If you know something isn't right for you, then don't do it to please others

Kofi Landon, Digital Marketing Apprentice

When I reflect on my time in the education system, we were all expected to know what we wanted to do in our future careers from a young age.

I was confused as to whether I should study certain subjects, go to university or get an apprenticeship? I was forced to answer these questions most weeks, with my answer changing each time.

I remember thinking I was certain of having a career in the industry of sport and I completed my GCSEs, just getting the right grades to allow me to study Sport at A level.

As soon as I enrolled at my college, it was mission university. Within two months I had already created my UCAS application and I applied to 5 different universities to study a Sports and Exercise Science degree.

Before I knew it a year had passed and it was that time to enrol at Sheffield Hallam University to study Sports and Exercise Science. At that time I had not given any time to weigh up my other options.

University started and very quickly I realised this wasn't for me, but I didn't know how to tell my parents or friends, I thought they'd be disappointed. So I stuck the year out.

Let me tell you something, there is nothing worse than doing something you have no interest or passion for. Summer came around and it wasn't until the last week of the holidays, that I decided to tell my parents that I dropped out of university (5 days before I was due to go back).

So the question was, ‘now what?’

I'm officially a university dropout. You’re probably thinking how does this relate to a job in tech, well for once I had no responsibilities, I had time to really focus on what I enjoyed and what I was good at, so I turned to my hobby photography and videography.

Whilst carrying out my hobby it just clicked surely I can make some sort of income from this and make it a career. So I opened up my laptop, opened the jobssite indeed and typed in ‘entry level creative roles near me’. One word kept popping up over and over again… ‘apprenticeship’.

I honestly forgot that apprenticeships existed after only hearing about university non-stop for the last few years. I stumbled on a job advertisement for a junior content creator apprenticeship for the tech company Naimuri. I applied and luckily was offered the job after an intense interviewing process at the Juice Academy, (which runs the apprenticeships).

I now work in the world of tech creating a range of exciting content from social media posts, designing event invites, taking new images of the team and making informational videos for Naimuri. I never would have thought I'd end up in the tech industry, but I'm so glad I'm here. Every day I get to work with amazing people who strive to develop themselves to not only allow personal development, but to help Naimuri grow too!

So after that life story, the one lesson I wish I knew when I was back at school, was to take your time. If you know something isn't right for you, then don't do it to please others.

Allow yourself to think and explore other areas and follow your passions.