My name is Gaganpreet Dephu and I grew up in a working-class family in a deprived area. My parents had always emphasised the importance of education, but university never appealed to me.
I am someone who prefers hands-on experience and I also didn’t like the idea of taking on massive student loans! I was determined to find a different route to my dream career of a solicitor and this is when I found out about apprenticeships and made it my goal to get one.
Growing up as an only child and not having anyone in my family who previously attended university meant I was completely lost about how to apply to university, what happened after you graduated, how to pay the loans, and how long the degree lasted!
The only support I had was at school and by doing my own research. Often this discouraged me as I would compare myself to those who had the support of their siblings and those who knew people who knew people that would help them get the vital experience relevant to their field which is needed when applying to apprenticeships, however, this just meant I had to work harder and find the right support system such as the one offered at Making The Leap and I knew I could do it!
Due to my GCSE grades, my sixth form only allowed me to do 2 A-levels and 1 BTEC, I had extenuating circumstances during this time such as moving houses while sitting my A-levels, my dad being hospitalized for a long period and I was also multi-tasking revision, apprenticeship applications, a part-time job and driving lessons!
As I didn’t do 3 A-levels I realised it may be harder for me to get an apprenticeship, so I worked hard to ensure I got good grades, in which I achieved AAD*, however, unfortunately, I didn’t get an apprenticeship that year, so I decided to take a gap year to reapply.
After many rejections, I ran into Making The Leap! The charity mentored me about proper business etiquette, and Marlene taught us about buzzwords to avoid during an interview (I had to get over my addiction to the word basically and innit!). We had mock interviews and much more.
The staff at MTL were incredibly helpful. They gave clear constructive criticism to ensure we would improve moving forward and had their game faces on during the time, but after the interview ended you saw the compassion shine through and how they were genuinely proud of us and the progress we made at the end of the workshop.
As someone who used to compare myself to those who were middle class and had better opportunities than me, this gave me so much more confidence. However, the support didn’t end there. Betty made sure I understood I could come to her and the team whenever I needed any help or support which I did. I had a final stage interview for a Solicitor Apprentice Stephenson Harwood and we arranged a mock interview. Betty told me where I could improve, and where I did well and told me she believed in me. A few weeks later I gave her a call telling her I was successful and I did it!!!
That being said, if I can do it, you can too! Get in touch with MTL and let the amazing staff help you and mentor you to achieve your goals. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it, believe in yourself, and you will achieve amazing things.
