Tips on making your
apprenticeship application

1. Remember you are applying for a job

When you apply for an apprenticeship, you are applying to an employer for a job. You will therefore have to impress them enough to offer you a paid position.

The employer will want to know why you want to work for them and what you can add to their organisation. 

Here is some general guidance about applying for jobs, created by the University of West London Careers Service, which you may find useful.

Don’t forget to mention all your experience - paid and unpaid experiences can be valuable, and the important thing is to focus on what you learned. How did these experiences change your approach to work?

Since any apprenticeship is a long-term undertaking, keep progression in mind, thinking about what you’ll do on completion, and what you’ll give back to the organisation.

3. Understand the recruitment process

Each employer has its own procedures when it comes to recruitment, with some based mainly on a single one-to-one interview and others including a range of tests and activities.

Expect to encounter some, or even all, of these steps when you apply for a degree or higher apprenticeship:

1. The application stage

• Employers will request a CV or completed application form (or in some cases both)
• At the earliest screening stage, there may be eligibility checks (concerning your right to work or academic qualifications)
• There may be a preliminary telephone interview
• Ensure you regularly check your email (including your 'Spam' folder) to make sure you don't miss any important communications.

2. Shortlisting

• The employer, perhaps in conjunction with the training provider, will draw up a shortlist of candidates
• There may be an online examination or 'psychometric test' to help put together this list (or as part of the interview process)
• If there will be such a test, try some practice psychometric tests online frst and read up on how they work. This will help you cut down on the 'surprise factor'.

3. Assessment day

• If you are shortlisted to attend an assessment day, your prospective employer should give you a good idea of what to expect
• There may be just one individual interview
• You could be asked to prepare and deliver a presentation
• You might be asked take part in a group activity to assess how you interact with others
• Treat the whole day as part of the assessment - for example, how you interact with all staff in the building may be taken into account, even if it's not part of any official activity.

4. Offer

• If your application was successful, the employer will make an offer
• Sometimes this will happen over the phone, and in such cases a formal written offer will follow.