The Student Room Group

Failed my A-levels

Hi, I'm John and I'm here because I need your advice.

I did Mathematics, Physics and Hospitality and I got U, U and a Merit respectively.

I wanted to do Web Development at Edge Hill or SAE Institute London.

On 17th of August I was so disappointed when I got my results in hand and at that moment all my plans just got ruined. But, I decided not to give up and look for an alternative way.

So, now I still want to do Web Development and I was looking into apprenticeships and I need CV to apply. I thought it would be a good start of my career as some companies provide training and I'll be learning and working at the same time. So this might be more helpful rather than going to a college.

I know a bit of HTML, CSS and JQuery, but because I haven't done a lot during A-levels, I'm not quite sure what to put on my CV.

I am a little bit confused at the moment I would like to see what you guys think.

What do you think about apprenticeships?
Should I go to a college?
Should I do some Web Development training sessions beforehand?

Thank you.
Original post by device
Hi, I'm John and I'm here because I need your advice.

I did Mathematics, Physics and Hospitality and I got U, U and a Merit respectively.

I wanted to do Web Development at Edge Hill or SAE Institute London.

On 17th of August I was so disappointed when I got my results in hand and at that moment all my plans just got ruined. But, I decided not to give up and look for an alternative way.

So, now I still want to do Web Development and I was looking into apprenticeships and I need CV to apply. I thought it would be a good start of my career as some companies provide training and I'll be learning and working at the same time. So this might be more helpful rather than going to a college.

I know a bit of HTML, CSS and JQuery, but because I haven't done a lot during A-levels, I'm not quite sure what to put on my CV.

I am a little bit confused at the moment I would like to see what you guys think.

What do you think about apprenticeships?
Should I go to a college?
Should I do some Web Development training sessions beforehand?

Thank you.


Apprenticeships look great. I know one friend who dropped out of Sixth Form in the first two weeks of Y12 and went onto a WebDev Level 3 apprenticeship at a local company. From he's told me, it's fantastic.

The best thing to do is to try and build up a portfolio so you have a selection of projects to show a potential employer/apprenticeship provider.
Reply 2
Original post by Blue_Cow
Apprenticeships look great. I know one friend who dropped out of Sixth Form in the first two weeks of Y12 and went onto a WebDev Level 3 apprenticeship at a local company. From he's told me, it's fantastic.

The best thing to do is to try and build up a portfolio so you have a selection of projects to show a potential employer/apprenticeship provider.


Thank you for advice :smile:
Original post by device
Hi, I'm John and I'm here because I need your advice.

I did Mathematics, Physics and Hospitality and I got U, U and a Merit respectively.

I wanted to do Web Development at Edge Hill or SAE Institute London.

On 17th of August I was so disappointed when I got my results in hand and at that moment all my plans just got ruined. But, I decided not to give up and look for an alternative way.

So, now I still want to do Web Development and I was looking into apprenticeships and I need CV to apply. I thought it would be a good start of my career as some companies provide training and I'll be learning and working at the same time. So this might be more helpful rather than going to a college.

I know a bit of HTML, CSS and JQuery, but because I haven't done a lot during A-levels, I'm not quite sure what to put on my CV.

I am a little bit confused at the moment I would like to see what you guys think.

What do you think about apprenticeships?
Should I go to a college?
Should I do some Web Development training sessions beforehand?

Thank you.


Just tagging a few people in
Original post by Danny Dorito
Just tagging a few people in


@device

Sorry to hear you didn't get exactly what you wanted, however, there are always plenty of options still available to you. Apprenticeships is certainly an area which you can explore further with employers keen on plugging skills gaps which include digital skills. For you, you get to experience the world of work whilst gaining a qualification.

Feel free to register with gov.uk and search for any vacancies that may interest you - https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Alternatively, you could look at speaking to your teachers with a view to resitting your exams, or go through Clearing for a degree level course (however, your options may not be as open)

Good luck
Rav
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by device
Hi, I'm John and I'm here because I need your advice.

I did Mathematics, Physics and Hospitality and I got U, U and a Merit respectively.

I wanted to do Web Development at Edge Hill or SAE Institute London.

On 17th of August I was so disappointed when I got my results in hand and at that moment all my plans just got ruined. But, I decided not to give up and look for an alternative way.

So, now I still want to do Web Development and I was looking into apprenticeships and I need CV to apply. I thought it would be a good start of my career as some companies provide training and I'll be learning and working at the same time. So this might be more helpful rather than going to a college.

