JOB HUNT ADVICE
It’s not all about your degree, you should remember your wider skillset when job hunting, says Suzy Style
I
am the first person to acknowledge that what you study at university does not dictate a set career path. When I studied history at the University of Birmingham, I had no idea I would end up working in recruitment or the energy industry. But by pursuing my interests and looking more widely at all the options available to me, I ended up doing something that I never expected and that I really love. And that is also true for some of the
world’s most famous businesspeople. Jack Ma, founder and chairman of Alibaba, began his career training as an English teacher, but followed his entrepreneurial instincts to become a business magnate, founding one of the world’s largest e-commerce businesses. Carly Fiorina studied medieval history and philosophy and went on to become the CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, studied government affairs, while Howard Schultz, the Starbucks CEO, has a degree in communications. And the current prime minister Theresa May studied geography.
Like many large companies that
employ people in finance, procurement, HR, sales and marketing, BP looks for graduates who have studied all types of degrees. Our most recent graduate intake took subjects ranging from mechanical engineering to history, and economics to English literature. What this means for you is that you shouldn’t underestimate the value that you could bring to an organisation. What is important is identifying your core skillset and choosing a role that plays to your strengths. You are not the sum total of the essays, reports and projects you have completed throughout university – you will also have picked up transferrable skills from extracurricular activities or your part-time job. Have a think about
your own skillset and interests, and write down your talents and the activities you enjoy doing the most. For example, if you have strong communication skills, an inquiring mind and an interest in how a business is managed, a role on our commercial programme may be of interest. Our commercial teams grow cashflow, propose new ways to maximise value and make the best use of our assets and investments.
“ Within BP’s large trading team there
Take your time to explore your options. You will find that there is a perfect role out there for you and it only takes a bit of research to find it
If you like working in a strategic way, you might also be interested in a role in oil and gas trading. Those who have strong analytical skills and are able to analyse complex verbal and numerical information often have the basic skills for a role in trading. However, that doesn’t mean you have to go and work on the trading floor at an investment bank.
”
are a wide range of roles, including operators, analysts, charterers and traders, suited to those with different interests and skills. As long as you possess strong analytical skills and have a keen interest in financial markets, you could join one of BP’s supply and trading programmes from any degree discipline. But commercial roles and trading are just two examples of the vast variety of career options out there. Rather than picking a career because it’s what everyone else on your course is applying for, take your time to explore your options. You will find that there is a perfect role out there for you and it only takes a bit of research to find it. You might find inspiration in the most unexpected places – talk to friends, attend careers fairs or do some Googling to research what’s out there. A lot of organisations, including BP, now include a career-matching tool on their websites, helping you find out which roles your qualifications and interests make you eligible for. Remember that you can always try something and go in another direction if you change your mind. Ultimately, my message is this: don’t pigeonhole employers, they probably offer a wider variety of opportunities than you think. And don’t pigeonhole yourself; you will have lots to offer a prospective employer! n
Suzy Style
Head of UK graduate resourcing BP Global
Autumn 2017 |
GradJobs.co.uk | 57
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