Affinity Apprenticeships Q&A With Digital Marketing Graduate Finley Turner
Curious about what it’s like to be an apprentice? We sat down with our newest Affinity Academy graduate, Finley Turner, who has recently completed his Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship to find out more about Affinity Apprenticeships.
Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
After deciding that my course was not the direction I wanted to continue going in during my first year of university, I looked for other options. Whilst I did consider other degrees or going into employment straight away, doing an apprenticeship made the most sense.
With an apprenticeship, I was able to gain real work experience and learn from both the training provider and those within the company, all whilst earning an income. To me, that’s a lot more appealing than a mountain of student debt!
Why did you choose to go into marketing?
Marketing was always something I had enjoyed studying during my business A-Level. Upon further research, I found that digital marketing was the perfect middle ground between my enjoyment of the business side of things and more creative subjects.
Why did you choose the Affinity Group?
I initially met some of the Affinity team at the careers and apprenticeship events at Bournemouth Stadium. Everyone at the Affinity stand was so friendly and eager to chat with me about how great the company was and what the apprenticeship scheme was like. Those conversations were extremely useful in understanding how the apprenticeship process would work and I was totally sold on the idea by the end.
What was the application process like?
Applying was simple and easy. I gave Mike (our HR Manager) my details when I spoke with him at the event and he scheduled a call to give me more information on the role. After submitting an application online and going into the office to have an interview with HR & the marketing team, I was given an offer. The Affinity Group also helped me apply to JustIT, the online training provider I used for my course, shortly after starting with the company.
What does a typical day at work look like and what skills have you learned from your apprenticeship that will help you in your career?
A typical day for me could involve all kinds of tasks. One day I could be working on blog content for the websites and using SEO to maximise its reach, the next I could be filming and editing video content for one of the brands and uploading them to our social channels. I also create banner ads and other graphics in Photoshop, conduct competitor research, and analyse our Google and social media analytics, among many other things. These skills are the foundation that I will build on throughout the rest of my marketing career.
Being involved in a wide variety of marketing campaigns was the best part of being a digital marketing apprentice. Being able to experience so many aspects of the role was beneficial to my personal development and also allowed me to cover a broad range of topics in my portfolio, which helped me achieve a distinction.
How do you balance your work responsibilities and college studying, and how does the Affinity Group support your apprenticeship?
My apprenticeship required six hours of training each week and, because it was entirely online, I could choose to do those hours whenever I liked. Typically, I used Fridays to get the bulk of my coursework done but this was always flexible depending on what other work I needed to get done.
With so many industry experts across all the teams here at The Affinity Group, there is always someone who can help you if you ever have any questions. Plus, we also have a weekly study session on Monday evenings which is a great space to get some coursework done, collaborate with the other apprentices on your course and, most importantly, there’s free pizza!
What is the culture like at the Affinity Group?
Some of the best examples of our culture here at the Affinity Group can be seen on our social media. Our social committee organise so many fun events both inside and outside the office. With everything from karting to karaoke, our Affinity Olympics, and the two big seasonal parties each year, there’s plenty to get involved in! If you’d like to see what we’ve been up to, you can take a look at our Instagram.
What advice would you give those considering an apprenticeship?
If you’re anything like I was, the traditional education path might seem like the only option available to you. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! So many subjects now have apprenticeship equivalents and with more and more businesses seeing the value in hiring apprentices, there are more opportunities now than ever before.
The important thing to remember is that apprenticeships are by no means a step ‘backwards’ in your education journey compared to doing A-Levels or University. For example, the skills and experience you take away from a Level 3 apprenticeship in business admin, will be completely different from the learning you would take away from an equivalent business A Level. That’s why I think of an apprenticeship as more of a step sideways onto an entirely different path.
So whether you’ve just completed your GCSEs, or you’re looking for alternatives to university after finishing your A-Levels, an apprenticeship could be the perfect direction to take your education. Plus, you will receive an equivalent qualification to the traditional education level, meaning you’ll still have an impressive accolade to put on your CV as well as your newly gained work experience. Win-win!
Here at the Affinity Group, the apprentices are not taken in purely for the duration of their course. The programme intends to offer every apprentice the opportunity to stay on at the company once they graduate, which is exactly what I chose to do. And if you need any further convincing about where an Affinity Apprenticeship can take you, a former apprentice is now the Director of one of our accounting brands!
Ready to join the Affinity Academy?
If you’re considering an apprenticeship and are interested in becoming an Affinity Apprentice, you can get in touch by emailing careers@the-affinity-group.co.uk. If you would like to find out more about the apprenticeship scheme and how to apply, you can watch Mike’s Apprenticeship FAQs video here. Or, if you want to see what it’s like being an accounts apprentice, you can read or watch Sonny’s interview here.
