Should You Take Someone On As An Apprentice?

Give the current economic climate there are literally thousands of people looking to either supplement their income to make up for lost overtime or bonuses; or to make a full time living to replace income lost through job cuts or redundancy.

Many of these people are used to working as an employee and find the transition to self employment to be very difficult. After all, it's not easy moving from an environment where there is structure, discipline and support into an environment of uncertainty where you have to do everything for yourself.

It's especially difficult when the work is completely new and you don't know what you're doing!

For anyone is that position I strongly recommend that you seek out a coach, mentor or someone who's willing to take you on as an apprentice. There are a few pointers later in this blog post.

For anyone considering taking on an apprentice I recommend that you consider…

• You must be willing to set aside the time it takes to recruit someone with the right mindset and with the intelligence and aptitude to do the job.
• You must be willing to invest the time it takes to properly brief, train and monitor your apprentice on an ongoing basis.
• You need to set SMART objectives for all tasks so that the apprentice knows exactly what is expected of them.
• You need patience and understanding in bucket loads. Remember, the apprentice is way back where you were when you started out and they need to learn the basics and the terminology.
• It's not just about doling out task after task. You have to explain the big picture, the process and the why.. especially the reason why they are doing something.
• You have to be willing to accept the fact that they will screw up. Failure and mistakes are an important part of the learning process. How you handle failure and mistakes is probably the most important element in managing an apprentice .
• Motivation is also critically important.. your apprentice needs feedback, they need the reassurance that will build their confidence. Be sure to reward the behaviour you want.

From the apprentice's perspective..

• Your "Boss" is busy, they can't offer you full time supervision.
• If you have a question, invest some time in finding an answer for yourself before you ask the boss to confirm what you find out.
• If you don't understand something that your boss has told you or asked you to do, seek clarification. Don't go blindly charging off without making sure you understand what's required.
• Your time is not as valuable as your boss' time. Don't expect a fair exchange in hours. Consider how much business your boss could be losing while they are helping you.
• Keep your promises, don't promise what you can't deliver and be honest. Your boss has probably heard more lame excuses than you could even dream up.
• Show some initiative and make suggestions, but be aware that there is often a very good reason for your boss to do it "their" way.

The apprenticeship can be very rewarding for both parties. However, it requires a willingness to commit from both sides and, as in any transaction, the terms of the relationship need to be clearly established and agreed. And, that agreement should include what happens at the conclusion of the relationship.

If you think you have what it takes to apply for an apprenticeship, your first step is to contact me with a short pitch that explains why you should be selected as an apprentice.