How to spot a good graduate training programme. It’s really worth spending time and effort when researching potential graduate schemes available. The opportunities with the big named companies may be the first to come up on an internet search but the bulk of graduate vacancies are now within SMEs. Aug 03, 2011 SAP recently launched a new initiative, SAP Graduate Academy, which recruits recent college graduates (MBAs & undergrads) for an 11-month rotational training program. They are provided with a highly experiential learning environment giving them a wide foundation of SAP, its business model, solutions, processes and organization.
In the United States alone over 1.6 million students will graduate with a bachelor degree in 2014. The question on many minds is, is there enough jobs for those college graduates to fill? Will they be doing exactly what their degree has trained them for, absolutely not but hopefully the knowledge they have acquired throughout the past four years will land them a job in a position where they can learn and grow. From a personal perspective, I will be walking across the graduation stage in five short months; the thought of leaving my university behind doesn’t seem possible, it was the fastest four years of my life. However the time has come, and I will be graduating with a Bachelor degree in Finance from Bentley University this May.
I think the biggest challenge college students have with graduation is that even after 4 years of taking classes, studying, and internship we STILL don’t know what we want to do when we grow up. The age old question, ‘What do you want to do for a living?’ still haunts me in my sleep. I am 22 and I don’t feel like I am in a position to know what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. I have had a couple internships, including one within the John Hancock Retirement Plan Services department. Yet when I am asked at family events, gatherings of friends, and even interviews I still don’t have a solid answer. I would love the opportunity to go to work for a reputable company and experiment with various positions and job functions, is that too much to ask?!
Then I saw the light in the form of Rotational Programs and Development Programs. Although they have been around a lot longer than one would think, rotational and development programs are opportunities for recent graduates to figure out exactly what they want to do with their degree that they have worked so hard to acquire. Rotational and development programs are offered within startups to multi-national firms such as BNY Mellon, Boeing, and of course John Hancock. Employers see the value in hiring the best and brightest students and finding what they are most suitable for. Many say employees are a firm’s biggest asset, and allowing young workers to experiment with job functions to find the perfect fit will not only be profitable but it also opens opportunities for those individuals in the future. Highlighted below are the development and rotational programs that John Hancock offers to new graduates;
- Actuarial Development Program
- CPA Development Program
- IT Business Analyst Development Program
- Investment Division Rotation Program
- Leadership Development Program
1. Ability to Experiment with different job functions
As I mentioned before, the beauty of development and rotational programs is the fact that if you don’t know exactly what you want to do, these programs give you a chance to find out. For example, you could spend six months to a year working in one department and then the next year doing something new. Each rotation is like a new job, eventually you will find your niche or something that sparks your interest, making you one step closer to finding out what you really want to do for a career.
2. Exposure to upper management
The purpose of rotational and development programs is to allow new graduates to explore multiple job functions. With that being said, rotational programs wouldn’t run properly without the support of the business’s upper management. Often times within these programs you will be working with senior managers directly getting exposure you wouldn't get within a conventional entry level job.
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3. Team of new graduates in the rotation ‘class’
Rotational programs are often hired in groups, or ‘classes’. Each year a new group of rotational program participants will start work, be trained, and develop through the program together. I have heard from several individuals that have been through rotational and development programs who still hang out with their original ‘classmates’ to grab lunch, catch up, and even help each other choose next rotations. Netscape navigator download for xp.
4. Mentors within the rotational/development program
While this experience is all about finding where you thrive within a given business, sometimes a little guidance is needed. There are often times that participants in rotational programs will be given a mentor to help them through the process and be there for them when the work begins, something that entry level positions usually don’t offer. For example, I spoke with a manager who was a mentor for John Hancock’s Business Development Program and he still finds time to catch up with his mentee long after the rotational program has ended.
5. Job placement after the rotation is complete
Lastly, because you have gone through various job functions and worked under different managers your placement after you complete all of your rotations is much more vast than it would be if you were entering a company for the first time. You will know more people, have a more rounded knowledge of the company, and you have been trained for various departments, you essentially are the perfect job candidate. Job placement after you complete your rotations is a reflection of your hard work within the programs previously.
For more information on John Hancock Career Opportunities check out their page here!
This month, I started an exciting new venture at SAP, a fellowship for the Talent Marketing team under my mentor, Carmen O’Shea’s leadership, focused on attracting, engaging and retaining talented employees.
A fellowship is one of SAP’s greatest benefits and one of the perks that got me excited about working at SAP in the first place. It is sort of like an exchange student program, where you can work in a different team, on initiatives that could be completely unrelated to your current job. I am really excited to apply my marketing and communications expertise to better engage and develop our employees during the next six months and what more exciting way to kick things off with a heart to heart session with the North America SAP Graduate Academy.
This 10 month, cross-functional rotational training program is a combination of Undergraduates, Masters and MBAs who aim to create a DNA Shift in our organization with positive top and bottom line results by bringing in new skills and competencies to drive innovation. Since its inception in 2011, The Graduate Academy has hired nearly 100 early talents into the business and maintains a 96% retention rate. The program is comprised of four individually-tailored job rotations within Sales Support, Operations, Services, and other professional organizations. Interspersed within the job rotations are classroom-based and online learning as well as strategic projects. From week one, Associates are paired with seasoned mentors, former Associates, and coaches to support their ongoing professional development.
It is no secret that Millennials will comprise the majority of our workforce in 10 years, so recruiting and retaining Generation Y employees is key to our success.
We brought Associates from 5 major North America SAP offices: Atlanta, Chicago, Newtown Square, Palo Alto, and Boston together in a creative session where we applied design thinking methodology in discovering their pain points and generated ideas for making SAP the ideal work place.
I have summarized our key leanings from our session in four key segments and invite you to watch the video and see more photos of this session here to learn what the graduates had to say about each. I feel that these insights apply to any company and not just SAP.
Recruiting: Millennials expect new innovative ways of engaging with potential employers and recruiters. They expect companies to dedicate appropriate Marketing dollars to showcase the novelty behind their products and services. Many expressed that an essential part of recruitment should be focused on showcasing why the specific roles would be appreciated, what kind of opportunities the candidates would have to give back to the community, and how they can be leveraged in SAP’s efforts make the world a better place.
Seamless onboarding: The Millennial value relationships, they want to know their recruiter will care to follow up with them and ensure they have a positive experience once hired and all the way throughout their career. Many of the Graduates expressed the current process at SAP leaves much to be desired for: often there is a disconnect between the recruiting team and onboarding teams, the communication flow to the candidates is not fluid and lacks consistency.
Engagement: Many of our graduates expressed the need to see more interaction from Sr. Management. They feel that SAP would benefit from regular networking opportunities in a more casual setting, and many asked for these opportunities to include alcohol and snacks.
Career Development: The Graduates put much focus on their desire to receive mentorship, growth opportunities, and transparency in receiving feedback from their managers and peers. Many expressed how they would put global citizenship above professional recognition, but everyone expressed how they would want to work on impactful projects, and would like SAP to provide them a clear path for their career growth.
Take the quiz and let me know how millennial you are: How Millennial Are You? Pew Research Center