You’ve come to the decision that college or university is not for you and that you are going to enter the world of work via an apprenticeship; but you have no idea what you will be asked in a formal interview situation and how to respond. It may be that you have never had an interview of any type before so below are a number of apprentice interview questions you will likely be asked:

• What made you apply for this Apprenticeship?
• Please would you give me examples of instances when you have worked or coped well under pressure.
• Tell me what you know about our company.
• What do you think we want from our Apprentice?
• As well as working full time, you will be expected to study for formal qualifications. How will you prioritise your work load with your education?
• What is your understanding of equal opportunities and how it applies to this job?
• Give an example of a time you have worked independently.
• Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult situation an example of a time you have worked as part of a team.
• Where do you see yourself in five years time?
• Do you have any questions for us?
• These questions all sound simple aye? Well they’re not. It is imperative that you have answers formulated in your mind and you are ready for any or all of the above.

Whilst you have opted to leave the full time education sphere, any Apprenticeship will require learning – even if this learning is largely “on the job” training, your interview is a fantastic time to portray your eagerness to learn and understand how the business works. Do not under-estimate the value of getting this across in an interview.

The best interviewees will take time to understand the culture and approach of the company they are applying to and a good place to start with that is usually the company’s website. Read the ABOUT US section and take some time to learn where the business came from and what its ethos is. Knowledge is power!

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