I know a bit of HTML, CSS and JQuery, but because I haven't done a lot during A-levels, I'm not quite sure what to put on my CV.

I am a little bit confused at the moment I would like to see what you guys think.

What do you think about apprenticeships?
Should I go to a college?
Should I do some Web Development training sessions beforehand?

Thank you.


Hi

I am so sorry that you didn't get the grades that you were hoping for, I am pleased to hear that you are being so proactive in what you want to do next though!

I think that all of what you have outlined are valid possibilities they just all have their pros and cons which might make them more/less appealing so it is really about weighing up what feels right for you. For example

Apprentices
Pros

Earning money whilst studying
May be the foot in the door in that company
Gives you professional skills alongside an academic qualification

Cons

They can be quite a short contract (12 - 18 months) so it can mean that you are looking again quite quickly
Some people prefer to just study for the qualification intensively rather than working at the same time
Whilst the qualification can be quite broad the role can sometimes be focussed on just one area so therefore may not be in the right field of interest

College
Pros

Allows you to focus solely on studying for the qualification full time
You will be surrounded by like minded people who share the same desire to complete the qualification
It will give you the time to gain the skills and perhaps refine the kind of role you are looking for

Cons

There can be a cost involved
If you wish to work this would be on top of full time study
You don't gain the 'professional soft skills' that you can learn in the role.

Web Development Courses
Pros

Intensive study allowing you to get some in depth knowledge in your chosen area
Very focussed in your field of interest allowing you to focus on what you enjoy


Cons


Costs involved
Possibly too focussed on one area (depending on what course you choose)
Lack of 'professional' soft skills training

I think it really comes down to which you would prefer and which you feel sounds best suited to you. There really are many options open to you at this stage and its really about you and what you believe is the right next step.

I hope that this helps

Jo
Reply 6
Original post by Leeds City College
@device

Sorry to hear you didn't get exactly what you wanted, however, there are always plenty of options still available to you. Apprenticeships is certainly an area which you can explore further with employers keen on plugging skills gaps which include digital skills. For you, you get to experience the world of work whilst gaining a qualification.

Feel free to register with gov.uk and search for any vacancies that may interest you - https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Alternatively, you could look at speaking to your teachers with a view to resitting your exams, or go through Clearing for a degree level course (however, your options may not be as open)

Good luck
Rav


Thank you very much for that )
Reply 7
Original post by Jo@Capita
Hi

I am so sorry that you didn't get the grades that you were hoping for, I am pleased to hear that you are being so proactive in what you want to do next though!

I think that all of what you have outlined are valid possibilities they just all have their pros and cons which might make them more/less appealing so it is really about weighing up what feels right for you. For example

Apprentices
Pros

Earning money whilst studying
May be the foot in the door in that company
Gives you professional skills alongside an academic qualification

Cons

They can be quite a short contract (12 - 18 months) so it can mean that you are looking again quite quickly
Some people prefer to just study for the qualification intensively rather than working at the same time
Whilst the qualification can be quite broad the role can sometimes be focussed on just one area so therefore may not be in the right field of interest

College
Pros

Allows you to focus solely on studying for the qualification full time
You will be surrounded by like minded people who share the same desire to complete the qualification
It will give you the time to gain the skills and perhaps refine the kind of role you are looking for

Cons

There can be a cost involved
If you wish to work this would be on top of full time study
You don't gain the 'professional soft skills' that you can learn in the role.

Web Development Courses
Pros

Intensive study allowing you to get some in depth knowledge in your chosen area
Very focussed in your field of interest allowing you to focus on what you enjoy


Cons


Costs involved
Possibly too focussed on one area (depending on what course you choose)
Lack of 'professional' soft skills training

I think it really comes down to which you would prefer and which you feel sounds best suited to you. There really are many options open to you at this stage and its really about you and what you believe is the right next step.

I hope that this helps

Jo


This is really helpful, thank you so much. I think apprenticeships are better just because I could gain the professional soft skills and more experience, which I think is very important and every company look at.

Thanks again. :smile:
Original post by device
Hi, I'm John and I'm here because I need your advice.

I did Mathematics, Physics and Hospitality and I got U, U and a Merit respectively.

I wanted to do Web Development at Edge Hill or SAE Institute London.

