What degree did you graduate in:
I did my first degree in Interpreting and Translating and more precisely in German and Russian. My Postgraduate Degree was in Business Management.
What were your aspirations when leaving University:
I wanted to join a fast track trainee management programme in a large International Corporation. I thought that this way I would have more of a chance of using my language skills
What types of jobs did you apply for:
I applied for every single structured trainee management programme that I thought I stood a chance at.
How many did you apply for:
In the year following my graduation I applied for over 30 different training programmes and for well over 50 various other positions.
How successful were you:
I got through to the 2nd or 3rd stage of quite a few of the management training programmes I applied for but I found the initial screening process, i.e personality and cognitive test, telephone interviews, etc, really frustrating. The whole process was very lengthy and at no stage was there any indication that you might eventually be successful.
How did you hear of GfG:
After countless hours of filling out applications to no effect I made an appointment to see a career’s advisor through the university’s career services. He asked how I would feel about working in an SME and I told him that it would not be my chosen career path; after all I wanted to work in a big international corporation.... He drew my attention to the fact that the majority of businesses in Scotland are SME’s and despite the fact that I, potentially, had a lot to offer to an organisation I might never make it through the screening process of structured management training programme. He then mentioned Graduates for Growth, saying that a lot of recent graduates got fantastic opportunities through the company and ended up in positions of responsibility and trust a lot quicker that through a structured programme.
How did GfG help and support you:
The initial interview process was excellent. For the first time and after all the interviews I had attended I felt that someone cared about my own aspirations and needs and that I was not going to be treated just as another employee who was there to fill yet another position. I was really impressed with the fact that my GfG interviewer was interested in my preferences and frame of mind and was asking questions about what would be my ideal working environment.
Lorna also helped me throughout the entire interview process with “Fresh ltd” with0 plenty of helpful tips and advice. She was absolutely convinced that I was perfectly matched to needs of the company and she really got me all enthusiastic about the role and my future career prospects with “Fresh”.
What were the first couple of months like when you started working:
I have only been in my current position for two months now, and it has all gone so quickly. The term “fast moving” does not do justice to the rate at which we are growing. We have almost doubled our staff since I started and I am now really viewed as one of the key member’s of staff. To top it all off, I was promoted to the position of office manager and general trade-show manager five weeks after I stared. How is that for quick career progression! I am over the moon with the fact that someone has finally realised what I have to offer and gave me a chance to prove what I am worth. I never expected to progress so quickly and the fact that everyone in “Fresh” has complete trust in my abilities makes me fell really appreciated.
Where do you go from here:
Even while I was interviewing for “Fresh”, Richard (our finance director) kept telling me that the “sky is limit” in reference to what I can achieve in terms of career progression and that’s exactly how it feels. I do not have a clear career path in front of me which means that I can explore and eventually end up in the role that suits me best.
What are your career aspirations:
At the moment I am looking forward in being actively involved in the company European expansion plans. We are now hoping to break into the European Market within the next year and as I am the only employee with foreign language skills I am ideally placed in the company. Perhaps in a year from now I could be running our first European Office!
What words of advice would you offer to graduates looking for start their career?
Not everything is what it seems. Working for an SME can be very rewarding and you will probably get more chances that in a large organisation where you would be limited by set career structures and a faceless HR department that spends months in assessing you before it can make a decision.
How would you rate the following aftercare service? 1 – 5 (5 being highest)
Mentoring: 5
Training: 4
How could we improve our service to Graduates?
Spread the word about who you are and what you do more widely. There are a lot of graduates and businesses out there who could benefit from your services.
