My name is Bram Ottewell, I am a degree apprentice at CEVA Logistics working within the Air and Ocean department. I work in the logistics industry which is extremely fast paced and vital to the world’s economy. 

My journey began 9 months ago in the AOS department at CEVA Logistics where I was immediately challenged with working on a large account without having any previous understanding of the world of Logistics!

“Leaving school with an open mind and a desire to continue learning, I jumped into this massive Industry ready to develop.”

Early Journey – Before I Found my Path

I thought I wanted to be a professional Track Sprint Cyclist before my logistics career began.

I trained as hard as I could, however I never quite progressed as fast as I needed to. I dragged my training along with my studies to pursue my desire to be a professional cyclist, however I maintained a high level of commitment to my education alongside my training which made me struggle to excel in both aspects. I was unsure which path was the most important to me. Education or Sport – My head or my heart?!!

I found my first year of A levels very difficult, specifically maths. This meant I had to do additional work to catch up to where I needed to be. Then I began applying for Degree apprenticeships at the beginning of my second year of A levels. This made things harder because there is a lot of preparation that goes into interview practice and creating presentations for the day of the interview. Then to be turned away and rejected whilst focusing on studies and training, made things much more difficult and stressful. Education, Cycling, apprenticeships, and rejections from jobs you didn’t get made it hard to focus in the right direction.

I learned that I was able to balance multiple things very well in my life. I showed myself how resilient I could be and determined to succeed. I also learnt that it is extremely Important to prioritise in such a busy part of life. Which is why choosing to stop my Cycling training and focus on my A level studies allowed me to succeed.

The Challenge

I had multiple Interviews and many job applications for which I was unsuccessful. I probably submitted around 25-30 Job applications and got around 5-6 Interview offers whilst also completing around 10 online assessment centres which shows how difficult/competitive it can be to get a degree apprenticeship. My first two interviews were very daunting, and I felt like I had done plenty of preparation however on the day nerves took over and unfortunately, I had to face rejection.

I found balancing my time between studies and apprenticeship applications was the hardest thing during this phase. Studying was a priority but also securing a future with a major company required a lot of work to ensure that I felt I would stand out during the application and interview processes. I also started to feel less energised during this time as I had stopped my physical training completely to focus on my studies – this was a big change in my life as previously, I would be training 6 times a week and striving and competing at national track cycling events. Suddenly, I was purely revising and preparing for interviews which felt alien to me.

I was being challenged during this time. I reflect that studying for A levels is one of the most difficult times that I have experienced and to top it off, applying for degree apprenticeships at the same time makes it even harder. However, always in the back of my mind I knew that this feeling would be a temporary phase, and felt it very important to remember that things would move on, if you find yourself in a similar situation. These obstacles actually made me more determined to succeed, as I knew that if I worked hard and pushed through the difficult times, I would benefit in the future!

What Helped me Push Through

I was well supported by people around me. I had numerous conversations with my cycling coach, my parents and my careers advisor at school. All of these were very supportive and wanted to see me succeed and advised that I do my best. This is how I came to realise that I needed to give something up, to allow me more time to achieve my most important educational ambitions. 

So I reached the decision to stop my cycling training and the focus that was needed on track competition to allow me to spend more time on my preparation for A levels and my further education - such as my university applications and Degree Apprenticeship roles. This was difficult for me as all I had ever known was training and pushing myself physically. However, I knew that I could adapt and by dropping my sport, I was able to give so much more time to focus on revision and job applications. This decision allowed me to put in the effort that was needed to feel competitive in the apprenticeship job market.

I also developed my presentation skills, my interview skills and most importantly my time management skills. This is because I needed to develop quickly if I was to secure a degree apprenticeship. Learning from each interview was key to my success. I took on board any feedback and acknowledged my faults and successes when experiencing interviews for the first few times. I also improved my own time management through school and apprenticeship applications. Ensuring that my deadlines were met and that my revision was done was very important, therefore I kept a planner and scheduled things to maintain focus whenever I could.

