What should I be looking for in a graduate job?
When many of us are looking for a graduate job, we tend to think about starting salary, contracted hours, prestige of the firm and how many days holiday we get. These are all really important, but there are quite a few other factors you need to take into consideration which I discuss below.
Company performance: How a company is performing is important to look at because this may have implications for various aspects of your career within that firm. A company whose profits have been decreasing year on year may cut back on continuous training, reduce investment in certain business areas (maybe yours), may not promote as many people within one year, may reduce bonuses and more.
The Graduate Scheme structure: Graduate schemes vary so this is something you need to check out when looking for your graduate job. Some can be 1 year long, others 2 years plus or there may not be a fixed graduate programme in place. They can be rotational in nature (you get to work in different parts of the organisation e.g. marketing, finance, operations) or it can be rotational within one particular team (e.g. doing different roles within the marketing team) or it may not be rotational at all. This information can usually be found on the firms career website.
Progression and Promotion: The ability to progress is another factor to take into consideration. Closely linked to the above, for example if the graduate programme is 2 years long, are you automatically promoted after or is it based on performance? Can exceptional performers be promoted in a quicker duration? How many years does it take on average to go from Analyst to MD? How often are the promotion cycles? These questions are super important because from personal experience, I’ve seen individuals who have been analysts for several years, but company websites will tell you that you’ll be promoted after 2, which is not always the case. They will present to you an example of someone in the firm who came in as a graduate and made MD in 8 years but they won’t tell you it’s not the norm. You can check out the careers page for the firm but also LinkedIn is super handy. Randomly look at the profiles for some of the employees at the firm you’re interested in, and see how long they spent as an Analyst, Associate, and Vice President etc.
People investment: The way in which an organisation invests in its people, especially its graduates is super important. After your initial training period, will you receive more training and if so, how often? Are there opportunities to gain qualifications and will the company pay for them? Is there an online training / learning platform for you to do some learning in your own time?
Diversity: Especially if you’re from a BAME background, it’s super good to know the stance organisations take on workplace diversity. Many company websites and brochures will have the picture of one Black or Asian person, smiling on the front page. They’ll come on to campus with a bunch of current graduates, again always with one grad from a minority background. But beyond all of this marketing, does the organisation REALLY care about diversity? Is there an understanding for the need for a diverse workforce that goes beyond the business case? Do they have a range of ACTIVE diversity networks? What % of senior is leadership is BAME / Female? If the recruitment and retention of BAME individuals is low, what are they doing to address this? A lot of the diversity statistics can be found in an organisations annual report.
Corporate Philanthropy: If giving back is really important to you, then check out the firms stance on Corporate Citizenship / Community engagement. Which organisations / programmes does the firm support and how? How can you as an employee get involved?
Perception: The perception of the company you may work for is key, because once you become their employee, that organisation becomes part of your identity. No organisation is perfect, google most of them and something negative will definitely come up. But you have to ask yourself what you are willing to let slide and what is a deal breaker. I remember working for an organisation that was so prestigious and I had a great experience there, but when I told my family they weren’t too impressed because of the negative press the firm seemed to constantly receive. In addition, when I went to Germany with my friends and I was telling a local coffee shop owner where I worked, he laughed and “you know you’re working for the devil right?.” Finally, when I went to an interview for an internship, the interviewer asked me “why would a lovely girl like you choose to work amongst sharks?.” Maaaaatttteeeee!!! Ultimately none of these opinions changed my perception of where I worked, because my experience was so positive and I loved the people I worked with. But in the same way you are careful with the people you chose to affiliate with, think carefully about the reputation of the organisation you plan to work for.
Future plans -where are they investing /divesting?: In this period of great political change and uncertainty, many organisations are rapidly reviewing and adapting their strategies. For example since Brexit was announced, many investment banks have announced they will be moving large numbers of their UK Operations out of the UK (mainly middle and back office functions). The graduate job that was initially London based is now going to be in Poland. Are you willing to relocate? Understanding what the company’s short, medium and long terms plans are, and how they will impact you is crucial.
Clubs and networks: I’ve been really fortunate to intern and work for organisations that have numerous societies and clubs to participate in, whether you’re into sport, music, food, languages etc., but not all companies are like this. Some organisations are just buildings where you go to work and go home at the end of the day and maybe that’s all you want. Depending on what you prefer, check the organisations website and its other social media pages to see if there are any mentions/ pictures of workers participating in these extra activities.
National / International Locations: If you would like the opportunity to work abroad at some point, it may be worth checking how international the company is, where are their offices based? For example if you would like to work in South East Asia one day or the US , but the firm only has offices in Europe and doesn’t intend to expand, then this may become a really important factor in your decision. Also, it’s worth finding out if there are opportunities for graduates to work abroad.
Benefits: Many organisations offer a variety of rewards / benefits for their employees, so depending on what your interests are, this is definitely worth checking out. Some examples include: • Free breakfasts and hot drinks • Free drinks on a Friday afternoon • Discounts from particular retailers • Subsidised gym membership • Discounts for sports / music events
I hope the above has proved helpful and good luck with your graduate job search :D. Please comment if you think of anything else that can be added to the list.
René xx