5: This Week On Apprentatips

Lock in. It's time.

Author

Qusai Agha
January 31, 2025

Hey future apprentices, this week’s email will be formatted differently:

  • The next steps for year 12’s regarding apprenticeships

  • The next steps for year 13+

  • Important news from the previous week (Talk about this in your interviews!)

  • Weekly advice from our apprentice network.

  • New apprenticeship news and vacancies.

Here’s the best information I have gathered across all the apprentices I’ve spoken to and some of my experiences too:

For Year 12’s

Follow this plan until September, you will be set for an offer.

I can’t stress enough the importance of work experience at this time, not only does it help you gain skills to talk about, you can also decorate.

  • February - August: Apply to as much work xp as you can in your industry. To do this, make a good CV and practice how to write cover letters, this is how I was able to break into a hedge fund.

  • You can get virtual WE from JP Morgan, HSBC, Barclays and many more use resources like: https://www.theforage.com/, and springpod.com, uptree.co, trust me.

  • July: WRITE YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT! This made my life 10x easier, it allowed me to enjoy summer knowing its all done, and while everyone focused on personal statement in year 13 I was chilling and focusing on revision. This is a major hack in my opinion.

  • September: Lock in. This is when many apprenticeships open up. Stay posted with Apprentatips for vacancies.

  • That’s really it, make sure you’re up to date with all the school work and you’re good.

I will follow up with an email by the weekend with CV and cover letter templates which I’d recommend.

For Year 13’s+

3 months.

That’s when exams start.

Just let that marinate. If you have not been applying to apprenticeships, it’s almost too late. Best thing right now is to focus on getting the best grades.

Here’s my advice for you guys depending on the stage of applications you’re on:

Application stage: No one should be focusing on how to apply, but if you need help on this stage, make sure you answer every question based on the company values.

Situational Judgement: This is where I always cook like crazy. This part of the process is mainly just how you would react to certain workplace situations. if you are asked to rank what you would do or how you would react, always remember what you are displaying to recruiters. Tweak every answer based on the following desirable characteristics: Adaptability, Innovation, collaboration, integrity, and most importantly: learning ability.

Video Responses: Look at the camera, be confident, make sure you know all the values of the company, don’t overthink, be as enthusiastic as you can to ensure you’re a likable candidate. My best tip for these is to treat them as a regular conversation (be formal of course).

Online Interview: Same advice as above applies here. If you are on this stage, the firm has loved everything you have told them so far and are giving you a chance. Be thankful for the opportunity at the start, show enthusiasm and motivation while talking, always mention that you are willing to learn, grow and benefit the firm. Ask 3 questions at the end; e.g What’s the company culture like? How do you manage stress?

Assessment Centre: The big stage. Every successful apprentice always tells me one common response, here’s things need to always show during your time:

  • Humility (don’t glaze yourself too much),

  • Expanding on people’s responses,

  • Collaboration,

  • Asking great questions,

  • Being a good person to work with. Be an asset to your team.

  • Integrity

That’s the formula for group tasks, for real life interviews, you should:

  • Mention a project the firm is doing right now and how you would love to be involved.

  • Know financial news, they want proactive candidates.

  • Conversate with the interviewer, be sociable.

  • Be confident, or pretend to be confident.

  • Make sure you know all your skills and where you learnt them.

That’s really it. You got this.

Apprenticeship Vacancies:

Real World Application Using News:

  1. Finance + Tech: SoftBank in Talks to Invest $25bn in OpenAI
    This would make them the biggest financial backer of the company.

  2. Pro Tip: Talk about what productivity looks like in the future, your firm’s interaction with AI and new technology to help productivity.

  3. Engineering: Space Sector
    There is currently significant growth into the space sector in the UK, employing around 50,000 people.
    Pro Tip: Talk about how engineering new space craft and technology could help set the foundations of future space exploration.

  4. Law: Prince Harry’s Privacy

    The owners of The Sun magazine apologises and compensates for substantial privacy damages after recent legal case.

    Pro Tip: Talk about the nature of closure in high profile cases, and how justice is more likely to be served for high profile individuals than regular people.

Using real world news in your interviews is a major plus for your interviews. It shows you are proactive, competent and aware of important events in your given industry. You can reply to this email for these news sources.

A Few Words From a Degree Apprentice (PAY ATTENTION):

“1. Biggest Piece of Advice for Applicants

The most important thing is to demonstrate commercial awareness and a growth mindset. The Big 4 don’t expect you to be an expert in audit or accounting yet, but they do expect you to show that you understand:
• What the firm does and how it makes money.
• The role of audit in business and why it’s important.
• Recent financial, business, or regulatory trends that impact audit and accounting.
• How you can learn quickly, take feedback well, and adapt.

How to demonstrate this:
• Research the firm, its clients, and recent news in audit (e.g., regulation changes, scandals, or tech in audit).
• Show curiosity—mention articles, reports, or real-world examples in interviews.
• Be proactive in learning, e.g., take online courses on financial basics, audit principles, or Excel.
• Structure your answers in competency-based interviews using STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

2. What Type of People Are Recruiters Looking For?

Big 4 recruiters aren’t just looking for “book smart” candidates—they need people who can handle the real-world challenges of audit. The key traits they want are:
• Resilience & Work Ethic – Audit can be demanding, so they want people who can handle pressure and meet deadlines.
• Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking – You’ll be analyzing data and financials, so attention to detail and logical thinking matter.
• Communication Skills – You’ll work in teams and speak with clients, so you need to explain things clearly.
• Curiosity and Commercial Awareness – Recruiters love candidates who show an interest in business and finance beyond their studies.
• Team Players – Collaboration is key in audit; they need people who can work well with different teams.

How to stand out:
• Show examples of times you’ve demonstrated resilience (e.g., balancing work and study, overcoming setbacks).
• Talk about how you’ve solved problems, even if they’re unrelated to finance (e.g., a job, sports, volunteering).
• Show you can communicate well by giving clear, structured answers in interviews.
• Ask good questions to demonstrate curiosity about the role and firm..”

Muhammad Fakhri, KPMG

This is genuinely some of the best advice I’ve seen, implement this as well as you can!

You all know how much we value being aware of news here. It shows employers that you actually care about your industry - and most importantly that your willing to learn.

We recently partnered with a news provider, so make the most of it. It’s free!

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Thank you, hefty email this week and a lot to unpack, we hope this email provided value, and see you next week!