My name is Daisy and I am a Buying and Merchandising Apprentice at Amazon HQ. I am sure that many of you reading this were in a similar position that I was this time last year. Trying to balance both A-Level revision and apprenticeship applications is tough, but looking back I would do it all again to get to where I am now.

How I began my Journey at 17

From the age of 14 I was adamant that I wanted to take the apprenticeship route, this was particularly influenced by my mother but I could also see the sense in essentially a free education along experience. So I took a huge leap and went all in by not even applying to university as a safety net or looking into any courses (which perhaps did raise a few eyebrows from teachers at my sixth form.) By making this decision I knew that it was going to be all or nothing and for 7 months after I applied to around 40-50 different apprenticeships, and consequently I was faced with many of those being immediate rejections. But I kept persevering and applying towards any opportunities that came my way, and in the end it was a pivotal part of my growth accepting rejection before success. 

My Background

At certain points I struggled during school due to my diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, lack of focus and at times shy and not willing to speak up. But I feel at Amazon I have been given many opportunities to overcome this, being taken out of my comfort zone I have engaged in public speaking to hundreds of school students and mentoring them through the volunteering schemes available at Amazon which I wouldn’t of thought possible a few years ago

Upon leaving sixth form my grades were simply put, quite average. I was far from the A* student being accepted into a Russell group university. I worked hard when it came to A-levels, but you can still achieve highly without straight A’s 

Expressing my Passions at Amazon

To anyone starting their apprenticeship I couldn’t stress enough how important it is to get involved with activities outside of your role. Whether this be learning about a different department that interests you, or like how I did, involving myself with volunteering similar to what I do outside of work. You're not only exploring your own interests but building upon your own knowledge and meeting likeminded people along the way.

These are a few things I would recommended to any student or career changer who is beginning their applications for next year…

 Work experience/insight days 

This is something that I wish I took advantage of during sixth form and while applying, meeting and connecting with people from a range of different sectors and gaining knowledge about potential paths you hadn’t considered prior is vital, of course this looks fantastic on your CV in applications. But I would argue that it is equally important for your own personal growth and preparing for a corporate environment.

Cover Letters

Edit with every single application. Now I know this is a long winded process but this really does matter when applying to different companies, they can easily tell when a cover letter has been sent out to more than one company and is typically generic. Instead try to incorporate their key values and history as a company, the extra research makes all the difference. 

Assessment Centre Tips

You don’t ALWAYS need to be the loudest person in the room to get your point across. Now when I say this by all means contribute your ideas along with others, but including others and having genuine interest in their ideas will go a long way for the interviewer.

Concluding thoughts

Although taking ownership of your own career is vital, it’s important to remember that many of the skills and knowledge is not something gained immediately, and may take much trial and error to get there. So be proactive, reach for new opportunities as you never know where the next one will take you.

Daisy Smith

Buying and Merchandising Apprentice at Amazon | EU Home | Amazon Community Ambassador

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