Applying for your Apprenticeship

• Keep it simple – Apprenticeship vacancies can often attract lots of interest, and a clearly laid out CV is easier to read. Keep to the point and don’t tell the employer your whole life story.
• Keep it short – A CV should be no longer than two sides of A4 paper.
• Keep it clear – When creating your CV it should be Word processed and well laid out with clear headings. The information should flow in a logical order and should encourage the employer reading your CV to read more.
• Keep it relevant – Your CV should show the employer that you are interested in applying to their job, so your CV should be relevant to the role that you are applying for.
• Make it look professional – When creating your CV it should create an impression of you. Therefore keep it short, to the point and looking professional.

As part of the Apprenticeship process you will almost certainly need to attend an interview, but don’t worry as we are here to help.

Our top tips

• Prepare – Find out as much as you can about the company you are applying to. Start with their website to get an idea about recent news, what sort of industry they work in and who they work with.
• Research – Read the Apprenticeship job advert carefully. Make sure you understand the key aspects of the role and think of examples where you have met the key criteria of the advert. Employers want to know that you want a job with them.
• Practice – As part of an interview you will need to show an employer that you have excellent communication skills so they can be confident that you are right for the job. A good way to hone your skills is with practice interviews as they get you familiar with how real interviews work. Remember, practice makes perfect.
• First impressions – Dressing smartly always sets a good impression, so plan what you are going to wear in advance.
• Questions – At the end of your interview you might have an opportunity to ask questions. To help, it’s always a good idea to prepare some in advance. Think about the Apprenticeship and prepare questions related to that. It could be something like: “what are the job prospects like for apprentices within the company?”
• Documents – Bring copies of your CV, covering letter, Apprenticeship job description, notebook and pen. If the employer has asked you bring something with you, make sure you’ve got it!