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Why Our Internal Staff Joined the FDM Academy

Paul Brown

22.01.2019

Our world-wide academies are open to a range of ages, abilities and experiences. But it’s not just external candidates who show interest in our roles, we also have several members of our internal staff team who after seeing the types of opportunities that were presented to our consultants, they decided to apply to our careers programme. Now placed with some of the world’s biggest organisations, we spoke to them about their journey through the FDM academy, and why they chose to follow in the same footsteps as the trainees they’d sourced over the years.

Carey Gray

First started with FDM: May 2016

Role: Graduate Recruiter in Glasgow

My role in FDM went from recruiting new talent into the Academy, to joining the academy myself which was a new experience. Being a recruiter helped me learn about the business model at FDM and how I could personally contribute to the success of those coming out of university.

Whenever I would describe the Business Intelligence role to candidates, it always sounded like something I would be personally interested in. I spoke to one of the trainers in Glasgow and my manager at the time who helped me see how joining the academy could help my long-term career goals, having the support of my colleagues made the transition so much easier.

Being a part of the academy as a trainee made me focus and hone in on new skills, and I now understand why trainees would say the prospect of joining the academy seemed nerve-wracking – but don’t worry, it’s not.

Mhairi Taylor

First started with FDM: July 2017

Role: Graduate Recruiter in Glasgow

It was strange to leave the in-house side of FDM to join the Glasgow Academy, but an exciting prospect. I’d spent the last year giving advice to graduates about going for interviews and how to make the most of their time in the academy, and now I was following in their shoes. Being a recruiter opened my eyes to all of the opportunities available within the IT sector.

A career in this field wasn’t something that I had considered before, but after hearing from consultants out on client site, I realised that joining the FDM Glasgow Academy would be a great way for me to join some of the biggest companies in the world as well as taking a new career route.

The one piece of advice I would like to pass on to trainees is to make the most of the team on hand here at FDM. Speak to your Account Managers as they will be happy to talk you through the process and to also advise you on upcoming interviews and any other queries you have.

Tolani Ogunlaiye

First started with FDM: March 2017

Role: University Partnerships Recruiter in London

Before joining the FDM London Academy, I was a Graduate Recruiter and part of the University Partnerships team. The more that I looked into the graduate programme, the more I became attracted to the idea of joining the Business Intelligence stream. Throughout the training I received at FDM, I always felt very supported. The trainers were always available if I needed help with my projects, and the academy team made sure my transition from recruitment to training went smoothly. They continued to check in with me throughout my time in the academy, and even my old peers would regularly stop me in the corridor to get an update on how my training was going.

If you are struggling with any aspect of your training at all, stick with it, ask for help and take a step back to review the next day’s content. Earlier this month I started working with a high profile bank in London and I’m thrilled to see what the next chapter holds.

Marcus Zhou

First started with FDM: August 2017

Role: UK & APAC Graduate Recruiter in London

I joined FDM as a UK and APAC Graduate Recruiter right after I graduated from university. After speaking to our consultants and hearing about their experiences out on-site, I began to consider my options and became increasingly interested in a role as a business consultant. I’m now working for one of the biggest banking and financial service organisations in the world.

Moving from recruitment to the graduate programme was different to start with, but my line manager Jeff really helped inform my decision and also gave me directions on who I should speak to. Throughout my training the academy team and the trainers have been very patient and supportive, with very limited understanding in IT to begin with, I was able to adapt and learn very quickly.

A piece of advice I would like to pass on to the trainees is to not be afraid to speak to trainers and Account Managers, if you are finding the training difficult then ask for help. Speak up and ask about the opportunities you are interested in.

FDM have graduate opportunities across business and IT. Launch your career in the IT and technology sector this year.

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