What degree did you study?
Business Studies Napier University.

What Skills and experience did you gained at university?
The key skills I learned were how to study and pass exams! What worked and didn’t work for me academically, I learned to cope with pressure, deadlines, how to make friends, ask for help, sounds simple but these are key skills that many graduates don’t graduate with once they finish their degree. Socialising is part of that as at University you are in an environment where you are constantly meeting new people this helps your communication skills and having to budget and earn money, whilst balancing work, study and partying is crucial practice for life after University.

How relevant was my subject of study in securing my current job?
My business studies degree was crucial to me getting my job as I developed a theoretical understanding of general business activity.

Has going to university affected my career and how?
Going to University has benefited my career as the jobs I am looking at in the future or now all ask for one to be degree educated as a requirement, it’s a box, one of many that employers tick, and it’s not the golden ticket that everyone thinks it is (parents or people who haven’t been to Uni) My advice to others who are thinking about going to university Try and really get an idea of the area you want to work in, pick your dream job and do a degree that you would expect someone who did that job would have. Talk to graduates and lecturers at Universities, be honest about your dream job, because the job you want matters more than the course. Ultimately relax about exams and figure out, how you best study and learn, once you have figured out your ‘system’ stick to it and make sure you start coursework early. Get the student loan because it means you can work less and perform better at Uni. Get a part-time job that will help boost your career afterwards and most of all enjoy the freedom and fun of being at university and make lots of friends who can help you if you are stuck.

What were your aspirations when leaving University?
It may sound a little materialistic but money was a priority for me. So is job stability. I wanted to be in a job where I was always busy but still feel capable of being able to complete the tasks. Also it was important finding an employer who is supportive of me and believes in my ability to achieve results.

What salary expectations did you have?
£16,000-£18,000
Although money is important, what is more important is finding a career opportunity that you are passionate about. 

How did I start my job hunting?
I started job hunting after visiting my careers service department, I searched AGCAS booklets for ideas and mainly my research was all done on the internet. I wrote a few letters to companies but didn't get replies. Mainly I was looking at s1jobs.com or the Guardian Jobs website. Also I had signed up to receive daily/weekly job adverts that suited my experience.

How successful were you? 
On most occasions I didn’t receive any feedback and only had a couple of interviews

How did you hear of GfG?
Through the careers services who were very supportive of GfGs work.

How did GfG help and support you?  
I was really impressed with the fact that GfG was interested in my preferences, frame of mind and asked questions about what would be my ideal working environment. Lorna was absolutely convinced that I was perfectly matched to the needs of the company and she really got me enthusiastic about the role and my future career prospects.

What were the first couple of months like when you started working?
Hard work. However with the support of the rest of the team in the company I have already learnt a lot.

Was joining the company what you expected?
Working for a Growth company has given me a fantastic start to my career. Being thrown in at the deep end I never have a dull moment. Working for a growth company has given me the opportunity to develop a variety of skills in the business and have an impact on the growth of the company. 

What are your career aspirations?
In the future I would like to have built up enough experience to be able to start my own business, or at least be a senior member in a successful company.

What words of advice would you offer to graduates looking for start their career?
I would say that it is very easy to get quite down about job hunting but once you get into a pattern of making applications, the whole process comes quite naturally. I would also say that I found the length of time it took to get a 'proper job' quite agitating. When you leave uni you think you will get into a job right away but unfortunately it takes longer than that. It took me nearly a year and it has been the same for most of my friends. It's important to keep in mind that you have got the rest of your life to think about jobs and realise that you will probably change careers quite a few times.

How could we improve our service to Graduates?
All I can say is ‘keep up the good work’.