H A Y S T R A V E L G R A D U A T E S C H E M E OLIVIA COLQUHOUN
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were given, especially the business simulation and presentation, were challenging and interesting. The competences based interview that followed was conducted well as I felt that I was really listened too and the interviewee thought what I had to say was valuable. I feel that the setup of the recruitment process allowed me to showcase my skills and knowledge.
about the graduate position is the amount of responsibility and ownership we have had from day one. As soon as we got into our department we were given a set of objectives and worked with our managers to create a step by step for them. We were put forward by Irene to start up the press office at the time that Hays Travel was receiving the most attention it had ever received, the acquisition. We also were given the responsibility to present the Retail Conference in Turkey. WORST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB? If I’d have been asked this question a few months ago, I would have said having to present my research and strategies to John, Irene, and multiple other managers after just 6 weeks I would have said you’re joking but presenting in front of them so early on was vital to my development. Little did I know that this was only the warm-up one. With the branch numbers increasing the retail managers did too. I along with the other two graduates were tasked with presenting to them at the retail conference. I thought it would be the worst thing but it ended up being a massive learning curve for me. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK? Outside of work, I enjoy watching crime documentary’s which I normally get really invested in, trying out new restaurants as I am a total foodie, and researching into my next travel destination, so I’m definitely in the right industry. HOPES FOR YOUR CAREER FUTURE? Over the next two years, I hope to get a full understanding of every part of Hays Travel and be able to implement my ideas and collaborate with others in the delivery of theirs. I also hope to have figured out which department I get the most enjoyment from and I can offer valuable skills too, allowing me to follow down my career path.
WHEN DID YOU START? 29/07/2019
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON SO FAR? The first few weeks consisted of settling in with the team and shadowing each of the six departments within Digital Marketing, to gain a full understanding of the department and how it fits within the business. With this new found knowledge, I was set to work on my first set of objectives, to create a PR strategy for topical marketing, and another to showcase the opportunities and successes of apprenticeships, which I presented to John and Irene Hays. I was then given a development plan to implement the PR strategies that I proposed. This plan took a slight detour when the Hays Travel acquisition happened. The other two graduates and I were tasked with dealing with the media storm that followed, becoming the Press Office. This was an area I had no former experience in so initially felt out of my comfort zone, but we quickly got into the swing of it. We spoke to the UK’s most high profile media, organised the likes of The One Show to come in and wrote press releases. We also arranged countless interviews for John and Irene. We now have regional divisions to manage to ensure that Hays Travel has nationwide coverage, and the branches can get their stories out in their local communities.
NAME Olivia Colquhoun
AGE 22
DEPARTMENT Digital Marketing
DEGREE SUBJECT BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
UNIVERSITY University of Sunderland
WHAT MADE YOU APPLY TO THE HAYS GRADUATE SCHEME? After speaking to a previous graduate at a fair at my university, I felt the programme would provide the training and structure I needed to progress. She described to me about her experiences so far about being placed in multiple different departments and the responsibilities she had been given. The way she described the workforce, as family focused, sparked my interest. I felt that being in a supportive environment would enable me to develop further and feel comfortable to ask questions and put forward ideas.
HOW DID YOU FIND THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS?
To my surprise, I found the recruitment process quite enjoyable. I had initially been very nervous to attend the assessment day but the tasks that we
BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB? I would say definitely the best thing
HOME AND AWAY DECEMBER 2019 22
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