I am currently on a grad scheme. This is an opportunity open to people who have graduated from university within the last 3 years of their lives, and is meant to be a step-up into the ‘working full time’ life. The aim is to provide you with skills that university and all your other years of education didn’t give you, that employment requires you to have. Read that again.
So, I started my grad scheme in late September 2021, and for me it’s a 2-year fixed contract. Depending on the company they can vary in length of time. I am in the STEM industry and grad schemes take advantage of your degree background, and then provide you work to mould you into a more rounded employee. This moulding work normally consists of a path that you should follow throughout your grad scheme, which exposes you to the company in different ways, stretches your mind and helps you figure out what options are there in the employment world.
Where I work, I am a chemist working in the technical aspects of the company. I do a lot of maths and report writing, and applying my current knowledge to support the company. This helps me settle into the company, by throwing me into something familiar. Then the company encourages me to take some time to explore a different part of it, and I am currently thinking through my options. This is a great opportunity to try something out of my comfort zone, that I was not exposed to in my education.
Grad schemes are normally this supportive since they want you to take initiative to notice your weaknesses, and to gain more skills outside of your degree. For instance, when I finished my degree, I only knew myself as a chemist. I didn’t know what other things I could do or want in my employment life that was outside chemistry. After 6 months of working, I was shown so many opportunities that peaked my interest, that I can’t wait to try them out and see what I can gain. Even if I don’t enjoy where I move to, I am certain that I will gain transferable skills which will benefit me in the future. You don’t have to know where you want to end up, or why you’re doing something every single time. It’s ok to just be curious enough to try something new.
Grad schemes also involve a whole lot of training. Most of it will only be relevant to the company or industry that the company is involved in. The first few weeks can definitely be tedious, but it helps to settle you into the rhythm of working set hours and full-time. You might find that some well-embedded employees might not take a good position towards the thought of you being a graduate, but the best thing to do is report them. They were young once, and they probably received similar judgement by other employees, and are trying to do the same to you. Graduates in a company are vital because we can shift the concept of culture in the workplace. Don’t blend in, bring the change.
Grad schemes can get quite irritating, with the motivational talks, growth mindsets and constant push for development. However, they are incredibly beneficial and a really good way to get inside industry. Also, you get paid a salary. You don’t need previous experience to get on a grad scheme, you just need to meet the degree requirements.
I am not saying that grad schemes are the only way. A grad scheme is only the bridge between university and full-time employment, if you need that bridge. These points are only from my experience so far in the last 6/7 months of my grad scheme, it’s still your decision to make.
Morals of my story:
- Bridge between university and full-time employment- If you feel you need to build more skills before going into full-time employment, a grad scheme will help with that.
- Be curious– Don’t think that if they put you in a particular spot that you can’t go try out another spot in the company. They want to develop you and give you options to stay within them. You won’t want to work in the same spot until you retire. Go try something new.
- Take initiative– A good employee sees an issue and works to rectify it without being told. If you can see something lacking in your skills, or you are becoming bored of your current base, then address that! The grad scheme lays out the tools for you, all you need to do is step-up and make the choice.
- Challenge the status quo– We are a modern society. The world is much further forward now than it was 20 years ago. So, why would you go into the workplace and conform to the culture, instead of challenging it?
