Rochelle Photo Studio Assistant Apprentice, Burberry Age: 18 Northolt, London A-Levels:/Photography, English, Drama
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’m so excited” Why an apprenticeship? I was offered a place at university to study fashion, but when I was presented with the chance to start working at such a prestigious luxury brand (especially at a young age), it was clear this would kickstart my career and give me a vision of how far I could go in the fashion industry in the future. What will you be doing on your apprenticeship? I will be working with the photographers in the Burberry studio, supporting them and the rest of the team. Why did you apply for this apprenticeship? I studied photography at A-Level as from a young age I took my camera everywhere and felt I could see things differently and more creatively through a lens. I was inspired. Which personality traits will help you be successful? • Ability to communicate with different people • Reliable, determined and passionate • Strong desire to learn What was your interview process like? After attending the WhiteHat Kick-off day I was invited to have a phone interview with Burberry. I was then invited for an interview with the Art Director, Photographers, and Recruitment Team. I was so keen on the opportunity I made sure I stayed in touch with them afterwards! “Before I applied, I was holding myself back. I didn’t want to try because I didn’t think I’d get it. I’d been bouncing around before and I wasn’t having much luck with jobs. I felt really down on myself. I didn’t really expect to get a job at the end but WhiteHat gave me the push to succeed”
What did you gain from the WhiteHat Kick-off Day? I needed a sense of direction and I thought that career professionals could help me. When you’re so young it’s good to be able to go somewhere and learn about the range of opportunities out there. Before coming to WhiteHat, I didn’t realise there were people here to help me. start my career
Rochelle’s Top Tips 1. Jump at the right chance - don’t ever be afraid of failure. 2. Be confident – go in as if you’ve already got the job. 3. B e p r e p a r e d - b e f o r e m y interviews I made sure I knew all about the company, & checked out t h e p e o p l e w h o w o u l d b e interviewing me. I looked at the WhiteHat Interview Tips a million times - that was so helpful! 4. Ask questions - I asked so many questions but I wish I’d asked even more. Be curious and show how interested you are. 5. Show what you can do - I prepared a portfolio of work and a number of examples to take with me. 6. Know what you love to do – keep trying new things so you can figure this out. All of this adds to your CV and you’ll learn from every experience.
“I couldn’t have done it without WhiteHat and my Mum. You guys were amazing!”