Assessment centres can be one of the toughest parts of the recruitment process. Having completed my apprenticeship, I've now seen them from both sides. I remember my own assessment centre and genuinely feeling like the least qualified person in the room. During introductions, it seemed everyone could speak 5 languages, play the 3 instruments all while interning at NASA. I remember just thinking I've got absolutely no chance here.

When we moved into the group exercise the constant self-promotion genuinely started to irritate me.  People in the group spent more time selling themselves than actually solving the problem we had been given. Don't get me wrong, self-promotion is important, but if you're constantly steering the conversation back to yourself, you're no longer helping the team achieve the objective.

Having since sat in on assessment centres from the employer side, I can tell you this is something assessors notice. Being the loudest person in the room doesn't make you the strongest candidate.

Save the self-promotion for the interview. During group exercises, focus on the task. Listen to others, invite different perspectives, keep the discussion moving, and help the team reach a solution. Ironically, the people trying hardest to stand out often stand out for the wrong reasons. The candidates who collaborate well and help the group succeed are usually remembered most positively.

Happy to give some other tips on the dreaded assessment centres or answer any questions people may have

i currently have a apprenticeship in data analytics lined up for september and was wondering if there’s anything i can do to be ahead and not worry.

i was thinking of doing a course on excel/data analytics so the job would be easier for me as its alot of excel.

if there’s any courses you may know to help let me know or any other tips

Just finished my GCSEs (predicted mostly 8s and 9s) and I’ll be taking Maths, Physics and Computer Science for A-level.

My goal is to get a Level 6 tech apprenticeship in two years, ideally in network engineering or a similar role. Right now I’m studying around 6 hours a day outside of school to build my skills and earn certifications.
If you were in my position, how would you spend the next two years to give yourself the best chance of getting a top apprenticeship? What should I prioritise, and what do you wish you’d done earlier?

One thing I’m worried about is that I’m not the strongest socially. I can talk to people and have friends, but I’m not very confident and I’m not great at small talk. Will that significantly affect my chances in interviews or the workplace?
I’d really appreciate any advice. Thanks!🙏

Was thinking of getting a tattoo like a sleeve and maybe some near my wrists, and thinking is it accepted as an apprentice etc?

Context: QS DA

For context it’s a small firm and they started me on 26k and didn’t change my salary throughout the apprenticeship. Thanks!

Just wondering what any offer holders are doing to prepare ?

And so any current or ex apprentices have any tips or advice?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all, looking for some career advice.

I'm a 22-year-old degree apprentice in tech and have been with the same company for 4 years, since I was 18. I'm graduating this July and currently work as a Data Scientist.

Over the past few years, I've built up experience in:

• Power BI
• SQL
• Data analysis and reporting
• Client-facing work with stakeholders
• Delivering internal and external; projects and dashboards

For the last two years, I've been on minimum wage because I was an apprentice.

Originally, about 3 years ago, I discussed a salary of 26k in July once I had graduated. More recently, due to good performance, as well as me requesting a salary review, my manager spoke to the director and they've increased the offer to £30k, which I don't know how to feel about.

I'm just unsure what to do next.

Would you:

• Accept the £30k and wait until the company's salary review in December to see what they offer then?
• Try to negotiate for around £32k now?
• Or start looking at external opportunities, given I now have 4 years' experience with Power BI, SQL, and client-facing work?

I'm based in the UK (outside London).

I'd really appreciate hearing what people in data/BI/analytics think. Is £30k a fair starting salary after finishing a degree apprenticeship, or would you expect more with 4 years at the same company?

I got an offer to do a level 7 apprenticeship at one of the big 4, in the offer they said the requirements were to maintain academic standard shown (presumably predicted grades)- my predicteds were A*AA, im afraid i wont get that, how likely are they to take me if I miss my grades and how far can I be off my predicteds for them to still take me? Asking anyone whos had a similar experience

I have an offer from Warwick BSc Management (ranked second in the UK) and a Project Management Degree Apprenticeship with University of Exeter and a global engineering consulting firm. Please help me decide.

idk where else to ask this so here i am! im currently in the middle of picking a college/6th form and my first choice is purely vocational and will set me up with a degree apprenticeship within their facilities once ive finished my course (most likely a T level so it wiuld be difficult to go uni with that course anyway, plus being already set up with easy access to firther education feels like a nice bonus) but my second choice was to do A levels and then go to uni. I know uni probably has better networking opportunities that could prove useful down the line, but at the same time, i feel like a degree apprenticeship would set me up in my career better due to getting actual experience.

so do your magic and help me decide my future!