I found that the skills, behaviours and disciplines that I had developed from my cycling were a great strength to me. This was because I had needed determination to succeed and resilience to move on to the next interview or challenge when things didn’t go my way. Utilising and developing my skills along the way meant that I felt that I improved drastically in confidence and performance throughout my apprenticeship search.

I had always found that my maths A level studies were very difficult and there were times where it made me wish I wasn’t doing A levels at all. However it was always in the back of my mind that if I continued to put in the hard work, I would benefit in the future. This is why I kept pushing myself and for anyone in a similar difficult situation keep remembering that this pressurised phase won’t last forever.

Landing the Job / Apprenticeship

I eventually secured my opportunity with CEVA through my efforts in putting together a well-presented CV and application. I was called by CEVA HR who asked me some standard basic questions to confirm if I was suitable for an interview. I felt well prepared for my interview day, and I had reflected on the lessons that I had learnt from the previous interviews. I had practiced my presentation numerous times and focussed on being positive and confident in my communication – having learnt how key this is to a successful interview. 

I chose my role in supply chain and logistics because I was interested in how this industry works and I felt I understood that it is a key level to the global economy and an important aspect supporting the growth of modern society. I also chose my role due to a positive atmosphere I experienced at the company, and I knew that I wanted to pursue my education to degree level, which was offered with the role.

I was surprised about how well supported I was when I first joined. I was fortunate to have a brilliant team around me who helped me massively grow and develop quickly. This enabled me to become valuable to the team as soon as possible – which is really important to how you feel in a role.

I’m proud of how much my EXCEL skills have improved and my competence with the CEVA Business systems involved in my everyday work. I am also proud of how well I have developed my communication skills as during my role and have been given opportunities to present and speak in front of Senior employees. This has helped me grow in confidence when communicating.

Practical Advice

Tips for Getting Your First Job/Apprenticeship

• How to approach applications: Approach applications with a general CV/Template and tailor it to companies’ goals and values. This creates less work for you and still produces a desirable application that companies expect to see.
• What employers really look for: Confidence, ambition and a strong desire to learn and be curious.
• How to handle nerves before interviews: Practice enough for it to feel natural. Always remember that the interviewer is interested in what you have to say. Maintain a strong and confident posture.
• How to build confidence without experience: Push yourself out of your comfort zone and do things that are new.
• How to stand out with your CV - Align it to match the company values and cover things that are individual to you that your will enjoy talking about and which make you more interesting.
• Why soft skills matter: Because it helps in social scenarios which are very common in the workplace - especially when meeting new people who you should try to make a good impression in front of.
• How to show passion - even if you’re unsure: Be enthusiastic when asked to do something. Always be polite and look to be proactive and not just do the bare minimum.

Tips in the Job

• How to ask for help: Speak to people nearby with experience. Senior employees are often very welcoming to help – so don’t be shy.
• How to learn fast: Listen carefully and note down as much as possible in the beginning. Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn - so don’t be afraid to jump in and give things a go even if you’re unsure.
• How to manage mistakes: Mistakes are common early on, always ask for help if an error could be avoided. However, the most important thing to do is learn from your mistakes and jot down what should be done next time.
• Building good relationships: Use platforms such as linked in to build connections but also reach out via email and phone calls. Remember however the best way to communicate is to talk to people in person, whether it be at lunch or in the office.
• How to grow without pressure: Set your own personal targets which only you can judge yourself as it will take away external pressure and you can grow by reaching / attaining your own targets.

Closing Message

Hard work will pay off in the end and difficult times don’t last. If you’re finding it difficult to secure an apprenticeship or complete your A level studies, just remember that if you keep striving to succeed eventually you will. No one’s path is the same and everyone is different, therefore don’t be caught up in what other people are doing and just focus on your own journey as that is where you will end up.

Just think about how happy you will be when you reach that final hurdle or finish that last exam. This is reason enough to continue your journey.

Thank you very much for reading my blog, I hope it was a useful insight into what you might expect when trying to obtain a degree apprenticeship.

Feel free to message me if you’re starting out and want advice.

I’m always open to connecting with people starting their journey.

Bram Ottewell

Ocean Freight Degree Apprentice | Logistics Handling Operations Administrator at CEVA Logistics | Excelsior Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

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