Apprentice to Executive | by Gabriella Thomas
We’re proud to have reached another milestone on our mission: our community has reached 10,000 apprentices and alumni. In this series, we’ll be celebrating this by sharing ten unique stories from some of our most inspiring Community members.
Comment below on how the Community is helping you achieve your goals!
What led me to do an apprenticeship with Multiverse
In 2020, I was made redundant from my Corporate Travel job, I was devastated at the time, but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. This led me to go on Indeed to find a new job, where I came across Multiverse. I originally wanted to apply for a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, but then I steered towards Business Administration since the roles available were better suited to me. Multiverse ensured I was prepared for my interviews. Joe Sharman was key to this, I had multiple calls with him and the other candidates whereby we practised interview questions and he gave us high-level interview tips.
Three months later I landed a role at Publicis Media, a Media Agency working within the UK Business Development Team. Receiving that acceptance call in February 2021 made me feel so proud of myself, as my hard work for the two interviews paid off (one was a presentation!).
How I balanced my week to ensure I completed my assignments
During my apprenticeship, my working week looked different to the rest of my team’s. I worked Monday to Thursday and took Friday as study leave because apprentices are entitled to 8 hours of studying per week. Structuring my weeks like this allowed me to end my week focusing on all things apprenticeship, which meant during my working hours I was focused solely on work. On the odd occasion, I did have to work some Fridays, but my team ensured I was okay to do this and I was able to move my study days around.
My apprenticeship supported my hands-on way of working
University was never an option for me, and I had known this since year 10. I am a very hands-on person, and as a result, I always enjoyed subjects such as Food Technology, Dance and science more than Maths, English and History. Therefore, working and learning at the same time was hands down the best way for me to learn. I was also able to apply everything I was learning at work to my assignments and vice versa.
Throughout my apprenticeship, I would always ask my colleagues questions about areas of the business I did not understand and tasks I was unsure of, which accelerated my knowledge further. To this day, I still ask my colleagues as many questions as I need to.
Community opportunities allowed me to develop my current skillset
I have been fortunate enough to participate in numerous community opportunities. I took part in the Elevate Programme which allowed me to find confidence in public speaking. I spoke at career fairs, on Multiverse’s TikTok/Instagram, Online & In-person panels and Multiverse events. This really enabled me to have trust in myself that I can talk to new connections about what I am passionate about, and that being apprenticeships.
A memory that stands out to me is winning the Champion Award at the end of the Elevate programme. I was nominated by my peers for being the biggest advocate for apprenticeships and the Multiverse Community during the time in my role.
My advice to those considering undertaking an apprenticeship with Multiverse
I was fortunate enough to achieve a distinction in my apprenticeship and secure a role as a Business Development Executive at Publicis Media. My advice to those looking to do an apprenticeship is that hard work truly pays off. I ensured I put 110% into any piece of work given to me, to show my team that I am driven and determined to continue working at Publicis Media.
Another piece of advice that I’d share is that throwing yourself at opportunities that are out of your comfort zone, will only allow you to develop your current skill set and allow you to reach a new level of confidence.
Gabriella Thomas is a Multiverse alumnus who completed the Business Administration programme.