May 2025

At Signs Express, nurturing emerging talent is a key part of our ongoing success. We recently caught up with Izzy, our Marketing Apprentice at the Franchise Support Centre, to learn more about her journey into marketing, her experiences so far, and what it's like working within a national franchise network. From university to a hands-on apprenticeship, Izzy shares her reflections on learning, growth, and what makes Signs Express a great place to begin a marketing career.

1. Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background before joining Signs Express?

Hi, my name is Izzy, and I am a marketing apprentice at the Signs Express Franchise Support Centre. Before joining Signs Express, I worked at KFC for nearly three years whilst I was eagerly waiting for a local marketing apprenticeship to become available.

2. What made you interested in pursuing a marketing apprenticeship specifically?

I always knew I wanted to work within the marketing industry, therefore, to put me on the right track, I began studying marketing and management at university before changing paths and moving into an apprenticeship, allowing myself to get some hands-on experience instead.

3. How did you come across the opportunity at Signs Express, and what attracted you to it?

As everyone does, I was scouring the internet for apprentice opportunities and was thrilled when I came across the Signs Express role on Indeed. When I looked into the detail of the job and saw that it covered multiple aspects of marketing I felt like it would be a great fit as I wouldn’t be limited in what I was learning.

4. What was your first impression of the team and culture at the Franchise Support Centre?

When I first joined the team, I was nervous and excited, but everyone was really friendly and welcoming and soon put me at ease. This being my first office job, I didn’t know what to expect as I’d heard mixed reviews about working in an office environment, but at Signs Express everyone was very supportive of one another and regularly collaborate to help each other succeed.

5. How did you feel stepping into a marketing role within a national franchise network?

It felt kind of crazy as I had never done something like this before, but also exciting to enter the industry and be able to help franchisees showcase what they do.

6. What are some of the key skills or tools you’ve learned so far in your apprenticeship?

I have learnt that there is often a huge amount of work behind the scenes for what may seem like a simple task, however there are so many fantastic online tools to help streamline processes and ensure efficiencies. I’ve learnt a lot about the back end of the website and how to navigate around the CMS, and I’ve also learnt how important it is to use SEO in your work to ensure the best online visibility possible. I’ve enjoyed learning to use Canva and systems such as Birdeye and I can’t wait to learn more.

7. Can you tell us about a project or task you’ve really enjoyed working on?

I’ve really enjoyed creating social posts for the network and also supporting with the launch of the new healthcare campaign. I’ve also enjoyed working on the CMS, editing existing website pages, adding photos and case studies etc.

8. How does the support you receive from your manager or mentor help with your development?

My manager Damien is very supportive with my development and is always there to answer all the questions that I have and help me on my learning journey. I’m also lucky enough to be surrounded by a great team!

9. How do you feel your work is contributing to the wider Signs Express network?

I’m proud to see the online engagement on posts I’ve created for Signs Express centres do well to encourage brand awareness and drive enquiries and see the difference my work can make. I also feel as though the work I do across the various social platforms helps encourage other franchisees to post more and improve their online visibility too!

10. Is there something you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of?

Becoming more comfortable with the work I do for the LMP (Local Marketing Programme) on behalf of our franchisees is something I’m really proud of, along with helping create the socials and case studies for the healthcare campaign as I this is something I’ve not done before.

11. How has this apprenticeship shaped your thoughts about your future career in marketing?

It’s made me realise the sheer size of the marketing industry and that there are so many different sectors that you can eventually go into and specialise in. I can definitely see a future within marketing and I look forward to furthering my understanding and marketing knowledge to hopefully become successful within the field.

12. What advice would you give to someone considering a marketing apprenticeship?

Do it. Having hands on experience in your career is so valuable and it allows you to learn about all different areas of an industry and see what’s right for you. Being a marketing apprentice vs a student at university allows you to have more responsibility and experience a real-life working environment whilst learning alongside that. You also get to put things into practice rather than just learn about them in a classroom environment.

13. What’s been your favourite thing about working at Signs Express so far?

My favourite thing about working at Signs Express so far is being a part of a team where they want you to develop and improve as much as you can.

14. What’s one surprising thing you’ve learned about working in the signage or franchise sector?

That signage is literally everywhere, and you would have no idea unless you truly stopped and thought about it. Whilst we all use it daily, it’s second nature, so we take it for granted!

Working within the Franchise Support Centre has also opened my eyes to the enormous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to support the network and brand.

15. If you had to sum up your apprenticeship experience in a sentence for others to hear, what would you say?

My apprenticeship so far has been about learning and growing into my role so that I can continue progressing and have a long successful career. I’m loving every minute of it!

Izzy’s enthusiasm and dedication shine through every aspect of her journey so far, and it's clear that her apprenticeship has already laid a strong foundation for a promising future in marketing. Her story is a great example of how practical, on-the-job learning can open doors, build confidence, and ignite passion. We’re proud to have Izzy as part of the Signs Express team and excited to see what she’ll achieve next.

Working with Signs Express

With over 60 locations across the UK and Ireland, Signs Express provides a wealth of recruitment opportunities from apprenticeships, to creative sign makers, designers, centre managers and more.

For more information or to join our award-winning network, check out our recruitment pages today: Vacancies at Signs Express