Non-Legal Apprentice Career Insights
Read some case studies from our non-legal apprentices, past and present, at Ashtons Legal.
My Story: Emma Clifton, Digital Marketing
Before becoming an apprentice, I was completing my A-Levels but knew University wasn’t for me so started looking for alternative routes and found Apprenticeships. I started my Apprenticeship with Ashtons in September 2016, completing it a year later in October 2017. Since then, Ashtons has funded two further qualifications so I could continue my learning, including a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing.
Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
I knew I wanted to continue studying, but University wasn’t the right fit for me. Being able to gain experience and a salary whilst studying seemed perfect!
What did the apprenticeship offer you that going to University wouldn’t have?
By choosing an apprenticeship, I now have over three years more experience than those who went to University in my school year, as well as comparable qualifications, and I earned a salary whilst doing so!
What is the most interesting part of your job?
No two days are the same! The digital marketing world is constantly evolving with new technologies and platforms so there’s a constant challenge to keep your knowledge base up-to-date.
How has the culture at Ashtons supported your apprenticeship?
I was very nervous when I first joined the firm, but the culture Ashtons has made me feel comfortable after only a few days. It’s a very supportive firm, definitely forward-thinking, as apprenticeships were only starting to grow in popularity in 2016. I was able to take time during my working day to complete my studies without any issues, and my team were always ready to help and pass on their experience and wisdom.
What is the most important piece of advice you can give a student or graduate?
University isn’t the only route, and you’re not going to be at a disadvantage for choosing a different path. Choose what’s right for you without following the crowd – you’re unique and so are your aspirations so do what you need to do to achieve your goals.
Why Ashtons?
Ashtons has years of experience bringing through successful apprentices, so you’re in safe hands! There are a lot of opportunities to continue studying and gain further qualifications when you complete your apprenticeship too, which isn’t common practice in all workplaces.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
Definitely! If I could go back in time and choose my route again, I would pick an Apprenticeship every time!
My Story: Louis Jarvis, Business Administration
After my time at school, I decided to embark on a business course at A-level due to the limited opportunities during the pinnacle of Covid-19. However, after a few months of studying, I realised that A-levels weren’t for me, and I got very frustrated by only learning via online lectures. Therefore, I looked thoroughly into what apprenticeship routes I could take. Consequently, I discovered that Ashtons Legal offered an apprenticeship role in my passion, Business Administration.
I am currently now coming to the end of my apprenticeship after 15 months of studying and learning on the job. I have just changed my role in October from the administration team to our Personal Injury team at Ashtons. In the future, I would like to advance further within Ashtons and potentially begin a CILEx course once I have obtained further experience.
Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
I am a firm believer that the apprenticeship is a great way to gain important experience whilst studying for an impressive qualification. Furthermore, an apprenticeship creates further networking opportunities and ongoing support from an employer that is focused on your personal progression. I think an apprenticeship is also a great way to pick up other colleagues’ knowledge which is very beneficial for your career progression.
What has the apprenticeship offered you that going to University wouldn’t have?
An apprenticeship offers you on-the-job skills which you most likely wouldn’t pick up until after University. An apprenticeship is also a great way to improve interpersonal skills, whereas it may be harder to find ways to pick these skills up at University. Moreover, an apprenticeship can enable you to start earning a salary from early on, whereas you often need to wait until you have completed your degree if you choose to go to University. Consequently, this will also mean no student debt. Finally, an apprenticeship can most likely offer the perk of paid annual leave, which isn’t an option at University.
What is the most interesting part of your job?
The most interesting part about my job is the hard work my team does to deliver a first-class service. This includes liaising with our clients and external legal services to pursue our client’s wishes in terms of their injury claims. In order to meet these aims, my colleagues and I require top communication and efficiency to meet these goals.
How has the culture at Ashtons supported your apprenticeship?
The significance of a company’s culture is often overlooked when addressing skill gaps and business efficiencies. However, at Ashtons everybody is very supportive, and many colleagues have helped me throughout my apprenticeship to juggle my workload with my study work. It is vital to find time and peer support to carry out studies; therefore, Ashtons is a great company to complete an apprenticeship with. Ashtons has great values, which highlights the successful implementation of apprenticeships. These apprenticeships offer on-the-job training, which in turn builds a more skilled and qualified workforce.
What is the most important piece of advice you can give a student or graduate?
I believe that the most important advice I would give is to make sure that you prioritise and organise your time appropriately in order to complete the work that is required. It is also important to remember that as an apprentice you are not expected to know how to do everything and won’t be expected to know as much as those who have being doing the role for multiple years.
Why Ashtons?
There were many reasons why I chose to pursue my apprenticeship at Ashtons. Firstly, I discovered the many opportunities Ashtons has to offer in regards to activities outside the working environment. This has helped me to create great connections with many colleagues and also external enterprises. Furthermore, Ashtons offers career opportunities once the apprenticeship has been finished. This is a key reason why I chose Ashtons, as I knew there were plenty of routes I could pursue once I achieved my Apprenticeship. Ashtons also offered me a valuable learning course with great tutors within the training provider that we use. Finally, I also got the opportunity to get involved in training in First Aid & Fire Marshalling, which was an important short-term goal of mine.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship to others?
I would definitely recommend the route of an apprenticeship to others for plenty of reasons. However, I believe that the biggest positive is gaining the important experience needed to advance your career further whilst also studying for a good qualification which provides great knowledge which will be needed to pursue your career goals.