My name is Vanessa Sawicka, I’m from Erdington and I work as a level 4 Land Referencing Apprentice at WSP. The thing I’ve enjoyed most so far during my apprenticeship is the routine. Having a reason to get up early in the morning has definitely been beneficial to my physical and mental health. This very much contrasts my life before my apprenticeship, the period of time between leaving school and starting work, as I was lazing about in the house everyday with absolutely nothing to do.

I also like my work routine as I don’t have to adjust my day to fit around something new I’m doing; so when I wake up, I know what my day looks like. In fact, if my day looks any different than usual, I know at least a week in advance.

The most challenging thing has probably been networking. This is because I am quite a shy person and get nervous when speaking to new people.

I would recommend this apprenticeship as, like I previously said, it gives you a good routine which I believe everyone should have in their lives. It is also very good first-time work experience, as you learn about professionalism and how to act accordingly in an office. I think working in an office is also a good starting point as you learn about new and interesting things that you might want to pursue in the future after your apprenticeship.