How to be ready for an apprenticeship interview

Quick tips to help you get prepped

Getting ready for an apprenticeship interview is a lot like preparing for any other job interview. You're going to need to do some research, plan some prepared answers and make time to practice. 

In this article, we outline steps you can follow so you're ready to make a great impression in your apprenticeship interview.

And we'll cover some of the questions you can expect to be asked, as well as questions you can ask the interviewer.

How apprenticeship interviews work

Each employer will run interviews in its own way. Some will just run a single interview before letting applicants know their decision. Others may ask you to attend two or even three interviews.

The interview itself might be in-person or remote, perhaps an interview by phone or video call. You might be interviewed by one person or by a panel of several. Some large employers run pre-recorded interviews - where you record a video of yourself responding to set questions. 

However your interview is set up, you can follow the same steps to prepare.


How to be ready for your apprenticeship interview

  1. Research the company
  2. Understand what the apprentice role is all about
  3. Prepare your answers
  4. Practise your interview technique
  5. Dress appropriately
  6. Prepare questions for the interviewer
  7. Plan out the practical details
  8. Stay calm and confident

1. Research the company

First up, make sure you know your stuff. By doing a bit of research into the company, you can show you are genuinely interested in working there. 

You might have done some of this when you were putting together your application. Now's the time to take another look, so you're ready for the classic “what do you know about our company?” question. 

Head to the company's website and click the “about us” link. Have a read through the information there and make some notes. For more up-to-date information, try their social media accounts.

You can also take a look for recent news stories. If they've just won an award or a new contract, you'll be able to casually congratulate them during the interview – it won't go unnoticed.

2. Understand what the apprentice role is all about

Now you know about the company, make sure you also understand the apprenticeship opportunity. Read through the detail in the job description; if there's anything you don’t understand you've got time to call the employer and ask before the interview. 

Write down key points they are looking for. What tasks will you be performing? What skills are required? Then write down what you'll bring to the role and how your skills and experience are relevant. 

Go over these notes regularly so that you’ll be able to talk confidently about your skills and how they will enable you to do a great job. 

3. Prepare your answers

You can't know exactly what they're going to ask in an interview, but you can have a pretty good guess. Certain questions come up regularly in interviews make sure you've prepared answers for these. 

If you're well prepared you will be able to speak confidently, rather than racking your brains for an answer.

Here are a few typical questions from apprenticeship interviews, along with possible answers.

What they ask: 
Why did you apply for this apprenticeship?

What they want to hear:
That it's clear in your mind why you're applying. This is also a good spot for dropping in some detail about your career aspirations.

Example answer:
“This apprenticeship will enable me to establish a career in the industry. The tasks required from the role will help me to build up my skills and knowledge so that I can become a key member of the team.”

What they ask: 
What skills would you like to improve during this apprenticeship?

What they want to hear:
That you're committed to learning, and excited to build your skills.

Example:
“I’d like to enhance my communication skills and gain more hands-on experience, so that I can be ready to progress in my career.”

What they ask: 
What are your biggest weaknesses?

What they want to hear:
An honest answer, with some thought behind it.

Example answer:
“I sometimes struggle with time management, but I’ve been using tools to organise my tasks better.”

What they ask: 
What skills can you contribute to this apprenticeship?

What they want to hear:
That you've thought about why you're a good fit for this opportunity. Be sure to back up any skills you mention with evidence. 

Example answer:
“I love solving problems and I have great attention to detail. For example...”

A lot of answers can be prepared in advance. Behavioural questions - where employers ask about work-related behaviours - are common in interviews, and you can be ready for these. 

They're easy questions to spot because they always start with 'tell me about a time...' or 'describe a situation' or 'give me an example of...'. 

There's an approach called STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) which is a common way to deal with these kind of questions. It helps you respond to the question with a quick story. Work out some responses in advance and you'll be ready to slot them into the relevant part of the interview conversation.

Here's an example for a question like: “Tell me about a time when you demonstrated excellent teamwork skills.”

Situation (S):
During my final year at university, I was part of a group project for our marketing course.
Task (T): 
Our team had to create a marketing campaign for a local charity event.
Action (A):
I set up regular team meetings to brainstorm ideas and allocate tasks.
Result (R):
Our campaign generated a 30% increase in event registrations compared to the previous year.

