I have always believed in the saying: if you can’t dream it you can’t achieve it. For me, this isn’t just an idiom - it’s a powerful life practice that has defined the vision of my life. However, to understand my story, it’s important to fathom that my journey didn’t start with ambition - it started with survival.

At a young age, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I vividly remember the motorway incident - a moment that changed everything. I suddenly dropped out of my car and had an epileptic fit on the motorway. (My mother always says it’s the only time she’s ever seen my father and grandfather petrified). Before I knew it, I had lost the ability to walk and speak. Yet within three years, I learnt how to do both again. By age ten, I was discharged from hospital, but the battle had only just begun.

The physical recovery was just one challenge. My motor skills were severely compromised and school became a place of torment. Basically, I was bullied relentlessly throughout my school life. While other children formed groups, I stood alone. As a result of this, I was always stuck between trying to impress others and focusing on my studies, which meant the end result was complete and utter chaos.

As I’d gone to a grammar school, I was surrounded by high achievers, that were averaging As-A*s, so inevitably the school’s main focus was to ensure that every student got a place at a Russell Group university - apprenticeships were always the 2nd option. Consequently, the thought of apprenticeships never even crossed my mind, as apprenticeships were often criticised, or at the very least, portrayed as second best. In addition to this, I also come from a family where my mother has 2 degrees (you wouldn’t think I’m her son doing a degree apprenticeship), so I’d always thought the only apprenticeships that were out there were those that involved a trade, or some sort of manual labour. Little did I know they would save my life, because my 2 years at sixth-form were an absolute car crash.

Before doing my research on apprenticeships, I’d always wanted to go to Cambridge, as I’ve always believed anything is possible. However, I had a bit of a problem - I was on Us and I didn’t understand any content at A-Levels. Despite countless efforts from my teachers, to try and steer me on course, nothing seemed to work. I was always called stupid by my peers and it didn’t help that I was relentlessly mocked, for always talking about entrepreneurship. If you put two and two together, I was going to school, like a lamb to the slaughter.

I also had a very bad relationship with both my economics teachers, of whom both said “I was the worst student they’d ever taught in history.” I’m a people person, so I found it very difficult to sit down in a class and focus for 2 hours. I have also been entrepreneurial from a young age, so I’d always try and ask questions about business, which instead of adapting towards, they would always punish me, and send me to my head of year. It even got to the point where I stopped attending lessons, because the relationship was so fragmented.

At that moment I was at my lowest. My grandfather was also suffering from second stage dementia, and seeing him fade in front of my eyes, as well as deal with commotion from both teachers and peers, was something that pushed me to my breaking point, to the point where I became depressed and hopeless.

However, I have always believed that God is the best of planners, and that everything happens for good reason.

As fate would have it, I was talking to a friend of mine on Instagram, who’d just received a tax apprenticeship from EY. At the time I said to him: “what on earth is EY,” (I genuinely was that uninformed). He told me that a lot of companies offer students the opportunities to start their careers early, and gain qualifications that range all the way up to degree and master levels respectively.

Once I heard this, my mentality changed.

I immediately cancelled my UCAS applications and applied to every company in existence. I suddenly became obsessed with the thought of working in a corporate environment, and getting 3 years ahead of the curve. I applied to every accounting firm, insurance firm and bank you could think of (except one). However, I kept getting rejected.

It wasn’t the online assessments or video interviews that were the problem. It was the assessment centres - I kept getting rejected at the final hurdle. I kept failing at interviews, because I never sounded natural. Moreover I would either sound over-rehearsed, or I would keep giving long-winded answers. However, I wasn’t going to give up that easily.

Once I had my sixth AC, and final rejection, I decided to go on TikTok to try and gain some advice. However, I didn’t really learn anything. At that point, I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone - I was broke, lonely and trapped, and needed to save myself before it was too late, and so I launched my own Instagram groupchat. It was simple - students could meet other students and everyone could help one another apply for apprenticeships. I literally just needed advice, and why not gain advice, and help others together - no gatekeeping.

