An apprenticeship is an exciting way to gain industry experience and a qualification. Many apprentices start their career with little to no industry or work experience but with the right support and guidance, you can very quickly learn the ropes. There are many factors that can determine success, but here are our top five key skills to master as you start your apprenticeship.
1. Professionalism
There are often unspoken expectations about maintaining professionalism in most workplaces. The exact definition of professionalism really depends on the nature of the job and your company’s culture and values. But whether your workplace is corporate or casual, the key things to demonstrate include effective time management, following the dress code, showing enthusiasm, and completing your work to your best standard. If you are ever unsure about something, always ask your manager as they will always be happy to help.
Read More: How to Conduct Yourself in the Workplace
2. Adaptability
Change is often unavoidable in the workplace and the ability to adapt to the changing workplace environment is a key skill for success. An employer usually likes to know that if there are any unforeseen changes in the workplace you will be able to thrive in whatever situation you end up in, keeping the business running seamlessly.
You can work on your adaptability by embracing change and keeping an open mind about trying new things. Adaptability is important for an apprenticeship as you will often need to challenge your own preconceptions and adapt to different ways of doing things.
3. Managing Personal and Professional Development
Knowing what you want to achieve throughout your apprenticeship is a great start to achieving success. Personal and professional development can be monitored by using SMART Objectives. SMART objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely objectives upon which you can measure your success against. At Baltic, all our apprentices create a personal development plan to keep on top of their goals.
Succeeding in your apprenticeship is not only about professional development, but also personal development. Personal development is an essential factor in achieving your full potential. For example, a personal development target could be to ‘build your confidence’. During your apprenticeship, you and your manager can discuss methods to improve your confidence and push you out of your comfort zone. This can be in the format of doing a presentation in front of colleagues, or simply suggesting more ideas within your team.
Read More: How to Set Goals for Your Apprenticeship
4. Teamwork
Working well in a team is essential for any business to run smoothly. Having a good relationship with your team benefits you immensely, as it will make your job more enjoyable, and you can learn valuable skills from your colleagues.
When you work closely with other people, you’ll have the chance to demonstrate your abilities, show your value, and be recognised for your contributions. You’ll also get to know different areas of the business and build your experience, learning specialist skills from more senior members of the team. This can be great for helping you explore your interests and plan for your future career. When you work as a team, you grow as an individual.
Read More: How to Improve Your Teamwork Skills as an Apprentice
5. Work ethic
Having a strong work ethic generally means that you are willing to do your best with any task that comes your way. Maintaining a solid work ethic during your apprenticeship will enable you to succeed as you will be more engaged with your role and responsibilities.
Apprenticeship programmes are all about building new industry knowledge every day, whether it be on-the-job projects or off-the-job training. It’s vital to project your best self and always work to the best of your ability. Your work ethic will keep your career moving forward.
Next steps:
Apprenticeships are an amazing way to develop yourself professionally and personally whilst getting to grips with the working world! Although these skills are useful to meet success as an apprentice, they do come naturally with being in a work environment.
Don’t forget you can always ask for regular feedback from your manager and colleagues regarding specific skills you are looking to develop. If you are an apprentice on-programme with Baltic, your Learning Mentor is always there to help you develop and offer advice.