(if it helps, I want to go into tech, probably software development)

I started in September 2025 in Structural engineering, in an office that is local to me, I hardly ever got any work and this may of made me dislike it at the time, then all of my office left so I’ve had to move to an office about 30 miles away, I’m not that academically gifted and have ADHD so feel like I struggle a bit, since moving to this other office my new boss is giving me loads of work in a ridiculously short time to do it, he does not understand my level at all and is always on my case, I don’t particularly love engineering and don’t know if I’ll do it for the rest of my life I’m just doing it because it’s a good job but it can bore the life out of me. Also my uni is 2 hours away. I’m on just above minimum wage and have been offered a job in a different type of engineering for 32k a year and pretty quick pay rises if I learn fast, I’m not sure if I should just take this, it’s not an apprenticeship. I just don’t know what to do does anyone have any advice

Hey so, If I have lived in the uk for 3 years for non educational reasons, and my visa covers the duration of the apprenticeship, am i eligible for the apprenticeship? Pls say yes I feel so stressed rn, And whats bothering me is bc i don’t have ILR the uni might deny me coz employer won’t wanna pay intl fees someone help me pls i need advice.

Hi, I’m 19M - last year, I got A*AA at A Level and received an offer from the University of Warwick to study Politics and International Studies BA and an offer in the public sector to do a Level 3 apprenticeship in Surveying, with a high chance of progression onto the Level 6 and chartered status. I decided to take the L3 apprenticeship offer and defer my place at Warwick for the next academic year, 2026/27.

I have about two weeks left to decide what it is I should do and need a little bit of help.

Starting with my current apprenticeship, I enjoy the work and feel quite supported by the people around me. I make a pretty good salary for my age and the job is flexible as I can also work from home sometimes.

I think the main thing I’m considering is the social aspect, as I’m the youngest person in my office by far so there isn’t really a way to make friends with people my age, whereas this is of course 10x easier in university, with societies and living in halls. My friends go to uni full time so I do get to see them and sometimes I’m a little envious of their lifestyle, and how much they seem to have grown since starting uni which I think I might be missing out on in my key formative young adult years. Basically, I don’t want to look back and regret not going to uni and missing out on that life experience that I think I would enjoy.

Regarding my interest in both fields, I am definitely much more interested in politics than I am in surveying. I would probably say politics is one of my biggest passions, which makes me feel like I might be squandering the opportunity to study something I’m so interested in by sticking with something more comfortable and more safe. I don’t think my passion for politics has diminished like I thought it might’ve since I started my job now - on one hand, that’s a good thing because it shows I don’t need to study politics to stay engaged with it but on the other hand I know deep down that I’d be more fulfilled personally if I studied it at university.

Finally, a really big motivator for both sides is the future. With everything you read about how cooked the job market is, AI decimating entry level jobs, general cost of living etc, making such a good salary at my age gives me the opportunity to invest in my future financially in a way that going to university would make difficult, as I’d have a crazy student loan and so much job uncertainty and anxiety after graduating. After I complete the L3 + L6 which will take 7 years total, I would be 25 with years of experience in probably (?) a much more comfortable position than I would if I had went to university, but I also might not be as fulfilled and happy as I think university might make me.

Overall, I don’t think I’m in a terrible spot as my options are open but it’s more of a question of “Do I want the life experience and fulfilment from university or do I want to set myself up for the future by staying at my current job?” I realise I’m in a good position and that the grass always looks greener on the other side (as I know some people at university who would rather do an apprenticeship) but I just don’t want to be filled with regret my whole life.

What are your thoughts?

Thank you for reading!