Little did I know that group chat would become my greatest USP.

At first I was laughed at by competitors, as I was told that my community had very little to offer, was too “unserious,” or that the space was oversaturated by major gameplayers (and for a while, unfortunately they were right).

The Instagram group chat was struggling to grow, and often lacked substance. However, what people don’t realise is that it’s impossible to thrive in an environment where you’re unhappy. If people are not happy, then you can’t achieve anything, because you’re working from fear, and not from passion.

To cut a long story short, I managed to receive an apprenticeship, but as expected, I’d failed to achieve the necessary grades. I was still lazy, broke and unhappy, and to top it all off my uncle had just passed away from cancer. However, in the midst of all that madness, I had an unbelievable power - I had nothing. If you have nothing, you have nothing left to lose and no loyalties to anybody, so even if you fail, nothing will happen, because you don’t have anything in the first place (plus I didn’t really want to work in audit).

I had 3 simple goals in my mind - get a degree apprenticeship in banking, build my community into a profit-making side hustle, and help others achieve their dreams.

The first thing I did was maintain the light-hearted atmosphere of my community, so everyone could feel comfortable when grinding. The second thing I did was find myself a mentor who completely taught me the apprenticeship process from scratch - she didn’t just teach me: she saved my life. At the end of this article, I am going to share her three biggest lessons that managed to secure me 3 offers from 3 assessment centres (sorry Nadia, no gatekeeping here!), but most importantly, I’d regained my competitive spark, and continuously focused on challenging the norm.

Before I knew it, I’d managed to turbo charge my way to receiving 2 audit offers, 1 tech offer and 1 insurance offer: however, there was the uncovered task of receiving one from banking. I’d been rejected from every single bank, to the point where I was hopeless. Don’t get me wrong, my community was booming, and we were now averaging 2,000 members, with a 99% offer holder rate (the highest in the UK), but my heart had always wanted to work in banking.

For those of you reading this, can you remember what I said about my application to banks - I said I applied for every bank except one . Well as luck would have it, that one bank is where I’m doing my degree apprenticeship. I’m currently doing a corporate banking degree apprenticeship at Barclays, and I’ve built the UK’s largest apprenticeship community, which now sits 3,000 members strong and has the highest offer-holder rate in the UK.

Some of you may know the community as Apprentadream. Apprentadream has not only changed my life, but it has helped thousands get a step closer towards their dreams.

You know, going to Cambridge wasn’t going to change my life.

I changed my life by writing my own story, hence why my message to every young person is simple: if you can’t dream it you can’t achieve it.

For those of you that have made it this far into the article, here’s a special treat for you: these are Nadia’s 3 tips to securing an apprenticeship:

.DON’T PRACTISE INTERVIEWS: Interviews are based on recognition, and not recall, so there’s nothing to adapt. When faced with recall you have to revise, because you need to apply your knowledge. In interviews there’s nothing to apply, because it’s all about the connection, which is often natural. Therefore practising interviews will put you at a disservice, because you will sound scripted.

.READ THE ROOM: Every person is different, so it’s imperative to recognise that different people will approach situations differently. By reading the room, it gives you an indication of when to carry yourself, which will allow you to build rapport more easily.

.ASK THIS QUESTION AND MAKE IT THE LAST QUESTION YOU ASK AT THE END OF YOUR INTERVIEW: Do you have any reservations about me or my ability to perform in the role? (Thank me later).

Ben, Nadia, thank you for giving me a chance and helping me turn my life around. None of this would’ve been possible, without your support.

Thank you for reading, and if you are interested in landing an apprenticeship, join 3,000 other ambitious students, by joining Apprentadream today: https://www.apprentadream.co.uk/

Cenk Mustafa

Corporate Banking Degree Apprentice at Barclays | Founder of Apprentadream

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