My Marketing Apprenticeship so far

Having started my Marketing Administration apprentice role in September 2023, I've created this blog to show what I've been up to and the skills I've learnt so far.

Every day consists of checking the info mailbox and forwarding to team members, contact checking new contacts on the CRM system, creating posts on Adobe Photoshop and InDesign and of course plenty of cuppas.

I started running a fascinating project: the office dog Matilda’s LinkedIn page. Surely that's everyone's dream job? I try to get her to pose for photos, “try” being the keyword as she's very stubborn. Using Matilda, I decided to create the series “Matilda's Monday Money Tips”, giving out small money and savings hacks. Using a dog, I am able to market to the younger generation as it's fun and straightforward, and people love dogs!

Within the first few weeks was the run-up to a Corporate Finance event. The event explored what it feels like to sell a business. Lots of preparations had to be made to ensure a successful event. I contributed to the preparation by making over 60 labels using Mail Merge in the days running up to the event.

I attended the event and helped by setting up the room whilst taking some pictures for our social media and then welcoming and registering the attendees as they arrived. I joined the delegates in the room to hear the presentation, and It was so eye-opening watching the speakers. I now know more about the Accountancy industry I am working within. Here I practiced networking skills and professionalism, speaking to the attendees. Of course, the best part was taking the complementary pastries back to the office. Post-event, I used Excel to input data from the feedback forms and updated our data regarding attendance. I shared this information amongst the team as required.

I'm proud to say I work for Shorts as they have an excellent approach to modern working. This is something that we also try to communicate alongside the services we provide. We create social media posts and videos showcasing our work culture and highlighting important topics. One of the topics I discussed in a blog was Menopause in the Workplace. I explained how it affects women while at work and how employers can show support.

Part of my job is to create social posts showcasing events our employee's take part in. Our Senior VAT Manager recently took part in a charity Fire Walk, so I made a TikTok style video showing her walk. The Fire Walk video managed to gain nearly three thousand views in the first two days.  

As this video was a success, I decided to make other videos using the same TikTok style revolving around what our team gets up to inside and outside work.  I am encouraged to bring forward any ideas or thoughts to our team, so I suggested making a few of these type of videos surrounding Bonfire night and Halloween. I created one showcasing Shorts pumpkin carving competition and one for the Matilda the office Dog’s page about how to keep dogs safe over Bonfire Night.

I am currently in the middle of developing a shorts-related Christmas tree for the Chesterfield Festival of Christmas trees. My idea is to use each of the service line icons turned Christmassy for baubles and wrapping paper and then to use blue lights as its our brand guideline colours.

I'm lucky to have such a supportive team; I'm taught all aspects of their work. Marketing works alongside Business Development. So, I also gain insight into how relationships start and develop from leads to clients. 

The industry skills I've developed include Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, informal and formal blog writing, Excel, Networking, and research skills. I can't wait to learn more and develop a deeper understanding of the industry.

I recommend apprenticeships to anyone. The main benefits for me are working whilst learning, being taught by experienced people in the industry, and having a foot on the career ladder from the start. If you would like to find out more about working with shorts, you can read more here.