Hi everyone, this is long, please bare with me and help me out here :,)
After nearly a year of applying (and lots of rejections), I’ve ended up with two degree apprenticeship offers within the same hour of each other, and I’m finding it really difficult to decide, because of multiple factors but my main one is grades. The second one is starting times. Option one starts 24th August (after results) and option2 starts 1st August (before results). My fear is taking up option two and moving, then being kicked off the apprenticeship programme due to not meeting grades. I thought to do my best in the first 10 days to show them how strong I am but idk how much that will help my case here. I was a strong performer in the assessment centre, because I had passion for it. I performed so well in the assessment centre for that company that I got told it was a unanimous decision to offer me the position, and I got the offer 1.5 hours after leaving the assessment centre. I thought I had been rejected from option one as I had emailed and no response. Onto grades, I was predicted A*A*B in maths physics and statistics a level. I hold a grade C in geography a level from the year before. I don’t know but i genuinely feel I messed up on my maths and physics. I’m not saying this out of fear but reality, that I know I didn’t do well. I believe I’ve gotten CCDD with a c in geography, and statistics and then d in maths and physics. If maths grade boundaries are ok I think I have chance for a C. So ultimately CCCD which I think I may be able to work with. Option one requires CCC so I would get in, option 2 required BB but idk bc it’s only 2 a levels they want. I get a call on the way back from my option one assessment centre, then from option two after that. It may be possible I got an E in physics aswell as I’m looking back and realising I didn’t answer a lot of mcq and even main questions I was clueless for so many because of stress and lack of understanding.
Here’s the options weighed
Option 1
Electrical ICA Engineer Degree Apprentice
£24k salary starting (this is very tempting)
I’m the only apprentice for this, I think one other mechanical engineer apprentice and that’s it.
I see pros and cons, more way to work my way up, but all attention on me so it’s possible to be replaced.
Degree with sheffield hallam uni (BEng)
4-6 years (not sure yet how much but they mentioned 6 years and one said 4)
Large company
Hands on engineering, working on electrical/control & instrumentation systems and sites
Around 3.5–4 hours from my home, so I’d need to relocate but that’s not an issue for me
Option 2
Material Science Degree Apprentice
£19k starting salary (apparently I can move up throughout the years but it’s much less than I expected).
Degree with the University of Derby (BEng)
4 years
Specialist materials science company
Lab based work rather than field engineering
Looks like it’s me and a few other apprentices about 4 maybe and there’s lots of apprentices the year above.
Around 2 hours from home, so relocation is still needed but it’s closer
Here’s some context:
I originally applied almost exclusively for engineering degree apprenticeships because I enjoy engineering and thought it would suit me well.
My long term interests include aerospace and potentially f1 one day.
However, after attending option two’s assessment centre, I genuinely loved the company culture. The team was incredibly welcoming, everyone seemed close knit, and I felt like I really clicked with the people there. Apprentices and senior managers seemed to work close together and have their independence still.
Option one is also a fantastic opportunity, and I was successful after several stages including a final interview with principal engineers in which they decided to offer me the position.
My main questions are:
If you’ve worked in either electrical engineering or materials science, what has your experience been like into engineering or industries like aerospace/F1? I get both will get me into these industries but I’m still still curious. This isn’t my biggest priority tho.
Would you prioritise the higher salary and engineering route, or the company culture and subject that surprised you by how much you enjoyed it? It is and engineering degree tho for both. But it’s the salary and grades.
Is there anything I’m overlooking aswell.
I was thinking to take up the option 2 and if I get kicked off because of grades I’ll go to the option one electrical engineering, but that’s dependant on when they get me to sign contracts etc. I don’t know how to speak about this with the early careers people, I understand I performed well and am happy I am. I’m torn between will they let me off with bad grades bc of my actual performance on practical things or not? Also I don’t want my offer to be taken away if I mention this to them :/
Also! University requirements for the course were low for both. Option two required 98 ucas points, and I’m sure I’ll get that at least. But depends on the company!
Thank you for reading, I’d appreciate any help or advice!

Hello, the plan is to start applying for IT apprenticeships this october and until then I'd like to build experience or gain valuable skills that will help my CV look better when applying. What should I do? What type of personal projects should I focus on? Is there anything that I need to know that is crucial before this stage?

Thanks!

hi, I’m new to using Reddit but I can’t find advice anywhere else so I was wondering if anyone had any tips and can provide help. I’m still in my first year at sixth form and thinking about future options and I’ve started to become interested in HR but I don’t really want to go to uni so I’ve been looking at apprenticeships however I don’t really want to do a level 3 as I’m already doing sixth form ( I’m doing economics sociology and digital media) so I’d like to go straight onto level 5 as lots of jobs were saying all I needed were a level however some are saying I already need a job that the company is willing to provide apprenticisps, but I thought the company would just offer them. And I also have seen that I need to get a CIPD qualification but I don’t understand what that is and I though that would be included in the apprentices. I also can’t find many place offering apprenticeships meaning I don’t want to become interested in this area and then not be able to find a job, but it could also maybe that because lots to deadline are closing now and new ones aren’t out yet. Any advice on what to do or what I need would be helpful, thank youuu

If I have a level 3 apprentiship in a STEM subject, then want to get a level 6 apprenticeship in another STEM subject, can I get based the qualifications phase, or should I take an A level maths course on the side to boost my chances?
It’s in the computer and electrical engineering realm. I passed maths in gcse but my grade is quite low

I went to interview for Bank of America for global markets

and it was going so well until they asked me 'You have 9 identical-looking balls; one is lighter. With a balance scale and two weighings, how do you find the lighter ball?'

like i had no clue what they were asking me and it was from there it went down hill.

Like why the fuck would i be asked that? and the worst thing is that i went home and i had no way of actually practicing these types of questions. like it just ruined my interview experience. I spoke to some of my friends who have interviewed at top consultancy firms and tier one investment and they all have similar experiences.

anybody know where to even begin with that question because thats actually pissed me off