Three of the first graduates to participate in Cambridge International Examinations' training scheme offer an insight into what it's like to work for our international exam board.
Kieron McGlinchey
Whilst trawling through jobs databases towards the end of my third year of university I came across an enticing advert for a
graduate scheme in a not-for-profit organisation close to my home town. This, in conjunction with the 18-month length of the scheme in comparison with the typically shorter 12-month period of most other graduate programmes, made this opportunity a particularly alluring one.
That the
Cambridge International Examinations graduate programme allows participants to spend a respectable amount of time in two very different parts of the organisation confers massive opportunities in terms of experience and made the scheme that much more desirable.
My work across the organisation has involved a variety of tasks including research, training as an internal auditor - for which I was sent on a three-day course and received an auditing qualification - and the opportunity to pursue an independent project with the help of my mentor. These examples are the tip of the iceberg in terms of the work I’ve been participating in but they evidence the array of topics I’ve been fortunate enough to contribute to. It’s also important to mention that in all of these examples, the work has been required by the organisation – none of it has been “created” for the empty purpose of keeping a graduate occupied. This is an essential success factor because it provides me with hands-on experience in helping to resolve real issues confronted by the organisation whilst also allowing my contribution to add value to the business, as well as to my own CV.
My name is
William Saville and I studied History at the University of Liverpool, graduating in July 2014. I first became interested in a career in education after completing work experience at the Department for Education but thought teaching wasn't the career for me. Working for an exam board like Cambridge International Examinations offers the best of both worlds and I really enjoy working for a not-for-profit organisation with an international outlook.
What I've most enjoyed about the graduate scheme is that over 18 months I got to work in four different departments. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn all about the business whilst experiencing a variety of different job roles. I moved to Cambridge for the scheme and everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. It’s a fantastic time to be working in education with the increasing use of technology and I can’t wait to start my next placement.
I’m
Sophie Armstrong and I grew up in Ilkley, West Yorkshire near the Yorkshire Dales. I attended Queen Mary College, University of London and read English for my degree. As I come from a family of teachers I have always been interested in education and learning. This is one of the reasons why I am thoroughly enjoying the graduate scheme – I’m constantly learning and developing my skills!
My first nine month placement at Cambridge International Examinations was in the Marketing and Communications and Customer Services teams and my second placement will take me to two completely different parts of the business. Experiencing different roles and departments across Cambridge International Examinations has encouraged me to be adaptable and creative in how I tackle projects and tasks. I am also surrounded by some wonderful and talented colleagues who have welcomed me both to work and to the city of Cambridge. I look forward to the next nine months at Cambridge International Examinations and am excited for what the future brings.
Following a very successful start, Cambridge International Examinations’ graduate training programme is set to continue into a second phase with four positions on a digital scheme and a research and operations scheme, starting in September 2015.