1 Year As An Apprentice At Not Just Numbers

December marked my first year at Not Just Numbers.

When I first joined NJN a year ago, I was stepping into a full-time office role becoming the only marketer in the business and starting an apprenticeship alongside it all, now a year later I’d say I have massively changed personally and professionally.

Coming into a 9-5 office role was the first big shift for me. Going from long rota’d shifts as a supervisor at a bar/restaurant to adjusting to a more structured routine was a big change for me. I went from late finishes, early starts, random days, consistently being on my feet, to a consistent schedule that required a completely different kind of focus. Starting an apprenticeship alongside this shift required a huge amount of self-discipline. Having been out of education for over a year and taking a gap year to travel, returning to learning and studying took an adjustment.

While at first the changes seemed challenging, it was clear I wasn’t alone. Being surrounded by a supportive and friendly team made a huge difference.  From the get-go I felt welcomed and supported, having that level of support gave me the confidence to ask as many questions to learn as much as possible (I’m fairly certain Laura has never been asked so many questions by one person before!).

One of the biggest challenges I faced joining Not Just Numbers, was stepping into a role that was completely new to the business. At Not Just Numbers, there was no existing marketing team, all marketing related issues were being outsourced to external companies. This meant that I was starting a new role with no structure or internal marketing support. While at first this was slightly daunting, instead of letting this worry and overwhelm me, it gave me the opportunity to build this role myself to how I wanted it to be.

While marketing was not a role I had considered, I knew that I had wanted to do an apprenticeship. During A levels I realised, I did not enjoy Sixth Form and the typical classroom setting. Being far more of a hands-on person, learning by doing instead of being in a classroom was definitely a better fit for me. When Debbie suggested I started a Marketing Apprentice with VQ Solutions while working at Not Just Numbers it was a no brainer! The apprenticeship has allowed me to gain experience in a workplace all while learning and achieving a qualification. Through taking part in an apprenticeship, I’ve learned so many valuable skills that I will use throughout my working life. Not only has doing an apprenticeship given me skills that I will use forever, I am continuously building my confidence, stepping out of my comfort zone and expanding my knowledge.

I’ve spent a lot of time researching and training to further develop myself and my understanding of not only marketing a small company but also basic level knowledge of accounting and how an accountancy practice runs. Through trial and error, training platforms ,courses, and one to one training and mentorship from the likes of Laura Barritt and Paul Dodd, over time I’ve been able to build a role that is now genuinely my own. The role has encouraged me to take ownership of tasks and the role itself. Being thrown into the deep end and trusted at NJN has significantly improved my confidence, allowing me to make my own decisions, share ideas and implement what I have learnt through my apprenticeship and other forms of training.

A year on at Not Just Numbers, I now independently run the company socials alongside Debbies, organise all Not Just Networking events, put together our monthly newsletters and assist Laura with daily admin within the business. Looking back, it’s really rewarding to see how much myself and my role have grown since joining Not Just Numbers. Coming into Not Just Numbers has been such a fantastic move for me and I’m excited to see what the next year at Not Just Numbers holds for me!