Emma Curtis is a business administration apprentice with Virgin Media
Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
After sixth form I wanted to work for a year while I decided what direction I wanted to go in. In the end, I was keen to begin my career instead of returning to education to study something I wasn’t interested in. I found the work/study/life balance was really good as my team provided me with lots of support and they were always very understanding, as I was trying to learn and balance my responsibilities. I have definitely developed my time management skills to ensure I am reaching my target of 20% off-the-job training time. There is a lot of convergence between my day-to-day role and the content I learn in my apprenticeship, which has helped me put my learning into practice.
What’s the Virgin Media apprentice experience like?
Each day is different. I have a lot of regular responsibilities which I try to block out time to focus on, as well as making time for any other initiatives which I have chosen to work on, and then managing any last-minute requests which come to me. The most important tip would be to organise your calendar and block out time to work on different tasks, keeping a written record of everything you need to do.
What does the future hold for you with Virgin Media?
I would like to stay within my current team in a full-time position to allow me to gain a few more years of experience. When you join Virgin Media you do so on a permanent contract, which means that upon completing your apprenticeship you have a very good chance of being offered a permanent full-time role. This was a huge bonus for me as I saw the apprenticeship as a great way of joining such a well-known company with so many opportunities to move around and gain more experience as I progress through my career. The investment that Virgin Media makes into apprentices is second to none and I would never hesitate to recommend them as an employer.
To find out more about apprenticeship training at Virgin Media, visit virg.in/futurecareers
