Paul V.

Graduate Trainee
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Paul V.
History
History
Undergraduate
Derwent
2007
United Kingdom

My employment

Graduate Trainee
OFWAT
United Kingdom
2009
£20000~5000
£20000~5000

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A day in the life of a Graduate Trainee in the United Kingdom

How I found out about the job

Civil Service jobs

Courses taken since graduation

MA Modern History (York), graduated 2008

Where I hope to be in 5 years

I'm on a 2-year graduate scheme with placement rotation (every 6 months) - there is a guarantee of being kept on until I get a permanent role within the organisation, even beyond those two years.

My advice to students considering work

Enjoy York while you can, you're bound to miss some things about it.

What I do

Variety of placements - first placement has involved a lot of Excel work, liaison with companies, closely monitoring their submitted documents etc. The upcoming placement focuses heavily on project management.

Skills I use and how I developed them

Masters probably came in handy! Even if the degree subject was of no direct relevance, the skills I was able to demonstrate were clearly of benefit.

Degree skills:
Primarily research & management of time have been of most use.

Extracurricular skills:
Running a university sports club gave plenty of experience of working with stakeholders, managing competing expectations, remaining calm under pressure etc.

What I like most

Organisation is not too large, so there's a more close-knit feeling than some organisations. The graduate scheme is very well organised, with good potential for career development.

What I like least

Struggling to answer this to be honest!

What would I change? Not having to wait a year between graduation (from Masters course) and getting this job!

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