| The Grad Most Wanted was in her 5th and final year | | | | For many people, the large companies offer a great |
| at Uni and in April it was time to look for graduate | | | | career. Sue is one of many who are different - she |
| roles. The Piranha Recruiting Frenzy really took off | | | | grew up in a family of small business people. She is |
| with huge give-aways, big functions and lots of | | | | quite entrepreneurial. She likes a broad role. She likes |
| marketing spend as the big firms competed for the | | | | to make decisions and implement. Not what Big Bank |
| best. | | | | is renowned for! When she resigned she left to join a |
| Sue applied to 8 companies and 5 of them offered her | | | | small company in a role which uses all her organising |
| jobs. However, as with her summer internship, it was | | | | and people skills and where she has responsibility for |
| hard to choose between them as she didn't know too | | | | some marketing and database projects. A much |
| much. So she went to the one she knew, 'Big Bank' - | | | | better match for Sue at this stage in her career. |
| their summer program was successful. | | | | 3. The summer internship. Big Bank achieved its goal of |
| Sue started their Graduate Program, which involves 12 | | | | having Sue join them but she learnt little about the real |
| months of rotations to different divisions. "I shadow | | | | job, what people actually do there and whether |
| people, watch what they do and sit in on meetings, but | | | | banking was really where she wanted to be. As a |
| I'm not expected to say much except hello and | | | | result, it took almost 3 years to find out that marketing |
| goodbye! I get some simple jobs, nothing too | | | | was probably more her thing. |
| challenging but they take me a while to do as | | | | 4. The rotation for 12 months - which kept her away |
| everything is so new. It took nearly an hour to send my | | | | from real work. Sue just wanted to get on with |
| first fax!" | | | | something: |
| When the rotation ended, Sue joined her permanent | | | | "I needed the rotation because I wasn't sure where I |
| Division. Then she resigned after 8 months to join a | | | | wanted to end up, I needed to learn about different |
| smaller firm. | | | | divisions. However, it's a high price to pay - I just |
| Why? She simply made the wrong choice for HER - | | | | wanted to get on with things, to have a real job with |
| and 5 factors contributed to the mistake: | | | | challenges and responsibility." |
| 1. It started with her study choice of a combined law | | | | 5. Finally, she and her friends overly focused on the |
| degree, which was partly driven by the marks she got | | | | starting salary. Always a mistake when choosing a |
| ("don't waste them" she was told). And partly to earn | | | | new job as it takes your focus off the important things |
| status with her family and friends. 5 years of your life | | | | that lead to great careers - the quality of the |
| and a big student debt is a huge investment to make | | | | company, their training, their staff turnover, their |
| on such flimsy grounds. With perfect hindsight, a 3 year | | | | flexibility, etc. |
| commerce degree majoring in marketing would have | | | | What is the real problem for business behind Sue's |
| been a better choice for Sue. | | | | story? |
| From experience in my family and also amongst my | | | | It's the whole process of how we bring young people |
| children's friends, I have seen the pressure to choose | | | | into the workforce. It takes way too many years. And |
| 'status' degrees. My son and his girlfriend are both | | | | then happens too fast in a feeding frenzy of selection. |
| studying Arts. They did well in their school results, and | | | | Which is a huge waste of resources. And leads to |
| so people keep asking them "why didn't you choose | | | | poor outcomes for many of those involved. |
| something better/more practical as you had the marks | | | | Next week we will finish this series on Graduates with |
| for it?" Now, there are good reasons for not choosing | | | | a brief analysis of how our society got into this mess |
| your 'Trade' too early - but that is for next weeks | | | | and what companies can do about it. Meanwhile there |
| Rant. The key message here is choose what you | | | | is a better and more profitable way of bringing the |
| study based on what you enjoy and ideally what you | | | | young into your workforce - for those who need to |
| are good at. | | | | Think Different |
| 2. Her choice of a big company. We know the reason | | | | To close, a question for you: Are Graduate programs |
| for the choice - the barrage of marketing shut out the | | | | in engineering more successful in THE most important |
| smaller firms. Also, the small ones had less career | | | | area, retention? Why? What can other industries learn |
| options and finally, they were not what the best | | | | from that? |
| students were competing for (status again). | | | | |