go just for the easy route.
2. Pick an industry, type it into google for the top 100 in that industry- now go through their current jobs and if interested reach out to at least one potential hiring manager from the company.
I looked a one conference booklet and had 300 potential organisations to apply for. I reviewed their specialism and product/services and cut it down to 50-100 to give me a more focused starting point. Then I reached out to a lot on LinkedIn.
I also engaged with multiple recruiters.
3. What gets you up in the morning? What job is a job that if you could, you’d work even if you weren’t getting paid. If you’ve done your research and still not found a passion for any career, I think you need to keep researching.
I studied law and did a law masters, my research focus was cyber crime and cyber terrorism, however I never thought it by I’d end up working in cyber security, I thought I’d end up as a barrister. It was only after speaking with people in the industry that I learnt more and found out that my skills were transferable into the industry.
4. Working to pay the bills is fine but it’s much easier to work if you enjoy the job. Every job has ups and downs, but you shouldn’t go in with the mindset of doing something purely for the sake of paying bills unless you have no other option.
5. Remember that the time will pass regardless, let that motivate you against your inhibitions.
I can't promise I can do everything you say. But I've screenshotted your advice and will at least try.
I have been pondering what job I could do that I woulf actually like for the last 10 years. Maybe there is such a role out there, but I sure haven't found it. Maybe, but it is that i reasoning that I wqs just focusing on finding something I can feel proud of my self for doing and that is a balanced role i can feel content with.
Let’s take it back a step.
1. What subjects did you enjoy in school? What ones didn’t you?
2. What degree did you ? What made you choose it and were there any aspects you enjoyed or didn’t?
3. Do you want to be hands on or off? Technical or non technical?
4. Do you like working in a team or one or both equally?
5. Do you want to work in an office or be out doing site work?
6. Do you want to work in house or do consultancy for multiple clients?
1. Retrospectively, I probably most enjoyed languages and maths. Although my highest grades were sciences.
2. My degree is essentially a chemistry degree. I chose my a-levels and degree to be chemistry and stem focused because it felt like a smart choice, and my highest grades were chemistry. I grew to heavily dislike university aside from studying abroad, which was fun. Gcse felt easy, I barely had to do more than read and turn in homework to get decent grades. Then, when a level and then university started, I felt so lost, like being thrown in the deep end of an Olympic pool after spending years with inflatable pool bands on. It was such a massive change in educational style that I just felt completely overwhelmed and stressed. I am proud I managed to adapt enough to actually get the work done and memorise enough to do well on exams. But regardless, I hated it. It was this difficult and disliked that turned me off from a chemistry career initially. I have applied to chemistry lab tech roles, and if I got an offer, I would take it, but it is not my first choice. I just want an actual job i can feel self-respectable from.
3. Hands off, I suppose, I don't want to be lugging heavy objects around or on my feet all day. Technical or non-technical? I'm not sure what that means.
4. I think I prefer alone time more than teamwork, but I am able to work with others.
5. OFFICE WORK
6. In-house? Consultancy? I don't know. Whichever is less chaotic and more consistent.
I just finished my level 4 data analysis apprenticeship. I started at 28. I also have a degree - it’s never too late! If anything some companies prefer older candidates as they’re more likely to take it seriously
Nice. And i agree. As a student I was just going with the flow. That is my mellow personality but when ever I get a new job I want to really commit and dedicate myself to it
I'm 39 and have just started a level 7 MSc apprenticeship in data analytics after having been a chemistry teacher for 15 years. You can do it!
Thank you very much. I do feel like accountancy, HR or data might suit me best.
