I loved my time at College, I was offered so much support and so many opportunities to help me prepare myself for full-time work or university. When I was at College, I had no idea what I wanted my future career to hold, the only thing I did know was that I loved my Business course and knew I wanted to go down that route.

When I first left College, I really struggled to find an apprenticeship that fitted me and my aspirations, so from June to November I was still job searching whilst working part-time at a Tesco superstore at the weekend.

In my spare time, I took a number of finance and digital marketing courses with a view to gaining more experience and help me stand out as a candidate. Unfortunately, jobs were in such high demand at that time and initially I had no luck at all finding a suitable role. But eventually, my persistence paid off and about five months after leaving College, I successfully applied for a role in the UK Government’s Legal Department and I’m now working full-time as part of the central Business Management team.

Reflecting on my time at College, I wish I knew that there really is no need to stress and get yourself worked up about the small things, because at the end of the day all that’s going to do is hold you back. As long as you’re a passionate person who never gives up on whatever life throws at you, you will thrive.

The best advice I could give to anyone searching for a job, going to interviews or starting a new job is to just be yourself. And don’t do the bare minimum – do as much as you can to gain additional experience, whether that’s a part-time job or online courses.

Mia Hickey

Reigate College: 2021-2023

Currently: Executive Officer, Business Management, UK Government Legal Department