Abhishek Pawan Bhagat, Don & Low
What is your background?
I’m from India and graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi University in 2006. After that I worked for an automotive parts manufacturing firm for a year, before moving into consulting with a London-based firm.
I stayed there for about two years, working in different industrial sectors from pharmaceuticals and food products to defence and automobiles. I then felt a need to bring about a change and do something new and different, so I decided to study for my Masters.
A few of my friends were on their Masters programmes in Scotland and suggested that it was worth studying here, so I applied for a Masters degree in Environment and Development at the University of Edinburgh and was accepted.
Why did you apply for the Graduate Placement Programme?
I completed my Masters in 2011 and was looking for work to gain experience, and since I had the opportunity to work in Scotland for another two years I wanted to take advantage of that. I saw the TalenScotland advert for the role of Market Research Analyst with Don & Low on the University’s job portal, which was similar to the role I was doing in India, and was successful in my application.
How have you benefited from the programme?
It gave me my first break in this country as far as jobs are concerned, and I think it’s a very good way of associating graduates with the industry. The management team at Don & Low also told me that they were finding it difficult to find the right person for the role and TalentScotland provided a solution for them, so I think it works both ways.
As far as my role is concerned, my work here determines which prospective clients the company wants to pursue for sales and the various applications that they can exploit with their new and existing product line-up. I get to work in close co-operation with colleagues at management level and people who make business decisions, which gives me good exposure and will strengthen my CV for the future.
The chance to research new ideas and strategies and then watch them being discussed or implemented by the top brass of the company is very encouraging.
What advice would you give to other graduates?
I think it’s important for graduates to be flexible and gain experience wherever they can, because it adds to their skill set and can then be applied in different areas. There is something to learn in any job and there is always room for making improvements in any workplace.
Employers these days want people with a wide range of skills and experiences, so if you are trying to stay on a single track then you are probably restricting your options.
TalentScotland is right on your doorstep and offers many opportunities, which makes it a good resource for fresh graduates to take advantage of.