On 17th of August I was so disappointed when I got my results in hand and at that moment all my plans just got ruined. But, I decided not to give up and look for an alternative way.

So, now I still want to do Web Development and I was looking into apprenticeships and I need CV to apply. I thought it would be a good start of my career as some companies provide training and I'll be learning and working at the same time. So this might be more helpful rather than going to a college.

I know a bit of HTML, CSS and JQuery, but because I haven't done a lot during A-levels, I'm not quite sure what to put on my CV.

I am a little bit confused at the moment I would like to see what you guys think.

What do you think about apprenticeships?
Should I go to a college?
Should I do some Web Development training sessions beforehand?

Thank you.


Hi John,

Sorry to hear that you didn't get the results that you wanted, but good on you for not giving up. As you've mentioned, there are lots of alternative routes into Web Development, so your options aren't completely limited by exam results :smile:

As Jo has pointed out, there are pros and cons to each option, so it's just about deciding what you think would work best for you. If you learn better by doing, then an apprenticeship may be the best option, and it gets you valuable work experience which will look good on your CV.

In terms of your CV, we've got a useful guide to writing CVs and cover letters which may be of use - you can find it here.

Hope this helps!

All the best,
Ashley
Reply 9
Original post by University of Surrey
Hi John,

Sorry to hear that you didn't get the results that you wanted, but good on you for not giving up. As you've mentioned, there are lots of alternative routes into Web Development, so your options aren't completely limited by exam results :smile:

As Jo has pointed out, there are pros and cons to each option, so it's just about deciding what you think would work best for you. If you learn better by doing, then an apprenticeship may be the best option, and it gets you valuable work experience which will look good on your CV.

In terms of your CV, we've got a useful guide to writing CVs and cover letters which may be of use - you can find it here.

Hope this helps!

All the best,
Ashley


Thank you for the key points :smile:
Original post by device
Thank you for the key points :smile:


No problem :biggrin:
Original post by device
Hi, I'm John and I'm here because I need your advice.

I did Mathematics, Physics and Hospitality and I got U, U and a Merit respectively.

I wanted to do Web Development at Edge Hill or SAE Institute London.

On 17th of August I was so disappointed when I got my results in hand and at that moment all my plans just got ruined. But, I decided not to give up and look for an alternative way.

So, now I still want to do Web Development and I was looking into apprenticeships and I need CV to apply. I thought it would be a good start of my career as some companies provide training and I'll be learning and working at the same time. So this might be more helpful rather than going to a college.

I know a bit of HTML, CSS and JQuery, but because I haven't done a lot during A-levels, I'm not quite sure what to put on my CV.

I am a little bit confused at the moment I would like to see what you guys think.

What do you think about apprenticeships?
Should I go to a college?
Should I do some Web Development training sessions beforehand?

Thank you.

Hello John,

I am sorry to hear that you didn’t do as well as you had hoped in you’re A-levels, however what is inspiring is that you didn’t give up and found an alternative route into your career goal.

Apprenticeships are a great way to gain a skillset which is extremely valuable to employers, work towards accredited qualifications whilst earning a wage. Apprenticeships come at no cost to the apprentice regardless of whether it’s a level 2 or a level 6 as it is funded by the employer and the Government. They are fast becoming a real and viable alternative to university with some of the UK’s biggest employers offering high quality training opportunities. Apprenticeships are not for everyone, it very much depends on you and your individual learning style. If you feel you learn well by being in a practical hands on environment then an apprenticeship could be a good option for you moving forward.

There are also many college courses in the I.T sector which can help you gain the knowledge and qualifications you need. My advice would be to look into both options, there is nothing stopping you from applying for both, however you can only do one at a time so if you have a place at college and do not find an apprenticeship you can start the course. If you find an apprenticeship you can turn down your place on the course. It’s always best to have a plan A and plan B. If you do decide to go down the college route, the best advice I can offer is get some work experience for at least 6 months so that you can compete against others with work experience possibly from leaving apprenticeships.

If you can fit in web development training sessions before or during your apprenticeship/college course then I see no reason why you shouldn’t, having that knowledge will only work to your benefit when it comes to future employment. I think it will depend on how long these sessions are and if they will interfere with your education/training.

It would be great to discuss this with you in more depth, you can speak with expert career advisers at the National Careers Service every day from 8am till 10pm on 0800 100 900 or search for us online to chat with an adviser live, send us an email or send us a text.

Best of luck with everything John. :smile:

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending