26 Tips

Tip 14

When you go to careers events, you should try to make a good impression with potential employers. Look smart. Behave like you want a job. Take copies of your CV (see Tip 16) with details of what you are seeking. Keep an open mind about the jobs that the exhibitors may have available. And don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

Speculative letters and/or phone calls
If none of the above finds you an employer then you will have to work a lot harder. You will need to search for, and contact, potential employers by telephone or letter to ask if they would like to offer you an Apprenticeship. This is called a speculative approach. Letters are probably the better way of approaching potential employers as they give you the chance to include a CV with information on your skills, academic qualifications (or expected grades) and why you want the job. It is still worth a phone call, however, before you write, as this will enable you to find the name of the best contact to address the letter to. Regrettably, if you just write to the personnel department, it may get no further. But, if you can find the name of a manager in a particular department, he, or she, may feel that you are ‘just the person that they are looking for’ and may then suggest a speculative interview.