Apprentice Blog - Apprenticeship Q&A

Why did you decide to be an apprentice at Gordons?

Gordons’ apprenticeship programme stood out from others. It was the first of its kind and, as well as winning multiple awards, it had produced two graduates. Knowing that people had completed the apprenticeship and were now working in the firm reassured me that it wasn’t unattainable.

What was the application/selection process like?

The first step is an online application, followed by a face-to-face interview and (if you get through to the final stage of the selection process) a work experience week.  During this week, you join a different team each day and undertake various tasks relevant to that team, giving you a little taster of what it would be like to work with them in their area of the law. On the final day, I was asked to give a short presentation about my experience during the week.

Was it scary when you first started at Gordons?

Going into a full-time job straight after finishing sixth form is a very daunting thing to do and it did take a while to get into a routine. Everyone at Gordons is very understanding though, and having such strong support definitely helped make things less scary. As there are also other apprentices at the firm, you’ll always have someone to talk to if you find any part of the adjustment process difficult.

What sort of work do you do?

I’m in the corporate team, so I help with business acquisitions and sales. Day-to-day, this involves drafting documents such as board minutes, stock transfer forms, various business agreements and Companies House forms.  Every corporate deal is different which keeps things interesting and means that I’m doing something new pretty much every day.

Is being an apprentice easy?

A law apprenticeship definitely isn’t easy. Virtually everything that you will learn as an apprentice will be new and you’ll make a lot of mistakes! However, you get used to things surprisingly quickly. You also have a supervisor who will explain anything you’re not sure about and all your work gets checked, which is very reassuring! As well as working full-time, being an apprentice also means you study part-time. Having to learn completely new modules at college is demanding and balancing this with work is something that takes a lot of getting used to and takes a lot of hard work.

Do you regret not going to University?

I was never fully sold on the idea of going to University when I applied, but because it’s the ‘norm’ I felt like I had to. It was still a hard decision to make when it came to results day but the apprenticeship definitely had more advantages than disadvantages and it didn’t take long to realise I had made the right decision for me. By choosing an apprenticeship, I wasn’t just accepting a job, I was starting my career. When I graduate from the apprenticeship, I will have no student loan to pay off, a guaranteed job and five years of work experience.

Do you still have time for a social life?

Working full-time, as well as studying part-time does definitely have an impact on your social life! I don’t go out as much as I used to but as long as I’m on top of everything then I still have enough time to go out when I want to. There are also various work social events throughout the year, and the apprentices and trainees will often go out for a drink (or five!) after work.

What is the best thing about being an apprentice at Gordons?

The best thing about being an apprentice at Gordons is the people.  I’m treated the same as everyone else in the team and there is lots of supervision and support. When I started just over a year ago, I didn’t have much confidence in myself at all but working at Gordons has improved this a lot.