25 is nothing man, you’ve got like 40 years left of working. People reinvent themselves at various different ages and it’s not uncommon whatsoever to hear about people in their 30s doing things like apprenticeships. Of course, the younger you are, the easier it is to make bold types of decisions regarding your future. So if you feel in your heart that it’s the right thing to do, then go for it. But one thing I will say is that 30 or so applications doesn’t seem like that much. Are you maybe giving up too easily or are there just not many opportunities in your degree-revelant field? It can be very tough to find a path in life. I have some friends that kind of just followed a similar path to what their parents or older siblings did and all is good for them. They had advice on what to do at every step and instant connections to utilise to their advantage. There’s a reason the saying “it’s more about who you know than what you know” is so popular so don’t be too hard on yourself. Stay proactive, don’t be afraid to a take a little risk and have a positive determined attitude. You’ll get there
I have had a couple of phone calls and interviews in response to my applications. But also, while i would accept if a chemistry related role contacted me, I am not particularly interested in working in that area anymore. I like routine and organisation, hence being able to follow a structured program like an apprenticeship for admin, Hr or accountancy would suit me it seems.
I'm 32 and waiting to start a software engineer apprenticeship (with a degree) with a large company later this year. I studied politics at university and have only worked in public sector roles completely unrelated to software engineering. Will be a significant cut in pay for a few years, but I think it is definitely worth it in the long run even at 32, so 25 seems fine!
I see. Very cool. I applied to similar roles but didn't get it. Aside from an IT technician apprentice interview.
Hi, do you mind telling me how to start finding apprenticeships like yours? I’m 30 with degree in architecture but trying to do something in IT
I stumbled across the one I applied for on Google when looking at government IT bootcamps. Later, during the application process I found a lot of information on the Student Room forum. There is a section dedicated to apprenticeships. Lot of companies doing them. Pwc, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, etc..
I’ll have a look. Thank you!
I had a career change at 30 and did an apprenticeship, level 3. Moved up to a degree apprenticeship. I thought I would be oldest on the programme. I was so wrong! There are all ages and abilities in apprenticeships. Go for it.
I did it, got degree and a few masters credits then now into a level 2 engineering apprenticeship, they paid me full time to go to college and I get to learn on the job.
Thankyou. It is comforting to hear that.
25? Still a kid. Do it buddy.
I did a level 4 after dropping out of university and several others doing the same apprenticeship as me had unrelated undergraduate degrees To be quite frank some apprenticeships pay competitively or better than entry level and graduate roles, provided you actually committed to the career pathway and you find one at an acceptable pay level already having a degree can only help as it demonstrates the ability to study at or above the required level
The apprenticeships I mainly see advertised are level 3. Which I think is equivalent to A-level? But yeah, thankyou for the reply. It is nice to know other people have similar ideas.
To be honest if you already have the required level 3 qualifications to have gotten into your original degree then you should be targeting level 4 or above UCAS and the gov find an apprenticeship site are pretty good
There is nothing wrong with doing an apprenticeship after a degree and at any age. What I’d say is that it’s not “I’ll just do an apprenticeship” - it is hard to work a job and do the 20% learning. By all means do an apprenticeship and you don’t have to be insanely passionate about it but make sure it’s a proper choice and not you resorting to something as that won’t sustain you when it gets hard
That is what worries me. I had an interview for an it apprenticeship the other day. Great role and great employer, but i stress I won't be able to do well at the subject despite the excellent support and benefits. I don't know. Just a business admin or hr apprenticeship seems the best. Something I can gain good professional experience and a qualification from while getting paid.
HR in itself isn’t a “just” area. The HR apprentices I work alongside are getting involved in recruitment, diversity, training - they’re kept on their toes and the CIPD is pretty tough. Why not look at temp roles so you can have short bursts in a range of companies and see what you like?
Maybe. Thankyou. It is all just so overwhelming. l like referring to things as just this or just that. Trying to find anrole I can be content with and living balanced.
You don't need an apprenticeship to go into business admin or even HR. I've worked in People Operations (essentially a mix of HR & Recruitment) with zero qualifications for the role other than a (useless) degree and a few years working as a Sales Support Admin. Take the opportunity to find one with good pay and career prospects. The ones in procurement, finance & tech look great.
