5 things you should know about The Juice Academy

The Juice Academy.

It just sounds cool. You see that name and you want to know exactly what they do. It’s certainly what enticed me into finding out more about the apprenticeship I have been on for the past year.

But why should you apply to be in the next batch of their social media superheroes?

1.      Experts. Creating experts.

This fantastic social media apprenticeship is run by experts in social media and the digital industry. They’re professionals in their field passing their knowledge on to help the next generation of the industry. They know their stuff and they also make the lessons as enjoyable as they are useful. They feed your passion and nurture your ambition. What more can you ask for?

2.      They kinda want you to do well

Ok, so I’ve understated this one a bit. The Academy make every effort to make sure you’re able to be at your best by giving you the tools to succeed, not just in the apprenticeship but in your future career too. Of course, the hard work is up to you but it’s a lot easier knowing that the tutors are behind you all the way.

3.      It’s not JUST The Juice Academy

The Apprenticeship isn’t just about The Juice Academy – Total People, the training provider for the course, offer not only educational support but also unrivalled personal support should you need it. I did need it and I can’t fault what they’ve done to help. They deserve a lot of credit and will help you as much as they can should you be a part of TJA! Don't forget, of course, the shed load of guest speakers you'll be privileged to hear from to hear it from all angles. Read one of my fellow apprentice's blog about social media lawyer Steve Kuncewicz's visit for more.

4.      They’re winning.

As much as I hate stroking egos, it might be a little bit deserved here. Only a year after its launch, TJA won a “Skills for Business” Award in Manchester! An award winning apprenticeship scheme run by an award winning PR agency.  Not bad. Learn more about their award success here. 

Award winners: The Juice Academy win "Skills for Business" award, hosted by Dara O'Briain. (pic: The Juice Academy)

5.      You’ll have the time of your life

The Juice Academy isn’t just another course. You won’t be limited to being stuck behind a desk day in, day out. The digital industry has fantastic opportunities to do things you never thought you would (e.g. I got to witness the filming of The Gadget Show, which was pretty cool!). As well as that, when you’re at The Academy itself, you’ll have fun at the same time as being furnished with all the knowledge you’ll need.

To really wrap this blog post up (I’m prone to going on a bit), I’ll just tell you that the past year has been the best of my life. Changing my mind about uni and applying for this apprenticeship was the best decision I ever made.

The good news for you?

The Juice Academy are recruiting for their next cohort of apprentices. The deadline is 16^th January. If you want to break into an exciting and ever-growing industry, make this the day you change your life. You can apply here.

Do you have any questions about The Juice Academy? Are you an apprentice or graduate of The Juice Academy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Living the social media dream.

I've been here at West Midlands Fire Service for 4 months already! Time has absolutely flown by and it's been quite a journey.

It's crazy to think that 4 months (and 1 day) ago, I was still unemployed and looking desperately for any job that I could get my hands on. Social media didn't even occur to me as a career, but now? I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

It's been a bit of a drastic transformation – from being jobless and hopelessly having my fingers crossed for a supermarket job, to being on the bottom rung of an exciting and opportunity-filled career ladder.

So, I say opportunity filled, but what opportunities have I had? I've conducted interviews, most notably with the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser to the UK Government, Peter Holland CBE. Great experience for me as someone who loves to talk to people and develop my confidence in doing so. He's also a fan of my beloved Chelsea. Happy days.

Possibly one of the most rewarding and heart warming of the opportunities I've had so far was to meet Destiny Africa, a Ugandan choir made up of orphans. I found their happiness inspiring, and felt privileged to spend a morning with them. They’re also extremely talented, giving us a sneak peek into what they can do.

The work itself has also been fantastic. I still look forward to getting up every morning for work (even though I still struggle with the 5:30 am start), which is something not everyone can say. I get to do a huge variety of stuff, with the constant flexibility to try my hand at something new and creative. It's great to be a part of a team that works well together and gets on, making for a productive workplace, but just as importantly, the ability to have a laugh at work.

I can't forget, of course, the training given to me at The Juice Academy - something I always look forward to. It's always good to go there and catch up with the other apprentices, and also to learn a whole load of new stuff that I can apply to my work at WMFS. The journey to Manchester? A little arduous perhaps, but well worth what awaits me at journey's end.

My passion for the industry just keeps growing and growing. This may sound geeky, but I find myself at home looking through what’s new in social media, keeping up on SocialMediaExaminer.com, doing research into anything I might be able to develop into the fold at work, and just trying to increase my knowledge of social and the ways in which it can be used. I've always had a burning desire to improve, and this has been consolidated in the last few months – I don't want to just do my job, or to be an employee of the industry; I have an unquenchable thirst to do more and to be more.

I can definitely see an improvement in myself since I have been here – my communication has certainly got better, and I feel like I can put my own ideas across more assertively – something I have struggled with previously. Not only that though, I feel like I've developed as a person. I'm happier, and feel like I live a more fulfilled life, which is brilliant.

So, to sum up: life is good. I love this job, I love the prospects it's giving me, I love the opportunities I've had, I love that it's developing me as a person and most of all? I love that it's breeding a passion for (hopefully) a long and successful career.