Advice on Marshall Apprenticeship

[AEABody]

Hi there,

I've just applied for an apprentceship at Marshall Aerospace and am pleased - and nervous - to say i've been asked in for aptitude tests.

I'm 23 years old and having worked in sales for a few years, it's a big change, but i've always had an interest in aircraft and engineering and in my spare time have built/flown models. I also started flying gliders last year which increased my interest in aeronautics enormously.

I'm basically looking for as much advice as I can possibly get, both with regard to the aptitude test and the (hopefully applicable) interview.

I know it's a case of "many are called but few are chosen" but since I heard about this apprenticeship i've thought of little else but doing everything I can to get on it... So - if anyone has any advice, at all, please let me know.

Thanks

- Alex

[Evanelpus]

Apprenticeship at 23 years old, things have obviously changed since I did my airframe fitter apprenticeship at the tender age of 16, back in the 70's.

Be yourself is the only advice I can give you, don't be someone or claim to be something you aint.

Good luck.

[The90sAME]

Scrub up on;

Math, English & Mechanical reasoning.

Be prepared for psychometric tests also.

[cockney steve]

Aptitude says it all, really. Some people have an innate ability to paint/play musical instruments tunefully / solve complex mathematical problems / understand aerodynamics /understand the workings and design of things mechanical /understand electronics.

Being in sales does not preclude a career in Engineering,on the contrary, the need to be able to communicate andget along with people is a terrific asset.

Have faith in your own abilities, play to your strengths and do a bit of homework to show that you understand the various facets and paths within the sweeping term "Engineer"
take note of the previous 2 posters...they are clued -up, i had a chequered career that included sales and mechanicing as well as bits of machining/fabricating/welding/building work...catering!....but never aero-engineering. (apart from models ;) )

GOOD LUCK.

[AEABody]

Hi there,

Thank you for the responses and advice.

I've been scrubbing up on maths and trying some of these online aptitude tests so i'm reasonably confident I should be able to have a decent stab at it on the day.

In terms of research on aeronatical engineering itself - i'm struggling to see the forest for the trees. I mean to say, there's so much information out there i'm not sure what applies and what doesn't. With regard to this particular apprenticeship the website states that the whole course starts together and then gets streamed into training as fitters for electronics, avionics, airframes and propulsion systems. This all seems pretty obvious and yet the detail is such that it takes a four year apprenticeship to learn about it! So - does anyone have any recommended reading or any other advice?

I feel like i've a reasonable understanding of this on a very broad scale, but it's so important to me that I do this to the best of my ability so i'm trying to leave as little as possible to chance.

Thanks again;

[Evanelpus]

I wouldn't beat yourself up about study on aeronautical engineering. They have offered you an interview, primarily. on the basis of your CV? If that's correct they will clearly see you have had no previous aeronautical engineering experience and won't expect too much from you on that score.

As I've said previously, just be yourself. Find out as much as you can about Marshalls and show you are a potential willing apprentice who will benefit Marshalls.

Again, good luck!

[Sixfoot Toan]

Be ready for:

Why do you want to be an apprentice at Marshall Aerospace. Where do you want to be in five years? (Please don't say in the RAF like one plonker did at one of our interviews). Which qualities do you bring? What are your bad points?

Be prepared, if successful, to be pushed, messed around, astounded, amazed, tired, frustrated, and to have a laugh.


Tony