After joining the company in 2018 and completing a placement year within the Accounts Department, I was offered the opportunity to enroll on the 12-month graduate scheme rotating around The Wigley Group and its associated companies.
The scheme enabled me to gain a three-dimensional perspective and broaden my scope of experience in the Construction and Property sectors we operate in.
After settling into my new role as Asset Manager, I have had a chance to reflect on everything I have learnt. On top of all the knowledge and experience, I’ve put together a list of three main principles that I will be mindful of when moving forward.
1. Each individual in a company is just as important as the next
During the graduate scheme, I saw first hand the importance of each and every individual and exactly how each role operates to enable the companies to function. Whilst each role has different weightings of responsibility, the company simply could not function effectively without each team member and understanding the scope of roles of your peers brings its benefits.
From identifying ways to improve productivity and efficiency, taking the time to learn more about the roles of those around you enables you to shift a one-dimensional outlook towards a more well-rounded perspective. This can be done through shadowing other employees or providing training sessions on different aspects of your role and encouraging others to do the same.
2. Be open to any opportunity
Being open-minded is a characteristic which has benefits throughout a career, but particularly when looking for employment post education. Opportunities where you are challenged are catalysts to effective career development, highlighting areas which you enjoy and may not have considered, but also discovering areas you don’t enjoy which is just as important.
Each new opportunity is the chance to grow so take as much as you can from it and use the experience to steer your career in a direction you want to follow. Whilst you may not see the immediate benefits, having a wide scope of experience can only benefit in the long run.
3. Reflection promotes growth
Throughout the graduate scheme, I was regularly encouraged to take time to reflect on my experience in order to identify the next steps to move forward, and through these reflective exercises I could highlight areas of improvement.
I was then able to put practical steps in place to work on them which was often in the form of new objectives to direct my development and help shape the experience. I also found that sharing my objectives and identified weaknesses with others made me more accountable, and management were able to identify tasks which would contribute towards my goals.
Taking time to see where you have come from and where you want to be put you in a good position for growth moving forward.
In summary, the graduate scheme taught me to appreciate the roles of those around me, the importance of utilising opportunity, and that taking time to reflect will enable you to propel forward.
For the company, having team members who can appreciate and understand the roles of others, and reflect on their current position can be hugely beneficial by improving productivity, efficiency and working relationships.
I am sure that I will refer to the experiences and knowledge I gained in the 12 months for many years to come and I am grateful for the graduate scheme opportunity at such a pivotal point in my career.