GRB Graduate Case Study

Name: Sara-Jane
Degree: History
New Job Title: Knowledge Manager

Having graduated from Sussex with a first class History degree, I had little idea of the career path I wanted to follow, or even of an industry for which I was aiming.  All I knew was that I wanted to focus on finding a role which would allow me to use my writing and research skills and ideally maintaining the fantastic work life balance that living in Brighton had cultivated throughout my degree.

By chance, I got chatting to my neighbour at the time, Steve Agace, and it just so happened that he was an Associate Director at GRB.  Steve offered to look over my CV, give me some pointers and keep an eye out for jobs in and around Brighton that might be a good match for me.  Looking back, I should've been embarrassed to send my CV anywhere. I had no idea of how to structure a graduate CV, or focus it towards a role - I took up five lines talking about a part-time bar job and had just one line detailing the degree I'd laboured over for three years!  Steve and the team at GRB helped me hugely with this, and were soon sending my CV out to potential employers as vacancies arose.

It soon became clear that a lack of experience in my chosen field was holding me back, so GRB offered to let me come in and work with the Marketing team for a week to gain a much needed insight into the world of a copy writer.  After an enjoyable week of researching and writing relevant content for GRB's website, I felt much better equipped to handle interviews and crucially had a much better idea of what the graduate jobs market was really like.  The team kindly invited me back to work on another marketing project, and this soon evolved into a role as a Resourcer, working alongside consultants in the Retail, FMCG and Marketing sectors.  Although recruitment was not an area I had considered previously, it proved to be both enjoyable and hugely relevant to a particularly interesting vacancy that came up through GRB.

A highly regarded boutique executive search and consultancy company based in London approached GRB looking for a graduate for the unusual role of 'Knowledge Manager' in their Primrose Hill offices.  The role involved researching and compiling relevant news articles for use by clients and consultants, as well as ad hoc research on industry leaders in their specialist areas of luxury, fashion, travel, retail and consumer goods. It was exactly what I'd been looking for and I jumped at the chance to apply. Following a telephone interview and two interviews with their team, I was offered the job. 

Although some graduates are reluctant to take a job that wasn't initially what they were aiming for, I would suggest a rethink, as it can sometimes be a great way to discover new areas of interest, as well as develop valuable skills and gain sought after experience.  I can honestly say that the short and enjoyable time I spent with GRB proved to be invaluable in securing a job that ticks all of my boxes, except the seaside location of course!