Apprenticeship/University/New Job HELP!!!

mizzbiz19

Hi all, Thanks for clicking my thread.

So i'm currently 10 months into a 4 year apprenticeship. Obviously it being an apprenticeship means the money is shocking and i'm constantly struggling to get by each month. I am also studying with the Open University for a degree which my employer has agreed to pay for. I had to sign an agreement to say I will pay back the money paid for my course should i leave prior to 2 years after the completion of my course.

Anyway, the issue is i'm feeling that i am completely wasted doing this job. All of the work given is monotonous stuff a 12 year old could do let alone a 20 year old with good gcse's a levels and studying a uni degree! Today i felt like i was going to break down in tears when i was told to hole punch a massive pile of paper and then put it into a folder. Its really starting to get me down, I have a history of psychotic depression and have noticed the symptoms coming back (not so much the psychosis but more the depression). When my alarm goes off each morning i dread going into work as i am so bored of it all, i go over loads of excuses in my head to try to get out of going before i drag myself out of bed and reluctantly go to work. I then spend the day doing monotonous tasks wondering why i even bothered to get out of bed for the sake of 40 quid.

With the job market as it is and with little experience i'm not really sure what to do. I've been applying for jobs for the last month (not particularly made much effort - submitted 4-5 a week) and had no response as of yet.

Can someone please advise whether its worth biting my lip and continuing this mind-numbing job for an additional 5 yrs 2 mths in order to complete my uni without any debt... or if i should find something which challenges me and pays better?

saintjammyswine

Dont forget if you get a degree, you may risk your funding for the apprenticeship. Have you checked with the apprenticeship provider? Otherwise it will be worth it in the long run as you will have vocational qualifications, work experience and a degree in your mid 20's, not bad going.

mizzbiz19

hey saintjammyswine

thanks for your response. it is my understanding that i will have nvq 2,3 & 4, completed apprenticeship (so 4 yrs experience) and a degree if i carry on.

pawsies

Try and stick with it as long as possible.

For mundane jobs I like to create arguments in my head I have a little debate with myself and before I know it the jobs done and I have a better understanding of both sides of the debate on whatever it is I'm thinking of. Passes the time a lot quicker too.

I'm not crazy, honest!

tygr

Totally sympathise - both about being stuck in a monotonous job and the depression.

I'm not sure what I'd do in your situation. I doubt the job will stay this dull for the next 5 years! If you tough the next few months out and do the tasks well, they might see that you are enthusiastic, reliable etc and give you more responsibility. It's also worth mentioning to seniors that you are willing to take on more challenging tasks, drop into conversation what your interests are, take the opportunity of appraisal processes to talk about your long term goals and what you could do for the company.

I've seen trainees in your situation take two approaches. One ex colleague, particularly, sat at her desk and moaned constantly about having nothing interesting to do, how she was being under utilised blah blah blah but never was proactive in asking for work and speaking to managers. I don't think they handled her very well but they basically just ignored her and as she didn't approach them, they didn't approach her. Her attitude stank but in fairness she was bored and felt demotivated.

The other approach, is to do everything asked of you very well, with a good attitude and make it obvious that you can and will work your way up and you'll gradually get more responsibility. This is definitely the approach that gets you more interesting work and the respect of senior colleagues.

Having said all that, I sympathise because I've been in this situation and approach two is definitely easier said than done. I also got depressed and ended up going down the moany route. So, if you really think sticking it out will have such a big impact on your health, maybe it isn't worth it. There aren't many jobs out there and pre-degree you're not highly qualified. Can you really afford to be unemployed and needing to pay all your OU course fees?

Thinking about it, I would try to do some self CBT. Think that this job doesn't define you, you know you're capable of much more but for now, needs must and this is a means to an end of a better future. If you can frame your situation so it's not about you and your self-esteem, you might feel better about it. Loads of people are having to do crappy jobs at the moment. It doesn't make them crappy people.

