Are you looking for or beginning an apprenticeship in Digital Marketing and want to know more about what apprentices should look out for when completing their qualification? Or have you started your apprenticeship and would like some tips on how to stay on top of everything? Well continue reading this blog for more information.
Training
As a learner, you will have a training provider to assist you in your continued learning throughout the apprenticeship. You will be given various training on digital marketing for example, coding boot camps, social media and digital etiquette, search marketing etc. These training’s are all important for your development throughout the course.
However you may find it becoming overwhelming balancing your work life with course work but there are a few things you can do to manage effectively:
- Allocate yourself training days: Choose a specific day of the week to help you focus on apprenticeship-related work only.
- Speak to your team and be clear on the apprenticeship work that needs to be completed for your course and some of the time you may take off due to training.
- Speak to your training coach to let them know if you need extra time or support on course work.
Portfolio
Produced towards the end of this apprenticeship, a portfolio allows you to contain all evidence from real work projects which have been completed during the apprenticeship. At the end of the apprenticeship, the portfolio is assessed as part of the end point assessment.
To ensure your portfolio is successful when assessed make sure to:
- Use the following structure to clearly demonstrate your work: the context, the objective, the research you carried out and the how.
- Use a navigational system to allow examiners to follow through, for example this can be a page of contents.
- Be sure to show any achievements i.e. peer bonuses or kind message(s) from your manager.
- Take screenshots of each stage of projects to share as evidence in your portfolio.
It is also important to develop your language dimension throughout the portfolio with:
- Breadth: Show you understand a range of tools and methods and how to apply them in your work
- Depth: Show the level to which these tools and methods are understood and applied
- Complexity – the extent and prevalence of inter-related and interdependent factors in the work and how well you have dealt with these factors.
Make sure to have your portfolio checked by your training coach when you have made updates or added a new project, your coach can help mark competency you have or are missing and how to achieve them.
Log Off-the-Job Hours
As part of your apprenticeship, you are required to use 20% of your time learning. To ensure you are able to find opportunities to learn more outside of your work you can:
- Think out of the book (excuse the pun!): Learning is not always the old-school textbook style learning; you can network with colleagues and learn more about different area outside of your immediate work.
- Join events related to digital marketing and learn more about the industry.
- Shadowing opportunities are a great way to learn more about technical aspects of your work.
Gateway
Finally, once you come towards the end of your apprenticeship, you have to go through the Gateway process to confirm you are ready for the End Point Assessment process. Make sure to complete the following steps to get through Gateway successfully:
- Make sure to log your OTJ Hours
- Upload your portfolio
- Upload all your qualifications: Marketing Principles, Google Analytics Individual Qualification and Principles of Coding.
- Employer Reference
The apprenticeship is a great way for you to begin your career in Digital Marketing, so we recommend reading through the Digital Marketer profile created by the Institute for Apprenticeships to know what is expected of you as an apprentice. Or check out more blogs on our website, if you want to learn more about other apprenticeships we provide.
