Top 5 Reasons You’re Getting Rejected from Degree Apprenticeships (And How to Fix Them)
Here we go..
The dreaded outcome that is very likely going to happen. You’re all pumped up, and confident that you did your best in your degree apprenticeship application. You’ve crafted the perfect CV, the best cover letter, and you’re pretty darn sure that the job will be offered to you in the next hour.
Then the dreaded email comes.
“Thank you for applying to our degree apprenticeship scheme. Unfortunately..”
You don’t even need to open it to understand what it means.
We know that sinking feeling. Where you’ve tried your best and you’re convinced you are THE one, you are swiftly swept aside for another. Worse still, you never hear from companies why they rejected you. You're just left in silence.
And very likely throughout your degree apprenticeship search, you will have rejections like these. Here are the top 5 reasons why you’re being rejected that employers won’t tell you.
1. You’re just applying for the sake of applying
Trust us. Employers and recruiters know if a candidate who applied for their role isn’t truly passionate.
They can often tell this by the way your CV is:
Worded
Your experience
The effort you put into your application. If your CV or cover letter looks like a generic one that can be used to apply anywhere, this tells them you have not put in the effort to tailor it for the role.
Degree apprenticeships require employers to invest a huge amount of time and money into training and salaries. Therefore, they want to make sure that the person or people they hire for their roles are worth the investment. They want passionate, motivated and capable candidates to be degree apprentices, and they will judge these qualities throughout your application process.
How to fix this: We talk about CVs a lot because they're the first exposure you get to the employer. Make sure that you tailor your CV and cover letter for EVERY role you apply to. Yep, it will require extra time and effort. However, the effort you put into your application will show the employer how much effort you'll bring to the role if hired.
2. You don’t meet the grade requirements
Degree apprenticeships often require A-Levels, equivalent qualifications or completion of lower level apprenticeships in order to apply.
Make sure you check the grade requirements in the job description. Depending on the industry, some degree apprenticeships will require a grade in a specific subject. This is more common in STEM subjects like software development and engineering.
If a degree apprenticeship that you want requires an A-Level you don't have, check out our guide on how to still be considered for the role!
3. Your skillset wasn’t relevant to the job
Sometimes, your skills and experience are simply not relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Remember, recruiters are after successful candidates who demonstrate passion and the skills needed in the role. This doesn’t mean that you need to be extremely experienced, as companies know that the majority of their applicants are young students who have never worked in a job. However, they still want to see some signs of your passion, whether it be through a work experience program or volunteering.
How to fix this: Make sure you update your CV constantly with new, relevant work experience and volunteering. Not only does this demonstrate your passion, but also that you are coachable and you are proactive.
4. You didn’t research the company enough
It takes considerable time and effort to research every company that you apply to. However, employers are also on the lookout for applicants who know about who they’re applying to.
Understanding the company well will not only help you in crafting your CV and cover letter with relevant skills, but will also help you throughout later stages. Understanding the company values and how you embody these will absolutely help you in the assessment centre, where assessors will be evaluating your fit into the company culture.
How to fix this: Put considerable research into every company that you apply to. Make sure you look for:
Information such as the business objective, history and values
Individuals at the company who you find inspirational
Future goals of the business
When companies see you’ve put in the extra effort, they’ll know it’s likely you’ll do the same in the degree apprenticeship if they hire you.
5. The role had too many applicants
Sometimes, employers will only keep their degree apprenticeship roles open for a period of time. This is often the case with degree apprenticeships that have earlier start dates. Most degree apprenticeships open between September to March. It is usually noted in the job description if the employer will close the opportunity due to receiving enough applications.
How can you work around this: Make sure that you apply as early as possible, and sign up to job alerts if available on the websites you apply through. Up to thousands of candidates can apply to a single job posting, so making sure you are early and ahead of the crowd makes all the difference.
Always Keep Improving!
Being rejected is probably the hardest part of applying to degree apprenticeships. To make matters worse, most employers will not even give you feedback on why you were rejected, or how to improve.
After all, how the heck can you improve without knowing where to improve?
After each rejection, make sure you review your performance in each stage and ask yourself:
Did I research the company the best I possibly could?
Did I fill my CV and cover letter with skills that are actually relevant to the job?
Did I perform my best in the aptitude tests?
Did I answer the interview questions properly?
Did I meet the grade requirements for this role?
Note your answers down after each rejection, online or in a notebook. If you find yourself lacking in these answers, make sure you improve upon these areas to make your next application even better.
👉 Find out these 5 myths about degree apprenticeships, and how they're not true!
👉 Make sure you're avoiding these 5 CV mistakes that most Year 12 and 13 students make!
👉 Check out our guide on how to stand out as a candidate for a degree apprenticeship!