Sorry that was so long winded. Good luck with it.

mizzbiz19

Hi pawsies and tygr, thankyou both for your responses.

Its funny that you mention the approach to work. I actually spent the last 9 months doing approach 2. I literally worked my !!! off and approached all sorts of different people to give me things to do. I even got pulled into HR for 3 months to cover for someone when they went sick. I really enjoyed working there doing a 'proper' job except was peeved when I found out that my company was not going to be offering a bonus/pay rise or anything even though a lot of the higher up people have acknowledged the fact I did the job incredibly well and picked it up very quickly (i was given a week and a half to learn what to do).

Since she has come back i've gone back to being a paperwork monkey and I feel so underappreciated. I still do everything that i'm asked to the best standard but I just feel I have so much more potential than this place is allowing :-(

heretolearn_2

unfortunately you have to start at the bottom, and the people at the bottom get the sucky work to do.

Is there a training plan for you? For a 4 year apprenticeship you must be studying something pretty serious, it can't just be office practise or something, so maybe you need to talk to your supervisor about your progress through the training and when you'll be moving on to other aspects of your training/responsibilities.

But yeah, as the newest and youngest employee, in a training role, you will still get a lot of those boring jobs. A lot of work is boring. No matter who you are or what you. I own my own company and a lot of what I do is boring, that's just the way work is sometimes. Do these jobs with as much enthusiasm as you can muster and look for other opportunities to learn new skills/get new tasks.

Put it this way, you'll have some NVQs and a degree in a few years and you have been earning a bit (if not much) in the meantime. If you were just a student at uni you wouldn't be earning anything and would be building up big debts too...

presumably this training/apprenticeship is going to lead on to good things once completed?

(actually I love a task that is boring and easy. Great! I can daydream and think about whatever, all day. The awful jobs are those that are boring and hard and you have to concentrate on them even though you are dying of boredom.)

ChelseaBx

Hi,

I'm not sure how old you are but if you're over 19, once you have been in your apprenticeship for over a year you have to get a pay rise to minimum wage. It is worth sticking it out though, regardless of the pay because the experience that youre gaining will all look good on your CV as well as the qualifications that youre working towards. These days employers tend to be more interested in work experience than qualifications so if you have both then youre setting yourself up for quite a good future.

I started in an apprenticeship over 2 years ago, as soon as I came out of school. I landed on my feet with my apprenticeship in terms of pay and the progression with the company that I work for but I know a lot of people who are in a similar position to you.

Stick it out, you will see the benefits in the future.

mizzbiz19

Hi heretolearn

There is a vague training programme set out... I have already completed NVQ 2 (took 6 months and that was because the college assessor only came every 3 weeks...) I found it incredibly easy and constantly questioned whether they seriously thought I was that thick. I was due to start my NVQ 3 2 months ago now (my college assessor was made redundant and haven't had any contact from them since) but apparently level 3 is just as pathetic and easy as level 2 Do employers even respect them as qualifications because they seem like a joke to me?

mizzbiz19

hi chelseabx

i am 20 and there is a scheme in place which means we get yearly pay rises... so i suppose just 2 months to go and i'll be feeling (a little) more wealthy!

heretolearn_2

that should be £4.98 per hour then in 2 months time, not a fortune I know, but a bit more bearable I hope.

What is your apprenticeship in? 4 years is a long one...that's why I thought it must be in something fairly solid. In which case the NVQs could be good and could lead on to higher professional qualifications? Your degree - I take it that it is relevant to your career? You could be in a great position in a few years time.

(but some NVQs, not so good, to be honest with you.)

'I had to sign an agreement to say I will pay back the money paid for my course should i leave prior to 2 years after the completion of my course.' This would concern me a bit - but it REALLY depends what you are training to be and where all this is leading within your firm. This is a normal enough clause, but it means that you'll be there 8 years (assuming you are doing the usual 60 points a year for 6 years OU) if you want to avoid paying money back to them!