Getting Started at My Apprenticeship

Day 1 of my Praxis apprenticeship is just around the corner, and I'm so excited about this new opportunity.  I'm going to be taking on some new challenges, learning a tremendous amount about the company, and gaining a lot of new skills. Before the first day arrives, I'm preparing by brainstorming ideas I can bring into the business to create value, and I'm also spending time getting a clear picture of how to go about this. Here are some questions I've answered from the Praxis curriculum - I was completely transparent with these. I want to do everything I can to get started in the most efficient way. I'm taking advantage of a fresh new start.

1) What’s your dream job? 

I want to be self-employed as a freelance artist. The main priority is music, but I also would love to be doing things like photography and graphic design. But, to be completely honest, I also have another idea for a business I’d love to open someday. I haven’t been very vocal about it, but it’s been on my mind since I was 12 or 13. I obviously don’t have details worked out, but it’s essentially a YMCA for education. I want to create a safe environment for students to come (either after school or during the day) to work on projects, study, and collaborate with each other on ideas. Right now my main focus is getting into the music industry, but both of these ideas are my dream jobs.

2) What’s one thing you can do at your apprenticeship to make it easier for you to make that dream job a reality at some point in the future?

Learn more about the different roles that keep the company moving in the right direction. Specifically, get a good understanding of how things work “behind the scenes”. Even if I’m not working in every role, I want to be communicating with everyone as much as possible so I can learn about how they do their jobs and how it affects the big picture.

3) What’s the most important thing you want to be, do, or have at the end of your apprenticeship?

I want to walk away knowing that I made a huge impact on the environment and the business. I’m not exactly sure what that looks like, but it’s more to prove my abilities to myself and to become more confident in my skills.

4) Heading into your apprenticeship, what’s your biggest fear or concern?

I tend to let other people’s opinions affect my behavior, and I don’t want that to happen here. Truth is, I’ve always felt insecure in any setting I’ve ever been involved with. So, I usually get into my own head, restrain myself from trying my hardest, and therefore, perform less than I know I can. My biggest fear is that this will happen at this opportunity - that if anyone views me negatively, I’ll start to worry, and my worry will stunt the growth that should happen.