In light of all the talk of exam results last week I thought I’d share some thoughts about my story as someone who’s ‘at that age!’
I can confidently say university was originally part of the plan. Whether it was MY plan and what I actually wanted is another story.
I was always considered academically capable, “book smart”, good at retaining information, and with two degree-educated parents, who stood by university and their own experiences, university felt like the obvious next step after A Levels. The structure of sixth form seemed to point in one direction, and there weren’t many alternatives presented.
At the same time, I’d always worked jobs alongside school and studies. I enjoyed earning money, saving, learning about investing and understanding how money works. Even on measly part-time schoolboy wages, I took pride in feeling like I was financially building something for myself.
That’s why degree apprenticeships appealed to me. They were becoming more popular as an alternative to Uni but were still relatively rare and very competitive. To me, it felt like the perfect balance: continue learning, but earn, gain experience and have a company invest in my development. So just good grades to get now!
I did well in my A Levels and successfully secured a highly contested degree apprenticeship. Before starting, I took a year out to work, save, travel and pursue content creation as a hobby, documenting some of my travels with five good friends. Maybe I was delaying the inevitable years of work and study. Maybe I simply wasn’t ready. I just knew I wanted to see a bit more of the world while I still had the freedom to do so.
I started the apprenticeship in September 2024.
To put it simply, it was a painful journey.
The work wasn’t what I wanted to do. I realised I had little interest in that particular industry, while my Business Management degree felt too broad to develop real expertise. I was studying areas such as operations and procurement that I had no intention of pursuing, while commuting two and a half hours into London every day.
Initially, the idea of working in the city and wearing a suit kept me going. Eventually, I realised it was doing the opposite. I felt like I was losing the social, energetic and creative person I actually was, blending into the corporate London rat race and barely seeing daylight. I’d leave home at 5:30am and get back around 9:30pm. I had just enough energy to keep training, but barely saw my girlfriend or family during the week. Weekends became a cycle of catching up on university work and preparing to do it all again the following week.
Something had to change.
Then an opportunity came up at a VST Group, just five minutes from home. It was actually for a telemarketing sales job which I hadn’t really thought about doing but it would buy me some time to have another think. I’d always had a knack for building relationships, having meaningful conversations and being creative, and the business seemed to offer the balance I desperately needed. So many people have told me that if you can cold call, you can do anything, so I thought I’d apply.
Then there was a funny twist of fate. VST Group were also hiring for a Sales & Marketing Assistant role supporting the Partnerships Director, so they asked me if I’d like to interview for that instead. That had a nice ring to it, and the role sounded very varied and interesting, so I jumped at the chance.
The interviews with Andrew, the Partnerships Director, and Louise, the Managing Director, went well. The more I learnt about the industry, the company and the kind of person they were looking for, the more things seemed to finally be lining up.
The role involved the skills I genuinely wanted to develop: sales, marketing, business development, relationship building, account management and the utilisation of cutting-edge technology – perfect!
It felt like a role for a “Swiss Army knife”, someone who could get involved across the full range of sales and marketing activities. I actually described myself as a Swiss Army knife, and Andrew seemed to like that, so after giving me some research, homework and a presentation to do for the second interview, I secured the role.
Little did I know how much real-world business experience I was about to get.
The role has been nothing short of a dream so far, and I’m 8 months in.
The ups and downs of sales, working within such a tight-knit management team and being so close to the founder of a telemarketing business have taught me more about business than I could have expected: income generation, finance, sales, operations, client management and everything in between….Yes, I said Operations, which I never thought I’d have an interest in. Of course, I’ve very quickly realised that Sales and Operations need to work hand in hand to make the business function well and to deliver smoothly….great lessons there already!
My confidence has grown alongside my results. The more clients I’ve brought in and sold to, the more I’ve developed, helped by the support of my managers and colleagues. I’ve even noticed the impact outside of work. My confidence and the quality of my everyday conversations have grown with the same trajectory. Plus, my energy, training and personal relationships are flourishing again.
Most importantly, I feel motivated by what I’m doing. I’m responsible for my own clients; I can contribute to the company’s growth and support the people around me. And I genuinely believe in what the business stands for.
What more could I ask for at 21?
Gone are the days of wondering which career path I’m supposed to “pursue”, or whether the subject I’m studying is actually something I want to learn about. I’ve realised that what I wanted all along was to learn about real-world business. University and a broad Business Management degree could never have given me the same experience. Neither could being a number in a huge corporate organisation.
Sometimes you have to take the route you think you’re supposed to take before you realise it isn’t yours, and have the courage to change direction. We’re a long time working; sometimes you have to try a few things until you find home…..
Hope that helps any students who are feeling a bit lost and worried about their next move; just take your time and an opportunity that wasn’t expected might jump out! 😊
Good luck and all the best, Henry, Sales and Marketing Account Manager – VST Group
If you’d like to investigate if we have any roles available, please click this link: https://www.vstvenues.co.uk/working-for-vst/ and here are some useful links that may help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gTFrOgxrFE for GCSE’s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7Lq0CzB4bk and for A-Levels. https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/exam-results for both.
