When I started college I was completely undecided on where I wanted my life to go. When I finished college I was in the exact same position. Come results day, I found out I’d made it into university but still didn’t know the direction I should pursue.
In the end, I came to the decision that university wasn’t for me, at least not for the moment, so I deferred my place for another year. My main concern was not being able to afford the student life.
At the time, a close friend from St Louis, USA was interning for Enterprise Rent-A-Car over at their European headquarters in Egham. For the summer she was in the UK, I heard endless good things about the company. It wasn’t until Shannon returned last year for a summer placement in the Heathrow branch that I really considered the opportunities that Enterprise had to offer.
Shannon told me to do my research before I applied – and that’s when I came across Enterprise’s apprenticeship opportunities, which made so much sense for me to do. I’ve always been an interactive learner, so the idea of being able to work while completing a complementary course sounded perfect to me!
From the moment I stepped into the office I felt welcomed, part of the team, and I knew this was somewhere I would be happy spending the majority of my time.
At first, I was daunted by the idea of working with people who are a little older than me. But I’ve actually found this very helpful. There’s a lot to learn from the experience they’ve picked up at Enterprise and also in life generally. I’ve met people who have been with the company for years, some even longer than I’ve been alive, but no one has ever described their experience with Enterprise as boring. When progression within the company is made possible for anyone, every day is exciting.
The independence that came with completing a qualification on top of working full time was also something that I thought I would have trouble with, but that hasn’t been the case. I’ve had constant support from my team coordinators and my apprenticeship tutor. We see each other once each month, and she’s always reachable via email if I ever have any questions.
Completing my qualification has drastically improved my time management skills, which I’d previously always had a lot of trouble with. I’m allocated an hour a week during working hours to set myself aside and do some coursework. On top of this, I try and do two hours a week in my own time; it doesn’t sound like a lot but it makes a difference.
I started my apprenticeship with Enterprise intent on completing a year of learning on the job, before slowly easing myself back into full-time education and University. But not even halfway into my time here, I can’t picture myself leaving anytime soon. If I’m lucky enough to be offered a permanent position, I will gladly grasp the opportunity with both hands. The experience so far has opened up so many opportunities for me, within the company and beyond. I can’t help but imagine how much more there is to explore!
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