Member Article

Graduate X: The truth behind the graduate scheme

It’s graduate week on Bdaily and we are looking at the state of play for graduates and SMEs, as an alternative to large corporate schemes. We went behind the scenes at one of the UK’s leading retailers, and asked one of its newly graduated employees about what their job was really like. Graduate X finished a fashion and business related degree from a top Russell Group university this year. They spoke to Bdaily about their experiences.

What kinds of roles did you apply for when you graduated?

I applied for roles relating to the business side of the fashion industry including merchandising and buying; they were all either graduate schemes or entry level jobs.

What prompted you to apply for jobs specifically targeted at graduates?

I felt assured when applying for jobs specifically targeted at graduates that I would be trained from a beginners level, and that the employer understood I did not necessarily have directly transferable previous experience. I was also attracted to these roles because I felt other people with similar experiences would be starting at the same level as me, which made it all a little less daunting. More practically, the university advertises graduate opportunities to a far greater extent than other roles. My department held many graduate recruitment days and special events with the intention of getting graduates into these roles, so the path is very much drawn out for us.

Is the role what you expected, and are you enjoying it?

I am enjoying the role to an extent, and far more now, three months into the job, than when I first started! I do feel, however, that when the employer attended a graduate event that led me to apply for this role, they had the intention of selling this particular position to students as it is not as over subscribed as others, so it is not quite as glamorous as it was made out to be! However, I’m in a great company with lots of prospects to move around and find the job I love, so I am happy!

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

I hope in five years time that I will still be working for this company! For a fashion student there is arguably no better place to work in terms of progression and opportunities, so hopefully I’ll be settled and in a role and brand that I love.

Did you think about going into small and medium sized businesses when you graduated, and how aware were you of these types of opportunities?

I didn’t consider this so much as the graduate schemes are so well advertised in the larger companies. I was lucky enough to be offered a position within a large company with many graduate vacancies so I did not get around to investigating alternative opportunities within small and medium sized businesses. I was not made as aware of these types of opportunities as representatives did not necessarily visit the university to sell the careers, it seems to be very much up to the student to seek out the vacancies using the internet, newspapers and careers services.

Take a look at some of the other Graduate Week articles:Clegg makes a visit to a Teesside graduate business;Bringing graduates into a small business.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .