“It’s worth a try,” is what I thought to myself when I entered the regional professional championships for mediamatics in February. The regional competitions are held annually in each canton. By entering, aspiring mediamatics technicians have the chance to secure a highly coveted starting place at SwissSkills – the Swiss professional championships (see box). At SwissSkills, the top 25 contestants from all over Switzerland are pitted against one another. It goes without saying that a place on the podium looks good on a CV – but even taking part in itself and the commitment this demonstrates are impressive to employers. But that’s not the only reason why taking part in SwissSkills is so worthwhile: the most dedicated and talented apprentices from the various professions come together on competition days, creating an inspirational atmosphere. The event also provides an excellent opportunity for networking.

Under pressure in a real scenario

Returning for a moment to the entry qualifications: ICT mediamatics apprentices can take part in the regional championships from the second year of their apprenticeship. As part of the competition, every contestant has three hours to produce a marketing concept, a poster or a flyer and several mock-ups of a website for a particular fictitious company. The time pressure is obviously a major factor – participants must ensure that they do not get too stressed about this. The task is explained in English, and the marketing concept must also be produced in English. Contestants are evaluated on the ideas in the marketing concept and how they are implemented, based on the blueprints.

My goal was to take part at least once

When the invitation to take part in the regional championships dropped through my letter box, I didn’t have to think twice about it. In the second and third years of my apprenticeship, I always put off taking part, and now, in my fourth year, I got my final chance to show what I could do at the regional championships. As I was in the final semester of my apprenticeship and my workload at school and at work was extremely heavy during that period, I didn’t hold out too much hope for the regional championships. But I didn’t want to miss out on having taken part in the competition at least once during my apprenticeship.

The right topic?

To make matters worse, I also felt ill on the day of the competition. “I’m never going to perform to my best,” I thought to myself, and so on the way to Berne, I relaxed. I was excited when I found out which fictitious company the jury had come up with, as I knew that one of the key factors in completing the task well was whether or not the topic suited me. I felt a sense of relief for the first time when I read the task: this year’s competition involved creating a concept for a new florist shop. While this was not my ideal topic, I did not feel uncomfortable with it either. After the competition, I was still uncertain how well my work would go down with the jury compared to other contestants.

Finding out the result in a roundabout way

The way I eventually found out the result was quite funny. I was having breakfast one morning on a well-deserved break in Thailand when a friend called to congratulate me on second place. The results had apparently been published a week earlier, but I knew nothing about it as I was on holiday. I was completely astonished but overjoyed at how well I’d done, and I am now looking forward to SwissSkills, which will be held in Berne in September. Before SwissSkills, I will complete two training days at the Occupational Training Center in Berne with a few other entrants, to ensure I’m properly prepared for the championships.