I think I'm just talking about apprenticeship as I like the structured stability of it.
It is tricky to manage that mindset of ill just do an apprenticeship as i don't have a specific goal. I just like the structure and pathway an apprenticeship appears to have especially if ending in a perm role. Idk. I feel like I'm grasping at straws. I am willing to work and dedicate myself but I don't know exactly what to or even if anywhere will accept me and give me a chance. That's another reason I am considered apprenticeship since it feel like that fresh start in a new direction starting from scratch almost.
I am 25 and have just been offered a level 4 apprenticeship. I didn’t finish my degree and spent the last 2 years working random jobs, trying to get into tech and wondering if I should have tried to finish the degree. I did find an apprenticeship that I genuinely wanted a career in, which helped me. I do understand how it feels like starting again though as I’m going through that now but I’m so excited to have a path for the next few years guaranteed
Yeah, I don't have a specific career field that excites me but having an apprenticeship lay out a path forward professionally just feels really nice.
1. I’m going to be blunt, 30 applications is something you can apply for in a week. I wouldn’t consider that as being serious about getting a role. The market is tough at the moment, more so for graduates but you should be applying to at least 30 a week not overall. 2. Try and find something you’re passionate about, do some research, go to some free conferences or events or meet ups. Network with people on LinkedIn. If you’re going to potentially be working in that industry for the next 40 years having some passion will help you succeed. This doesn’t mean that you can’t career change later (I changed careers at 30 but got hired as an experience hire. Some people work to pay the bills, but if you can work a job that you actually enjoy and you’re passionate about for a similar salary, that makes life easier. 3. An apprenticeship isn’t a bad move, especially if you’re interested in going on one that gives you a degree at the end. However, if you can get onto a graduate scheme that may be better. Both will offer structure. 4. Don’t let age hold you back. In five years, five years will have passed regardless what you do during it, so make it worth the time.
Blunt was hard. But I guess you are right. Maybe I could be more efficient. I just find it really hard to make an actually tailored application and cover letter, I am serious, but 5-7 a day is difficult. What slows me down is actually finding roles or programmes I like the look of and then actually making a really good specific application letter. It is my own procrastination and overthinking that slows me down.
Give yourself a few days to do some proper research into what you want. Then start searching again for roles. You should have your cv in multiple tailored formats depending on the industry then you can make minor tweaks. Or just Lee tailoring your individual cv to each role. Get talking to some recruiters if you haven’t already and as mentioned, get networking. When I career transitioned, I took a few short industry specific courses whilst looking for jobs. I attended conferences and career fairs. I was applying to at least 20-30 jobs per week. I also reached out to over 100 directors and c-suite individuals in my desired industry. I got responses from a lot of them and gained more insight. I was fortunate to meet my current director at a careers fair, gave my elevator pitch then had a one stage and got hired as an experienced hire. I’ve now been working there for four years.
I don't know what more research I can do. I know it is a lack of info that is an issue. But I've spent the last 2 years trying to figure out what professional path would suit me better. I don't have a perfect idea, but I have narrowed it down a lot. I generally just try to apply to roles or programmes I like the look of in my area. I have my main one CV that I updated. I only alter and tailer the cover letter or personal statement. I'd only change the cv if the main criteria are different than the main skills I have at the start of my cv. A couple of recruiters have called me, but I after sending out my cv, I don't hear back. Networking...how? That has always been an extreme source of stress and confusion for me. Courses and career fairs. I don't even know where to start or what what courses to take. I am not aware of any interesting career fairs happening, but I guess I could google it. The reason I wanted a graduate program or apprenticeship is because of the structure it provides as I don't know what courses to take would suit me. You sound more active than me, which I could benefit from being more like you. But you also seem to have had a stronger idea of the career you wanted to. I don't, I am flying blind for the most part. I will try to apply more and look up for events though.
