- How did you find out about the Graduate Trainee Scheme at GuyKat?
As I was nearing the end of my MSc International Business degree, I wasn’t entirely sure about the direction that I wanted my career to go in. All I knew was that I wanted to work for a leading company that supports its employees’ development and fosters an ambitious team environment. Seeking this and foundational business experience, I applied for GuyKat’s Business Development and Administration Associate role on Indeed. Fortunately, GuyKat spotted potential and offered me their Graduate Trainee Scheme instead.
- Which part of the scheme appealed to you the most and why?
Since I’m highly invested in personal development, I was most attracted to gaining broad experience in different areas of the company. This scheme encourages me to learn transferable skills, adapt to new challenges and contribute to a variety of projects. It builds my in-depth knowledge of the company and an industry that I knew little about before. By taking a leap into unfamiliar territory, I’ve been able to stretch my development and career prospects in ways that I hadn’t anticipated while at university.
- You are about to transfer to the third stage of your scheme. Could you please give an overview of the past few months working in the eLearning side of the business?
My experience in the eLearning Projects team has been unique since I onboarded while training our Office Manager and transitioning to remote working. Regardless, my time in the team has been pivotal. Initially, I was assigned a Mentor who taught me how to use the authoring tools and creative software needed to develop professional eLearning. I was also assigned a Buddy, who I could check-in with if I needed any help. My main project involved working with my Buddy to conceptualise and develop a suite of eLearning modules for a major client. I’ve also attended client meetings, helped with quality assuring our products and contributed to improving our internal processes.
Immersing myself into this team has been seamless. By embracing digital communication, we’ve been able to continue collaborating and supporting each other remotely. This has helped me to rapidly develop my technical and design skills, despite having no foundations in either area. The only downside is that I’m moving on soon, while there’s so much left to learn. However, I’ve accomplished a lot and I look forward to embracing the new opportunities that my next rotation presents.
- So far, what have been the highlights of your scheme?
It’s been exciting to experience our US expansion and welcome all of our new team members – both in the UK and the US. As the Business Development and Administration associate, a big highlight for me was moving to our new Birmingham office. I managed our assets during this move and got to experience our growth first-hand. During this rotation, I also got to establish our back-office processes, assist with recruitment and train our new Office Manager.
In the eLearning team, it’s been rewarding learning how to use various creative software and developing my design skills. The biggest highlight has been working with my Buddy and receiving positive client feedback for our project. It’s also great having the current challenge of revamping some marketing materials.
- What do you enjoy about working at GuyKat?
Even as the team grows, I think that we remain tight-knit and inclusive. I’ve loved our pub lunches, Christmas parties (yes, multiple) and spontaneous social events. We have a mixture of people with varying life experience and skills, including a growing graduate community. This means that there’s always someone that I can turn to for support or a quick chat.
- Any advice for students or graduates looking to apply for GuyKat’s Graduate Trainee Scheme?
My advice is to remember that the most important part of your application is your cover letter – CVs without cover letters are automatically rejected. Your cover letter is your opportunity to express your personality, as well as letting us know about your relevant passions and skills. It’s very difficult to gauge your potential without context to support the qualifications and experience listed in your CV.
We invest in people who share our values and our work ethic. If you want to stand out, ensure that your application is tailored to tell us: Why GuyKat? Why this Graduate Scheme? Why you?
Our Graduate Trainee Scheme 2020 is open for applications. To read more about it, please follow the link here.