Rotating throughout various departments on a 16-month programme, I am exposed to many different areas of Gripple. Gaining hands-on experience across the organisation, I am learning how different departments operate and interact with one another, gaining valuable knowledge and building a broad skillset. Throughout the scheme, I am being tasked with projects which contribute to the company's five-year plan and developing myself professionally.

Every day at Gripple is different. As I am rotating throughout different departments, my typical day ranges a lot. Participating in customer sales meetings, managing a year-long project to raise money for charity, shadowing team members, producing comprehensive reports, and supporting various projects is just a small snapshot of what activities I am involved with.

I enjoy so many different aspects about the role - however, the one that stands out to me the most is the people. Gripple's culture stands on its values, and as their recruitment process surrounds this, it is critical that everyone holds these same values. This makes the environment extremely warm and friendly, and makes you enjoy coming to work everyday and seeing familiar faces!

I'd say that the most challenging aspect of the job is feeling a little bit like a fish out of water. Whilst everyone is so incredibly warm and welcoming in each department, it is difficult to shake the feeling that you are underqualified or outside of your depth. This is a standard case of impostor syndrome and is very common, but reminding yourself that you are indeed a part of the team regardless of your experience is a must! I'm still learning how to adjust to this feeling, but having such a supportive network and mentorship around me has been an incredible help.

Gripple appealed to me for a variety of reasons, however the one that stood out to me the most was the opportunity to rotate throughout multiple departments. Having just left university, I have no prior experience in my field, so being able to explore different career paths within one company gives me the freedom to try various roles before committing to a long-term position.

As every day is different, the skills used and required vary. However, having the Gripple Spirit (a term coined around Gripple's values and culture) is key! Core skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving, as well as the skills learnt from undertaking an undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield, aid a lot in day-to-day work.

Since leaving the University of Sheffield in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management, I went straight into the graduate trainee role at Gripple.

After completing the 16-month graduate scheme, I see myself moving into a specialised role at Gripple. As I am currently at the start of my programme, I am unsure of which specific department I will be going into, but I look forward to gaining diverse experience throughout my rotations and developing an insight into what role suits me the best. In the future, I hope to progress into a leadership position within my chosen department, and with Gripple's commitment to employee development, I will have strong support when considering higher-level management roles.

The main advice I would give is to apply to graduate jobs/schemes as early as you can! I applied to Gripple in the November of my final year at university, completed the interview and assessment process in December/January, and found out I was successful at the start of February. Completing this process so early on was a relief for me, as it took the stress out of applying to too many graduate roles as I knew Gripple was my first choice. It also made it a lot easier to focus on my studies in my final semester instead of being worked up about what I was going to do afterwards. The earlier you can apply and finish the processes, the more you can focus on getting that degree!