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    Why I love my apprenticeship at Google

    We spoke to Sofia Mumtaz who is doing a Level 3 digital marketing apprenticeship at Google.

    "Don’t be afraid to not do what everyone else is doing. It’s ok to take your time. It’s ok to take a year out. It’s ok to not go to university, even if everyone else is."

    I had applied to do Business Management at university, but during my second year of A-levels I lacked motivation and couldn’t see myself at uni. I wanted to step away from traditional formal education, so began to look for gap year and school leaver opportunities. I applied for a traineeship within the finance sector. I spent a year in that industry but didn’t feel it was right for me.

     
    Sofia Mumtaz is a digital marketing apprentice at Google

    During my traineeship year, I worked within the asset management industry in the marketing team. In my trainee cohort, there were people going on to apprenticeships, and I saw that big companies do hire them too. So I started to look for marketing specific apprenticeships. I ended up applying for the Digital Marketing Apprenticeship scheme at Google. In the beginning I was worried about the choice I made. In my year at school almost everybody went to university. But when I started working and had conversations with people in my industry, I started to realise university wasn’t the only way.

    Sofia Mumtaz is a digital marketing apprentice at Google
    Sofia, apprentice at Google

    My family was very supportive. I’m half-Persian and half-Pakistani - often there can be family pressure culturally to go to university. I come across people who think I should go to uni, but my family are super proud of me.

    If you’re unsure where to apply, working with a third party can be helpful

    Multiverse is a qualification provider. I found them through googling online. They post all the apprenticeships that are coming up. I applied through them rather than directly to Google.

    Multiverse called me and I had the initial phone conversation with them. Once they were happy with my knowledge around digital marketing I was able to apply for the role. It was like a deconstructed interview - you create a profile and video with Mutliverse, and then after that you can start applying for roles.

    Google set me a task to do, and then after that it was the assessment centre and interview stage. The assessment was one day - Multiverse was good at guiding us through the process. It’s the first real job interview for a lot of people, so they help you feel calm about it. I had two one-on-one interviews and a group task. After that, I waited and then got the job offer.

    Each apprentice at Google is in a different team; there are no two people doing the same thing

    With apprenticeships, you realise that within industries there are a wide range of opportunities available. You don't have to be a software engineer to work in a tech company; you could do marketing. You don't have to be a portfolio manager to work in finance; you could work in HR. It's these things you don't hear about in school.

    Sofia Mumtaz is a digital marketing apprentice at Google

    My team does market research, which is really cool. There’s the opportunity to see lots of different parts of marketing. As part of my qualification I have to do digital marketing to meet the requirements. I've loved the experience. It’s really given me confidence in myself. I had a rough year during my second year of A-levels. I wanted to take a break, work and see what was good for me. Spending that year out was the best decision. Doing the traineeship and apprenticeship gave me back that confidence and I really grew as a person.

    It’s really given me confidence in myself. I had a rough year during my second year of A-levels. I wanted to take a break, work and see what was good for me. Spending that year out was the best decision. Doing the traineeship and apprenticeship gave me back that confidence and I really grew as a person.

    The five key skills Multiverse look for in apprentice candidates

    1. Grit - do you have the ability to overcome adverse situations? It's incredibly important for employers to see resilience
    2. Interpersonal skills​ - how well do you interact with others, both verbally and with written communication?
    3. Conscientiousness​ - your desire to do a task well. What techniques do you put in place to make sure a job is done well?
    4. Problem-solving​ - the ability to come up with effective and creative solutions, taking responsibility for solving the issue
    5. Intent -​ the likelihood of you finishing and your desire to complete your apprenticeship.