CAREERS NETWORK
ELLIOTT DOBSON ( 07-13 ) CASE STUDY
How did you get involved as a mentee in the OP mentor scheme with Nick ? Nick is a friend of my parents and when they mentioned I was looking for experience and opportunities in finance Nick told them he was involved in the OP mentor programme and would be happy to offer me his help .
What support has Nick been able to offer you so far ? In the time that Nick has been mentoring me I have had the opportunity to discuss various ideas regarding my future career . The benefit of being able to talk to someone like Nick , who has a wealth of experience in finance , is the fact that he knows the best options for me , based on the ideas I have shared with him . For example , having expressed an interest in emerging markets Nick suggested a good way for me to get into this area of finance might be to work in the Foreign Office . This was something I had not considered but found a very entertaining prospect . Along with his advice , Nick has also offered to put me in touch with some of his contacts , who he feels may be of help to me in certain aspects of my career .
What are the benefits for you of having a mentor at this stage in your career ? I am about to go into by final year of an Economics degree , and having Nick as a mentor helping me at this stage is highly beneficial to both my degree and future career . The choices I make now will impact the rest of my career , therefore having someone who knows the industry I am going into , and being able to ask questions about it , gives me an opportunity that many graduates do not have .
What did you want to get out of the relationship with your mentor ? From my mentor relationship I expected to get an outsider ’ s ( not family ) opinion on my career options . It also gave me the chance to talk to someone who has been successful in their career , so I was able to learn from them and increase the chances of success in my future too .
How do you see the mentor relationship progressing after your work experience has finished ? Nick and I have met every month so far but as I am moving back to Edinburgh to continue university those meetings will become less frequent . However , Nick has stressed that I can contact him any time should I need to . I believe that my mentor relationship will not stop when my work experience does , as I feel that Nick will be able to help me further in the future whether it is a quick email asking for advice on something or more .
Can you tell us a bit more about your work experience ? For my work experience I have been working with the Finance department of TSYS ( Nick ’ s company ). The majority of my time was spent with the accounts team as I am considering becoming a chartered accountant . Working in the Accounts and Finance Department has been very helpful as I have been able to experience first-hand what the daily duties entail and see how the whole system works . The tasks I undertook allowed me to become familiar with many aspects of accounts , from expenses and talking to suppliers , to the pressures of month end . All of which have allowed me to become familiar with accounts , giving me first-hand and essential experience necessary for a career in finance , should I choose to take this career option .
How has your experience with Nick so far helped to shape your career aspirations ? Whilst completing a degree , it is sometimes difficult to imagine the end goal but the mentor experience has allowed me the chance to see a clearer picture of what happens after university . This is a good thing as it gives me hope and a boost of determination going into my final year knowing that all those years of study are not in vain .
What would you say to other OPs about the mentor scheme ? I would highly recommend the mentor scheme to other OPs as it is a great way to find out more about any industry that you may be interested in . Furthermore , it offers a fantastic chance to boost your opportunities after you have finished studying , in an economy where it is more difficult than ever for graduates to get a job , and every bit of extra help is a blessing .
GRACE ’ S BIOLINK GAP YEAR
Grace Mountain ( 13-15 ) has spent the last twelve months on a gap year working for Pocklingtonbased company , Biolink , thanks to former parents and business owners , Paul and Kate Richardson . They needed extra help with their growing business and their preferred option was to employ a gap year student with an interest in business .
Founded in 2007 , Biolink manufactures and markets a range of DEFRA approved disinfectants , cleaners , fumigants , de-scalers , vitamins and water treatment products to the agricultural industry . As well as its offices and warehouse in Pocklington , the company also has a manufacturing facility in Northamptonshire and recently went into partnership with French company , Theseo to join its business activities and expand the combined businesses both in Europe and globally . With the business becoming busier than ever , Kate and Paul needed some extra help and contacted the OP office to see if any upper sixth students would be interested in a working gap year . Step forward Grace Mountain who explains : “ I lived in Canada with my family for six years before we moved back to the Pocklington area . In the Upper Sixth at Pocklington I applied to university , however it soon become apparent that I would need to be a resident again in the UK for 3 years in order to be a Home Status student , so I decided I needed to take a gap year . The opportunity with Biolink came up and it seemed exactly what I was looking for , so I applied .”
The role with Biolink was very much a ‘ mini ’ business apprenticeship with the idea being that the appointed person would undertake a variety of general duties such as office administrative tasks , some warehouse packing , local deliveries and banking runs , but Paul and Kate were also keen to show all aspects of the business so Grace could get a feel for how things operate and gain valuable work experience . With her sights set on studying Economics at Sheffield University , the job seemed ideal for Grace and also fulfilled her need to take a gap year .
Kate commented “ Grace was a very strong candidate . She has great academic credentials and a confident and mature outlook which came across really well at interview . We had no hesitation in offering her the job and once she started with us she fitted in really well and picked things up very quickly , particularly the IT side of things . She was soon speaking to customers and updating the website . She helped us with the new branding for our partnership with Theseo and we put her in charge of organising our attendance at one of the big trade fairs . She takes everything in her stride and is very organised – we are delighted !”
Grace ’ s sixth form grounding at Pocklington really gave her the foundation to flourish at Biolink . She commented “ The teachers at Pocklington School encourage independence and organisation which were key attributes in my success at Biolink . My practised independence gave me the confidence that was required to get fully stuck into the job .”
One thing she says she did find difficult at Biolink was speaking on the telephone . “ People my age communicate via text or social media . We hardly ever phone each other ! So it was really quite nervewracking to have to speak to people on the phone whilst in an open plan office . However , once I had practised , it soon becomes second nature with no problems at all !’’
Grace finished her gap year in August and started her Economics degree at Sheffield University in September . We will watch with interest as her career progresses .
If you are able to offer a gap year or intern opportunity to a school leaver or a younger OP , please contact the OP office .
Paul Richardson with Grace
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