Yasmin McColl-Benzerari, Author at ApprenticeTips.com

If you want to start a lucrative, versatile career with lots of transferable skills and exciting job opportunities – a career in social media marketing is a promising route to pursue. This article will cover social media marketing as a career and the do’s and don’ts to follow if you’d like to move into the industry.

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing is a type of marketing and advertising that is carried out through digital communications only in order to sell or promote a product or service. Social media marketing can be split into two parts, organic and paid. Each with their different strategies for growth, tools and platforms that can be used. An example of an organic social media marketing tactic could be a short-form content strategy. On the paid side, an example could be a Facebook ad campaign.

Companies across lots of industries in multiple sectors use social media marketing tactics to provide leads and boost revenue. In light of the recent boost in the use of digital tools, apps and services, lots of companies notably in the tech industry are in need of a new generation of social media marketers Gen Z and millennial audience knowledge of references and trends to market their products.

A variety of specialisms in social media marketing are currently on the rise including short-form content marketing and virtual reality marketing. After gaining work experience in one or multiple social media marketing specialisms, it’s possible to transfer to different industries and access a variety of working roles with competitive salaries.

DO: Keep up with current trends

Social media is constantly changing. The most popular apps and the trends and styles of posting on each can change weekly or even daily in the short-form video space. Social media apps like Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat are constantly releasing new features that social media marketers can use to their advantage so keeping up to date with these is essential for long-term success.

DON’T: Dismiss new apps and tools in the early stages

With TikTok’s recent boom, it’s now one of the most visited apps globally with a user base of 1 billion. 5 years ago, TikTok was practically unknown amongst professional industries and branded as a children’s dancing app. Now companies are rushing to hire social media marketers and TikTok experts to succeed on the successful platform.

DO: Start building your own presence online

Although not essential to land a role in social media marketing, if you’re applying for your first role especially an online presence will help tremendously. A following online on a personal account acts almost as a portfolio that job applicants can show to employers, physically proving they’ve got the marketing skills to create a successful social media profile and maintain it over time. Perhaps in your spare time you’re a fabulous cook or a fashion mogul, whatever it is there’s a space for you on social media to build a following and hone your craft.

If you don’t have this or don’t want to appear in front of cam, you could create a portfolio of social media strategies and post examples that you’ve planned/ designed yourself.

DON’T: Niche down too much into one area

It’s great if you’re an expert in a niche field like short-form or B2B social media platforms like LinkedIn, but try and broaden your horizons as much as you can. To echo above, social media trends are always changing and what’s successful and popular now can change quickly. In order to keep progressing your career and going for promotions, get familiar with as many social media platforms and styles of content as you can so you’re prepared to showcase a broad skill-set when you need to.

Social media marketing professionals gathered around a laptop

DO: Embrace creativity

Employers are looking for creative and dynamic social media managers, execs, specialists and even entire teams to transform their social media strategies. Stand out from the crowd by getting creative and pushing yourself to try new things. Perhaps it’s an out-there trend or a new video style, keep evolving your style and embracing big ideas.

DO: Consider getting started with an apprenticeship

If you’re looking to transition into the social media marketing space, a great place to start could be a digital marketing apprenticeship. Across the UK, lots of companies are offering Level 3 digital marketing apprenticeship courses – allowing apprentices to learn on the job and gain a qualification at the same time. Level 3 digital marketing courses cover a broad range of digital marketing techniques over 18 months – including an essential module on social media marketing allowing apprentices to build on a broad range of digital marketing must-have skills. Having the chance to learn and implement social media strategies in real-time in a real workplace is a fantastic chance to hone your craft and gain invaluable work experience needed to progress in the industry.

A career in social media marketing is an exciting prospect and one that is achievable and accessible with some practical experience and passion for what you do. For more information on social media marketing, click here

The engineering industry is a fantastic place to start your career in 2022 and you can do that via an engineering degree apprenticeship. With a wide breadth of career paths available in electrical, civil, mechanical engineering as well as specialist areas like aerospace, there’s plenty of opportunity to kickstart a lucrative career through a risk and safety management apprenticeship.

Engineering apprentices at work talking with their manager

What is an engineering degree apprenticeship?

Completing a degree apprenticeship allows candidates to gain valuable work experience, earn a full-time salary and achieve a degree at the same time via a three year apprenticeship program.

Depending on the industry, candidates would be placed at a relevant company working contracted hours and studying towards their degree alongside.

Why Risk and Safety Management?