4. Practice your interview technique

It's really important to feel prepared for your interview. Spend some time getting your head around the questions they might ask - and how you will answer them. Practise with a friend, family member, or career advisor.

When you're practising, focus on maintaining eye contact and speaking clearly. You'll look, sound and feel confident.

You might be worried about your mind going blank in the interview room. But all you really need to do is ask yourself - why are they asking me this question? 

Remember, you're going for an apprenticeship position, no-one is going to expect you to have masses of experience or in-depth knowledge of the industry.

What they will want to know is that you're going to be committed, that you'll be ready to learn and that you're going to work hard. If your answers can demonstrate those key attributes, you're going to put yourself in a pretty good position.

So try not to worry too much about the exact wording of a question - instead think about the positive message you can give them about yourself.

5. Dress appropriately

How you dress will sometimes depend on the type of role that you are interviewing for. To make you feel at ease don’t be afraid to ask the employer in advance if they have a dress code.

You're unlikely to go far wrong if you're wearing smart trousers, a blouse or shirt and closed-toe shoes. If you feel you are dressed appropriately, it can really help build your confidence.

   

6. Prepare questions for the interviewer

Pretty much every interview closes with the interviewer saying: "So, do you have any questions for us?" Don't be that person who scratches their head and replies: "Um, no, not really..."

This is your opportunity to close out the interview on a high - all you need to do is emphasise your interest in the opportunity and the company. Write down your questions neatly in a note book and take them to an interview with you.

Depending on what's already been covered in the interview, you might try some of the following:

  • What’s it like to work here?
  • What would a typical day be like?
  • Why is the business taking on apprentices?
  • How will my time be divided between working and learning?
  • Are you considering offering apprentices positions after the apprenticeship programme?
  • What have apprentices gone on to do once they have completed their apprenticeship?
  • What's the company culture like?

7. Plan out the practical details

Don't be late. It sounds obvious, but it's so easy to get tripped up by a traffic jam or a cancelled train. 

Check where you need to go and what time you need to be there. Then plan a trip that ensures you will be early. Aim to arrive at least 30 minutes in advance and you'll have a bit of time spare in case anything goes wrong.

If you do get stuck somewhere it’s not the end of the world, just make sure you call them as early as possible to let them know you are going to be late.

Getting there early not only looks good. It gives you an opportunity to compose yourself so you can go into the interview nice and relaxed. If you arrive really early then you could take a wander around the block a few times and get to your interview about 10 minutes before it's scheduled.

Things to take:

  • Your CV. They should have this, but make sure you have a spare copy to hand.
  • A notepad and pen. Write down notes in the interview. 
  • The job description. You can refer to this in the interview. 
  • Your questions. Make sure you write down the answers to show that you really care about them.

8. Stay calm and confident

Lots of people get nervous in interviews. It's common and the interviewer will be expecting a few nerves.

Preparing will help a lot – if you feel prepared you will feel more confident.

You can also try confidence-building exercises. For instance, in the days before the interview you can try visualising a successful interview. The more you focus on the interview with a positive frame of mind, the more natural confidence you will gain.

In the interview itself:

  • Smile.
  • Shake hands.
  • Maintain eye contact.
  • Introduce yourself. 
  • Ask them how they are.
  • Don’t be afraid to tell the employer if you are nervous. Anyone interviewing an apprentice will try to make you feel as comfortable as possible. Many interviewing managers are equally nervous about interviewing young people as it’s not what they do every day.
  • Be yourself!
  • Listen – make sure you are answering the questions that are asked. If you don’t understand the question then say so. Don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat the question.
  • Ask questions – rememeber to bring out your prepared list of questions. The hiring manager will love that you have been thinking about the interview.
More apprenticeship articles on The Student Room and The Uni Guide
Your question will be posted in the Apprenticeships and alternatives to university forum
Awesome! Your question has now been posted. View your post here
  1. Please choose where you want to post your question.
    Please choose your study level.
    Please enter what your question is about.
    Please enter your question.
    Your message must have two characters or more.
Advertisement