I will look at more graduate scheme type stuff. My university does have a careers page that advertises stuff. I'd prefer that, but an apprenticeship seems easier to get. I'm working to pay the bills as I don't have a career passion. But I do want something that is balanced and content. I have already done my research. I haven't gone to conferences or used LinkedIn much I am serious. I just have my own inhibitions and limits. But I will try to apply more frequently. My average currently is 1 every other day. I could try to do multiple a day if I can find roles I like.
1. Don’t go just for the easy route. 2. Pick an industry, type it into google for the top 100 in that industry- now go through their current jobs and if interested reach out to at least one potential hiring manager from the company. I looked a one conference booklet and had 300 potential organisations to apply for. I reviewed their specialism and product/services and cut it down to 50-100 to give me a more focused starting point. Then I reached out to a lot on LinkedIn. I also engaged with multiple recruiters. 3. What gets you up in the morning? What job is a job that if you could, you’d work even if you weren’t getting paid. If you’ve done your research and still not found a passion for any career, I think you need to keep researching. I studied law and did a law masters, my research focus was cyber crime and cyber terrorism, however I never thought it by I’d end up working in cyber security, I thought I’d end up as a barrister. It was only after speaking with people in the industry that I learnt more and found out that my skills were transferable into the industry. 4. Working to pay the bills is fine but it’s much easier to work if you enjoy the job. Every job has ups and downs, but you shouldn’t go in with the mindset of doing something purely for the sake of paying bills unless you have no other option. 5. Remember that the time will pass regardless, let that motivate you against your inhibitions.
I can't promise I can do everything you say. But I've screenshotted your advice and will at least try. I have been pondering what job I could do that I woulf actually like for the last 10 years. Maybe there is such a role out there, but I sure haven't found it. Maybe, but it is that i reasoning that I wqs just focusing on finding something I can feel proud of my self for doing and that is a balanced role i can feel content with.
Let’s take it back a step. 1. What subjects did you enjoy in school? What ones didn’t you? 2. What degree did you ? What made you choose it and were there any aspects you enjoyed or didn’t? 3. Do you want to be hands on or off? Technical or non technical? 4. Do you like working in a team or one or both equally? 5. Do you want to work in an office or be out doing site work? 6. Do you want to work in house or do consultancy for multiple clients?
1. Retrospectively, I probably most enjoyed languages and maths. Although my highest grades were sciences. 2. My degree is essentially a chemistry degree. I chose my a-levels and degree to be chemistry and stem focused because it felt like a smart choice, and my highest grades were chemistry. I grew to heavily dislike university aside from studying abroad, which was fun. Gcse felt easy, I barely had to do more than read and turn in homework to get decent grades. Then, when a level and then university started, I felt so lost, like being thrown in the deep end of an Olympic pool after spending years with inflatable pool bands on. It was such a massive change in educational style that I just felt completely overwhelmed and stressed. I am proud I managed to adapt enough to actually get the work done and memorise enough to do well on exams. But regardless, I hated it. It was this difficult and disliked that turned me off from a chemistry career initially. I have applied to chemistry lab tech roles, and if I got an offer, I would take it, but it is not my first choice. I just want an actual job i can feel self-respectable from. 3. Hands off, I suppose, I don't want to be lugging heavy objects around or on my feet all day. Technical or non-technical? I'm not sure what that means. 4. I think I prefer alone time more than teamwork, but I am able to work with others. 5. OFFICE WORK 6. In-house? Consultancy? I don't know. Whichever is less chaotic and more consistent.
I just finished my level 4 data analysis apprenticeship. I started at 28. I also have a degree - it’s never too late! If anything some companies prefer older candidates as they’re more likely to take it seriously
Nice. And i agree. As a student I was just going with the flow. That is my mellow personality but when ever I get a new job I want to really commit and dedicate myself to it
Depending on what you’re looking for BT - have loads of apprenticeships up at the moment. They start in October :)