Paul West, Glasgow Chiropractic
What is your background?
I’m Paul West and I grew up in Dumfries where I attended Dumfries High School. I graduated from the Strathclyde University Business School with a BA(Hons) in Economics in July 2010 before applying to a Business Development Placement with Glasgow Chiropractic . After a successful 3 months, I now work there as an Assistant Manager.
Why did you apply to the TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme?
Having studied the Scottish Economy at university, I feel strongly about the need to keep graduates in Scotland to maintain a reasonable GDP growth. This programme offered a great opportunity to gain work experience working in Glasgow (albeit for an Australian company)!
I found out about the programme through the University’s career centre and the opportunity to work in area I was interested in. Another added benefit of the programme was the opportunity to attend Graduate Training Courses.
How have you benefited from the programme?
The programme has benefited me in many ways. In the current economic climate, the biggest benefit is actually having a job!
My placement, as with most TalentScotland placements, was with a local SME. The size of the company has allowed me to take an in depth look at lots of areas of the organization and has allowed me to experience sales, marketing, HR, web development and even a little media production!
What advice would you give to other graduates?
In my experience, the kinds of employers who recruit through this programme are those that really value a fresh outlook on their operations. They also value the personal development of their staff from a graduate to someone who is fully accomplished in the job. Taking that in mind, the best advice I can offer is to commit yourself fully to whatever opportunity arises, these employers are as concerned with your own personal development as you are, the sky’s the limit!