I can’t believe I’m saying this but I have now officially completed my apprenticeship! 🎉
I’m just now returning from a week off to absorb the last 12 months and my apprenticeship results as well as having some time to relax and unwind. It's been a busy September and now we are already racing through October too! Of course, last month saw me complete my EPA, a very rigorous assessment programme that tests everything I’ve learnt during my Junior Content Producer course, which I’ll go into a little more detail about below and reveal my results…
The Exam Process
My apprenticeship exams were made up of three components which included a workplace observation, a set brief and a professional discussion. All parts of my EPA were invigilated by an online assessor throughout which took a couple of minutes to get used to initially, but I soon got to grips with it all!
My workplace observation was up first and saw me showcase my skills working on the job on social media posts, video content, reporting and blogging. You can read my blog I worked on as part of my observation all about Instagram top tips here. This aspect of the exam process took place over four hours and saw me having to explain the nature of what I was doing as well as why I was doing it.
It’s natural to be nervous before any exam but I’d done plenty of planning beforehand to make sure I could demonstrate all of my skills during the observation. By the end of the observation, I felt I had covered everything I wanted but was still a little apprehensive about my result. At the end, the wonderful examiner I had said he was happy for me to proceed to the next element of the EPA, meaning I had passed this part and was ready to tackle the set brief next week!
The Set Brief
The next week I geared up for my set brief test, this took place in the morning and was the part of the EPA I was most apprehensive about, due to it being an unseen brief with only 3 hours to complete a presentation in response - which sounds like a long time but really doesn't feel like it when you are in there!
Again, I had prepped as much as possible for this by revising my KSB’s and ensuring I could confidently tackle the requirements of the assessment regardless of the brief I was provided with. Working in an agency environment really helped with this, due to the nature of my role seeing me work with a range of different clients and businesses on a daily basis.
Those 3 hours went by in a flash too and before I knew it it was time to present my response to the brief as well as answer any relevant questions. This portion took another hour to complete but I felt I delivered confidently and covered everything I had initially planned including a podcast script outline, budgeting considerations, campaign tactics and extensive audience research. The examiner was pleased with my presentation but wasnt giving much away! This meant I was now able to pass through to the third and final element of EPA - the professional discussion. I headed off for some lunch and had a walk to get some fresh air ready to tackle it in the afternoon. 💪
Professional Discussion
Feeling refreshed and ready for the final part of my assessment I once again sat down in the meeting room for the last part of my EPA. My professional discussion was what I was most confident about. I had provided a multimedia portfolio which contained my very best work from the last 12 months and had spent several hours working on it. Making my portfolio was a fantastic experience as I was able to look back on everything I had achieved and then tell the examiner all about my journey with Purple and my relationship with clients. This was actually a really fun part of EPA and I felt it went really well. I had some good conversations with the examiner and then signed everything off and that marked the end of my EPA!
It felt so good to be able to say it was all done that afternoon and had done everything I possibly could. I then eagerly awaited the results…
Just over a week later, when I was on holiday nonetheless, I got my results and can now proudly say that I achieved a distinction! I am over the moon with this result after an extremely busy month packed with work and juggling my apprenticeship with this but I was confident in my own role and skills that I took this all in my stride and it all paid off! 🎉
On reflection
It's been a long road to the end of my apprenticeship but such a valuable experience. I’ve learnt so much along the way from new skills in content creation and client management to proposals and reports. I never would have had the chance to gain experience working with clients, leading meetings and presenting at workshops if it wasn’t for the opportunity I was given here at Purple.
I’m so glad I was able to complete my apprenticeship with such a helpful and supportive company and fantastic team members who were always on hand to help or give me advice. I’ve now gained invaluable experience in a working environment and had so much fun in the office from charity panto horse races and Christmas dinners to numerous table football games. I’ve really been able to grow and come out of my shell here at Purple and I'm so proud to be able to say I am a Purple person. ✨
I've got loads of workshops and webinars coming up over the next few months with the team and even more new clients joining us so there's plenty to get stuck into and I have to say it but Christmas will be here in no time I can feel it!
I’m so excited for the future with Purple and can’t wait to see where this journey leads and what next year brings! 🤩