As an 18-year-old who had just finished college, I knew that an apprenticeship was the route I wanted to take as opposed to going to university. The thought of such a huge debt never persuaded me to receive more traditional education. And, because of my interest in the digital world, I also knew which career path I wanted to follow: Digital Marketing and Social Media. So, after a few weeks of apprenticeship hunting, I found myself with a new job as a Marketing Assistant at Web Results Direct, a specialist digital marketing consultancy.
My First Few Months as an Apprentice
Being fresh out of college, I have never had an office job. I had been working part-time in retail (which I still do to this day) so I wasn’t completely unaware of how to behave at a workplace, but this was completely different to retail.
I was out in the real world with a small team of knowledgeable digital marketing consultants; all of whom were wonderful at easing me into my role. I am really appreciative, looking back on it now, of how the WRD team adjusted to having me in the organisation. They found my strengths and kicked my job off in that field.
My mentor, Sam, played an integral role in my development in the digital marketing world for which I thank him. Working alongside him has shaped me into the Account Executive I am today.
My Apprenticeship: 3-6 Months
Having settled into my new desk with a lot of unnecessary ornaments and clutter, I had found my feet at Web Results Direct. With encouragement from Sam to start interacting with clients, I eased into the frame with informing them of task completions. Again, the way that the WRD team understood that this was my first major office role, made me feel a lot more comfortable when talking to clients; they never made me do something I wasn’t ready for.
Personal Development: 6-9 Months
To kick off the second half of the apprenticeship, Sam recommended that I continue personally developing as a digital marketer. Reading industry related news, learning the terminology and navigating system interfaces (all of which I am still getting my head around) – it takes a while to master it all, that’s for sure! As my confidence grew, my interaction with clients increased and I started to notice some errors within client sites and then discussed them with Sam to help me understand the impact of these types of SEO issues.
Whilst all of this was occurring throughout the year, I was also going to class once a month in order to pass my apprenticeship exams. We had a certain amount of classroom units and workplace units to complete. WRD encouraged me to put my apprenticeship work before any of their client work; this not only helped me complete it all 4 months early, but the knowledge I picked up from working at WRD made me one of the top performers in the digital marketing apprenticeship class.
The Final Stretch: 9-12 Months
As we approached the end of my apprenticeship, Sam then took me aside and basically told me to take it up another gear again. I remember everything just falling into place. Everything started to make sense; I wasn’t just doing work because Sam told me too, I knew WHY I was doing it. I think that’s what really made me understand the work that I do. It’s about understanding your client, their goals and views and how you can make their site reflect that.
With my apprenticeship coming to an end, Web Results Direct offered me a full-time job as a digital marketing Account Executive which I accepted happily. I was officially in the real world, in the industry I wanted to pursue with a great team of individuals who all still contribute to my growth. Being young, I still have a lot to learn, but I definitely can say that Web Results Direct has brought the best out of me.
Jordan Rousell: Digital Account Executive
As an Account Executive, I am still working closely with Sam, however, I am now starting to assess sites and see where improvements can be made without external help. With more responsibility, it is vital that I keep focused and want to learn more. I know that as long as I have the desire to learn, the team will teach me.
If you have any digital marketing needs, see if the WRD team can help you, like they helped me! Contact us through our contact form or give us a call on 01483 429222. Alternatively, you can email us at enquiries@webresultsdirect.com and we will reply as soon as we can.