A Level 7 degree apprenticeship in Risk and Safety Management could be a fantastic route into the engineering industry due to its versatility. Professionals trained in risk and safety management typically go on to work in fields such as rail, air, technical, product safety or nuclear/ chemical industries.

For candidates keen to start a career in engineering that are yet to decide on a specific engineering specialism, studying in Risk and Safety is a great way to explore a variety of careers in various industries. This is because the course equips professionals with transferable, in-demand skills across multiple engineering sectors.

What skills will I develop on the apprenticeship?

Throughout the 3-year program apprentices will build on a variety of crucial industry skills including:

Risk and Safety Management skills: Identifying safety hazards, evaluating risk and proposing appropriate solutions to treat risks. Applying risk and safety management processes and solutions through a full lifecycle across their area of specialism as well as application of regular safety processes and regulations and emergency procedures.

Leadership skills: Gaining a full understanding of the business, relevant stakeholders and their needs. Collaborating with a variety of team members to communicate risks and suggest solutions. Using relevant techniques to identify, evaluate and apply safety procedures.

Lifecycle view skills: Observing safety procedures, processes of self and others and understanding different levels of authority, urgency and importance.

Effective communication: Learning communication process and implementing them effectively with relevant stakeholders, taking into account various factors like rank, urgency and type of communication

Problem finding and solving: Learning systemic tactics for analysing problems and finding creative solutions to risk and safety issues.

Level 7 engineering apprentice working in electrical engineering

What content will I cover under a Risk and Safety Management degree?

Aside from working and learning on the job, what professionals will actually cover as part of the degree program depends on the industry sector and training provider delivering the course; however it will include the following content at an absolute minimum, delivered at a high level.

Risk Management Principles and Practice: Learning frameworks for implementing risk management systems into overall business systems of operation and applying it in real scenarios.

Risk Assessment Techniques: Tactics and systems for assessing risk, evaluating processes and implementing solutions relevant to the industry and context.

Domain: Building an understanding of the chosen industry, business, relevant stakeholders and processes. Learning how the apprentices role interacts with operating companies, supply chains, other industries and third parties.

Specialisms: Variable based on the industry sector

Will the course equip me to go into the engineering industry full-time?

An apprenticeship is a fantastic way to gain invaluable industry experience needed to pursue a full-time career in the engineering industry as you’re building on knowledge, skills and behaviours under real circumstances and in real-time. The level 7 course is designed to encourage candidates to pick up and build on critical qualities needed to succeed in the industry post apprenticeship. Also known as soft skills, candidates will acquire the following abilities throughout their apprenticeship role:

Reliability – Due to high levels of responsibility in the risk and safety sector, apprentices will have to build on organisational skills in order to keep employees and partners safe as well as to prolong the life cycle of equipment and products etc. Being reliable, organised and prepared for emergencies is a must-have quality in the engineering industry.

Adaptable and self-reflective – Entering into a company with pre-existing processes, procedures and problems will require apprentices to recognise problems and adapt to new changes and challenges. Risk and safety management requires constant re-evaluation of procedures to make sure they are up to date with current industry practice, legislation and equipment as well as internal company plans and processes.

Professionalism and team participation: Working across multiple teams and departments on real-time projects in a professional and respectful manner. Keeping well-informed on company policies as well as industry best practices to meet targets set by managers and internal stakeholders as well as to do a thorough job.

What are employers looking for?

To secure a place on a Level 7 engineering course in Risk and Safety Management, candidates will need to meet a variety of practical requirements as well as soft and hard skills in order to increase chances of success in a highly academic and often competitive industry.

Degree apprenticeship requirements

To apply for a degree apprenticeship in engineering you’ll need to meet some of the following requirements including a grade 4/C in English and Maths (or Level 2 functional skills) and right to work in the UK at an absolute minimum.

Individual employers will specify their own requirements based on a variety of factors like industry; however it’s highly likely employers will expect apprentice candidates to have previously achieved a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant science, technology, engineering or mathematics field.

If you don’t have a degree, you could explore some of the Level 3 apprenticeships available in the UK

Overall, engineering is an exciting and dynamic industry to pursue. By doing an apprenticeship in Risk and Safety Management candidates may find lucrative engineering careers more accessible due to the crucial industry experience gained on an apprenticeship.

With the learning and development structure provided on the Level 7 apprenticeship, apprentice graduates are equipped with all the relevant skills and knowledge to increase their chances of progression to higher level positions.

Explore other engineering apprenticeships here