Going to an interview is always daunting, but there are a few more things to remember for apprenticeships. Given an apprenticeship combines practical experience with off-the-job training, you need to prepare to answer apprenticeship interview questions on various skills and experiences. If you are early on in your career, potentially a school leaver or graduate, you may not have much interview experience. Like any interview, the more you prepare for an apprenticeship interview, the better chance you have of succeeding.
This guide will talk you through five questions that an employer might ask you in an apprenticeship interview and help you know how to answer them.
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Why Did You Choose To Do an Apprenticeship?
This is an essential question. An employer wants to see why you have chosen to take on an apprenticeship rather than just a standard job. Remember to include information on why you wanted to continue learning and training and mention specific details from the apprenticeship standard which attracted you. You may also want to discuss why an apprenticeship would suit you better than other education and career routes you could have taken, such as university. You can find more information on the benefits of an apprenticeship on our site.
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How Do You Think You Will Balance Working and Studying?
One of the requirements of an apprenticeship is spending at least 20% of your time training. This could mean spending a bit of time every week or month training or doing it in one big block at the end of the apprenticeship. Whatever it is, you will need to show that you can prioritise tasks and balance a few different tasks.
When answering this question, you can explain when you have balanced different commitments in the past; maybe you had a job alongside you’re A-levels, or maybe you already balance working with family commitments. This will show the employer you are up for the challenge.
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What Experience Do You Have in This Role?
If you do have experience in the role, make sure to list your key responsibilities and tasks, as well as just the title of your role. You want to show the employer that you can do the job you are interviewing for. There is no better way to do this than by showing them you have done it before. It also completely understandable if you don’t have much experience; part of the appeal of apprenticeships is that you learn as you go. Try to make your lack of experience a positive and show that it’s the reason you are so enthusiastic about undertaking an apprenticeship.
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Where Do You Want This Apprenticeship to Take You?
Unlike a regular job, an apprenticeship is a fixed-term role which means when it is over; you may no longer have a job with that employer. You must reflect on where you want this apprenticeship to take you and what you might do next. Many apprentices stay on with their employer after their apprenticeship, either in full-time employment or to continue to the next apprenticeship level. Ensure to research your apprenticeship to see what the subsequent levels are and whether you want to do them. This is a great thing to discuss with an employer.
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Tell Us Why You Want To Do This Role.
This is more of a traditional interview question. It’s an important one to prepare for as an apprenticeship in many ways is very similar to a standard job. Make sure to give specific details about the job and the company to show you have done your research. You may also want to bring in some of your skills and experience to show why you would enjoy the role.
For more apprenticeship interview advice, head over to our recent article, where you can find tips on preparation, speaking about experience and more.
