What degree did you do and where?
I did a Marketing BSc at Newcastle University, graduating in June
2003.
What were you looking for in your first job as a
graduate?
I was looking for something that would offer variety and keep me
engaged and motivated. I wanted responsibility and the opportunity
to manage but didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day!
What other graduate programmes did you apply
to?
As I’d just come back from a gap year in Thailand I felt strongly
that I needed to get onto a grad scheme a.s.a.p. so looked high and
wide. I went to a plethora of interviews concerning a huge number
of different careers from Retail to Events Management to
Recruitment Consultant. There was so much out there that my
mentality was to see as much as possible so as to make sure I had
all the information I needed when making the ‘big decision’ about
which career path I actually wanted to take.
Why did you apply to Boots?
Boots is a huge company steeped in history and with a great
reputation on the high street. It’s always up there amongst the top
graduate employers and best companies to work for and given its
size there really is no limit on where your career can go. There
are so many roles, departments and geographical locations that I
felt I’d always have new and exciting options open to me.
Looking at the role more specifically - I felt it would offer a
great opportunity to develop my management skills in a demanding
and dynamic arena. It offered responsibility from day one which was
well balanced against a support structure which set you up to
succeed.
How did you find the assessment process?
The assessment process was what really sold the company to me. It
was a long day but threw up some really interesting tasks and
activities. I got to meet a number of senior people within the
company and was really impressed by the warmth and dedication of
each and every one of them. It was very much somewhere I could
picture myself both happy and successful.
How have you found the training
programme?
The training programme has been great. It’s fairly fluid so you can
move around and try out a lot of different things through the year.
There’s so much to learn but you get a lot of support and if you’re
willing to put a lot in you’ll get a lot out.
What are you moving on to now that you have successfully
completed the programme?
Having completed the
programme the next step will be to take up a store manager role
somewhere within the London division. Whilst it seems like just
yesterday I started the graduate course in earnest I am really
enthused about having completed it and really cannot wait to get
into my own store and start delivering!