>“Job openings for new graduates are massively oversubscribed leading to intense competition, says a new report”
A common headline for graduates leaving universities and for many a more creative approach is needed to find employment. This was the situation a local Sussex graduate found herself in the summer of 2009 but, undaunted, she identified the kind of job she wanted and focused on positioning herself above the competition.
Roz Worcester, from Highleigh in West Sussex, graduated in 2009 with a degree in History and Politics. Keen to pursue a career in Marketing she joined Southern Group Business Advisors (www.sgba.co.uk) as an intern. This was an unpaid role but enabled Roz to gain experience in a number of key areas – organise and plan events and seminars; research and presentation on social marketing tools; client satisfaction surveys; e-book compilation; administration of meetings – to name but a few. This also led to paid work from some of their clients.
The SGBA is a consortium of 9 experienced business advisors who have held senior positions in a variety of organizations, both large and small. Their areas of expertise include strategy, sales and marketing, financial control and planning, and general business management. They work with the owners and managers of SME’s in Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Dorset who want to develop and grow their business.
As well as the valuable and varied work experience, Roz was able to benefit from the large network of contacts built up by the advisors. An introduction was made to a major market research company and Roz’s CV was put forward for the graduate recruitment process. After interviews and assessment days Roz was accepted onto the graduate training programme!
Feedback from her new employer identified her practical experience with the SGBA, and in particular the direct contact with their customers, enabled her to ‘stand out’ from the rest.
