It’s absolutely mad to think that in a couple of months I will be passing through gateway! Month 10 is here already and looking back it really has gone in a flash. When I set out on my apprenticeship journey I thought it would be a long process but it has raced by! My weeks have been packed working with a broad range of clients and so much learning, constantly expanding my knowledge of the industry. I hadn't even realised how much I had achieved and just how many graphics, press releases and social media schedules I have worked on so far! 😱

What I’ve been up to 

I’m not sure where to start this month, we are almost halfway through the year and May actually feels like an age away now. The Jubilee period was extremely busy with lots of celebrations going on but it was fun to weave this into clients' social media campaigns. It was also nice to have a couple of extra days to unwind with the extended bank holiday. 😊

My client load has also grown, all with different goals and content types as well as social platforms. I feel I’ve got a lovely growing client base now and it certainly keeps my days varied! Learning how to onboard new clients, get brand kits installed and liaise in those early stages has been fantastic and has meant I am able to work more independently and ensure the process runs smoothly.

Although I have taken on a couple of new clients, I have also been able to have some fantastic catch-ups with existing clients, discussing social media, generating ideas and generally catching up! I mentioned in my last blog that I’m keen to keep up with my press release work and meeting up with clients in person has meant I have been able to do more interviews and work on more journalistic content. 

Excitingly I have also dusted off the old camera and mic and have been filming various members of the team. Initially, this was to be part of my Apprentify learning but it has now expanded into what will be a team video for a new page on the website so watch this space… 👀

Apprentify

My Apprentify work is really ramping up now with a couple of last bits of online learning left to complete before moving on to my gateway meeting. I've had the opportunity to gain plenty of support from my development coach as well as some great insight from my line manager, Jess in preparation for my portfolio and EPA. 

Talking of portfolios, I have put together a first draft and it’s really starting to come together now and giving me some time to reflect on everything I have done and pull out my best pieces of work to feature. I still have a bit of a way to go but I am actually really enjoying working on it!

All my classrooms are now completed, including my mock EPA which went well but also gave me a bit more insight into what to expect on the day and some extra things to keep in mind to make sure I am gaining those higher marks. 

What's next

As mentioned I’ve done some interviews for press releases which I need to write up and send to various publications and I also have plenty of video editing to do with over two hours of footage to go through! 🎥

I have no doubt my gateway meeting in August is going to come around quick too but in the meantime, I have some bits of online learning to complete and I am looking forward to completing my path to mastery - an additional short course with Apprentify. I chose to learn a bit more about Facebook ads which will hopefully enable me to help clients should they require it and gives me some more knowledge about how they work, how to set them up and how to get the best results. 

We also have an exciting photography day planned with one of our clients which will be a great opportunity for me to get hands-on and creative when gathering video and images as well as shadow other members of the team. 🤩

Summer is now in full swing too and so I am managing to find some time to catch some rays and enjoy the sunny weather whilst it lasts! The Purple team are also gearing up for the charity panto horse race at Catterick Races in aid of St Teresa's Hospice. I have been chosen as a trainer with our name being revealed as…drumroll please 🥁... Purple Hayz! It’s set to be a fantastic day out for the team and raising money for such a great cause too - you can still sponsor us here. Hopefully, we can bring back the gold this year. 💪