In my last year of school, I had no idea what career path I wanted to pursue. I’ve admitted this openly to my colleagues and it often gets an interesting reaction as most people in my line of work have always had some sort of interest or passion for markets before joining the industry; I did not relate to that. However, one thing I did know is that I didn’t want to progress onto further education and go to university.

I discovered throughout my time at school that I learnt far better in a practical setting instead of reading textbooks – this is what ignited my determination to get an apprenticeship. In sixth form we were given an hour a week to write a personal statement and work on university applications, I knew by this point that university was not the path for me so I instead used this time to work on my CV and draft apprenticeship applications.

I applied to all sorts of different apprenticeships, and I mean all sorts. I just kept firing out applications to roles where the job description and company values aligned with my interests and hoped for the best! It wasn’t until I came across the role at Standard Chartered that I knew this is what I wanted to do just from one detail on the job description: I’d be working in a dynamic environment where every day is different – right up my street. 

I was studying economics at the time and was thoroughly enjoying the course so the idea of working in finance had always appealed to me but as not the most naturally gifted mathematician, coupled with not wanting to go to university, it was always something I thought was out of reach for someone like me. We’re all aware of the stereotypes surrounding the industry; stereotypes I did not fall into, but when I found out I could get into the industry through an apprenticeship, everything changed.

I threw everything I had into the application. I got my peers and teachers to read my covering letter, prepped for each interview stage to the letter because I was utterly determined to secure the role.

Even despite my determination, I had convinced myself I didn’t belong and had no chance of securing the role. I was invited to attend the assessment centre, just before the beginning of my A level exams and I was petrified. However, I went in and stayed true to myself; I just wanted to show them that despite my lack of knowledge, I was more than eager to learn and guess what? Well… the rest is history. 

Now, I actually do have a passion for markets, and I absolutely love my job – me 4 years ago would be shocked as to where I’ve ended up. Everyday really is different and I’ve worked with multiple teams across our financial markets business, strengthening my knowledge and my network both internally and externally. I’m now settled into my permanent role; I’ve experienced some truly incredible things so far and taken on far more responsibility at this stage than I ever imagined thanks to this apprenticeship programme. 

You don’t have to know where you’re going or you want to do right now, you just have to keep looking. I’m a big believer in ‘everything happens for a reason’ and one day you will stumble across an opportunity that aligns with your goals and passions. You won’t always get it, but every application or interview only means that the next one will be even better.

No matter what stage of life you’re in, apprenticeships are available to everyone and they are a fantastic way of upskilling and gaining qualifications whilst gaining real life work experience (and earning!).

If you haven’t considered an apprenticeship yet, I implore you to do some research, what were historically ‘hard-to-reach’ industries or jobs that were exclusively available to university graduates are now accessible through apprenticeships! And don’t be deterred by specialisation; as soon as you have a qualification and experience behind you, you can use that to open doors anywhere.

Charlotte Pryor

Analyst, Structured Credit Sales | AoA Council Member

You can find out more and connect with Charlotte on LinkedIn.