In this first instalment, individuals on the graduate schemes of various operators talk to Jade Smith about their journey so far, having started on the courses late last year
Andrew Higgins, First Bus
My name’s Andrew Higgins, I’m 28 years old, and currently on the First Bus Graduate Finance Management scheme.
I came into the programme with a degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Lancashire. Before beginning the programme, I spent four years working as a Customer Support Agent for First Bus.
The scheme was brought to my attention by one of my colleagues, who was also applying for a graduate role. Applying for the role was one of the more thorough application processes that I’ve been through. It involved both verbal and numerical reasoning tests, followed by a video interview before attending a rigorous assessment.
I was shortlisted a few weeks before the assessment day in Manchester. The assessment day involved tests such as project planning, presentations, financial analysis, and an interview.[wlm_nonmember][…]
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I first received an induction, along with my fellow graduates, in Swindon, which included the opportunity to meet senior management and gain a greater understanding of the business. My first placement was in Aberdeen and the first couple of weeks involved meeting the different finance departments to understand how they interact, followed by some hands-on work on the development of new finance software.
I’m in the middle of my placement with the tax department. As part of my role, I’m assisting with the corporation taxation for all FirstGroup companies. I also completed the periodic review of the VAT charged and claimed by our bus companies.
The great thing about this scheme is that I’m supported to study for my CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualification alongside working in the finance function of a multinational business. I’ve been provided with a mentor from senior management, have regular meetings with my line manager, and have been teamed up with a member of last year’s graduate scheme for support.
It’s difficult to name just one favourite aspect of my role, but it would have to be either the varied workload or the people that I’m working with. All finance functions are done in-house, so there hasn’t been a week in which I haven’t been learning something new. It has been made an enjoyable experience due to the supportive people I’m working with.
At times your ability can be stretched by handling multiple projects at the same time. Saying that, working on concurrent pieces of work is great experience and will set me up well for the remainder of the programme and future roles.
I feel I’ve only just got started with learning the ropes of finance. I’m looking forward to any opportunity to analyse new opportunities for the business and finding out how to improve business performance through better utilisation of finance.
Evie Carroll, First Bus
My name is Evie Carroll, I am 23 years old and am on the First Bus Operations Graduate Scheme based in the West of England.
Before starting the graduate scheme, I worked in various customer service roles. I interned for a logistic management company and that’s when I knew I wanted to work in the transport industry, dealing with customers and the public. I completed my Masters degree in International Business at The University of Edinburgh, specialising in my final year in operations and quality management.
I found out about the scheme by searching online for graduate schemes in the transport industry. There were many different stages in the application process including online testing, video interviews, an assessment centre and an interview with the divisional director. The assessment centre really challenged me and gave me the opportunity to meet and network with many of the top leaders across First Bus. Once we had passed the initial application process, we were screened through video interviews. We were invited to attend a full day assessment centre and then invited to London for an interview with the divisional director to ensure we were a correct fit for the company.
I started the graduate scheme in September and my first rotation was in Bristol working with the marketing department. I worked on designing posters, emails and timetables and helped at freshers’ fairs in Bristol and Bath, ensuring we made students aware of bus services and ways of purchasing tickets for travel.
I am currently doing a placement in engineering in Bath shadowing the engineers as they repair buses and prepare vehicles for their MOT testing.
We are well supported through the scheme. We undertake regular training days through the graduate scheme, such as project management and HR training, and we have a conference call once a month with the graduate support team where we are encouraged to raise any problems.
I really like how varied each week on the scheme is. We are encouraged to rotate around all departments and if there is something that we want to learn about, then it is really encouraged as a way of developing our insights as future managers.
I have two main challenges that I am proud of having achieved. The first is passing my PCV bus licence and the second is bus driving in service for six weeks. Initially I was a little nervous at driving such a huge vehicle, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It helped me understand the most fundamental part of the business.
I am looking forward to my rotation in staff management in a few months’ time and moving to a new depot to see how bus operations differ across the UK.
Richard Handcock, National Express
Hello! I’m Richard Hancock, 22 years old, from Solihull, and am currently on the National Express graduate scheme.
I had the fantastic experience of studying Politics and Economics at the University of Nottingham for three years. Towards the end of the degree, I decided that I really wanted to develop that interest further, and studied for a Masters degree in International Relations. In terms of work, I’d had some part-time jobs whilst at university, but my role with National Express is my first full-time job.
I’ve always been interested in transport and was actively searching for graduate transport schemes across different companies and Government bodies. National Express looked like one of the most interesting and exciting opportunities, and I was very pleased that they offered me a job! In terms of the process, it started off with an initial application form with a mix of competency and knowledge-based questions, as well as about my own personal experience.
After the form, I was very excited to be asked to an assessment centre held in Central Birmingham. It was a challenging but fun day: we had a mix of an individual interview, a group activity, an oral presentation, and a task testing our written communication skills. Though tiring, it was great to get to know the other applicants (one of whom, Peter, would also start in September with me). Afterwards, I was invited back to a final interview, where I had to complete some final verbal and mathematical questions, and had an intense, but positive, interview with two members of senior management.
My time with National Express kicked off in September 2017. Myself and the other three graduates had a two-week induction period, where we got to meet with lots of fascinating people across the business, travelled to many of our key sites across the UK, and learnt some useful skills in advance of our placements. My placement began at the Acocks Green Bus Garage in South Birmingham, which has been a fantastic opportunity to experience the fast-paced operational side of the bus business.
Over the last weeks, I’ve been helping with the rollout of the new self-service ticket vending machines across coach stations all over the country. I have been involved in the testing of these machines and helping to troubleshoot the problems which have emerged. I’ve recently moved onto helping with the rollout of the new Bus website, which looks fantastic. Afterwards, I’ll be beginning a six-week placement with the Customer Experience team in Coach.
I have three main sources of support from across the company: I have regular monthly one-to-ones with my line manager where I can discuss my progress. Moreover, I also meet up with my senior mentor, who’s useful for advice, contacts within the rest of the company, and helpfully clearing a path. Not to forget, of course, my graduate mentor who’s always friendly and helpful!
For both my favourite aspect, and greatest challenge, it was working on the ticket machine project. The project had its stresses and aches, and especially coupled with a tight deadline meant we had to work fast to a quick schedule. Ultimately, though, it was fast-paced and exciting, and felt fantastic to help introduce a great piece of new technology, which is faster and easier to use for our customers.
I’m looking forward to getting my PCV licence within the next few months! Otherwise, completing all the upcoming placements will allow an exciting opportunity to really become familiar with National Express.
James Ward, National Express
I’m James Ward, on the National Express Bus and Coach Graduate programme, and I’m 23 years old.
I grew up in Kent before studying for a BA in Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham. I graduated in 2016, but spent time before, during, and after university working in politics. This mostly entailed working for local MPs as a researcher or caseworker, but also included a six-month spell managing an election campaign. The experience gave me a passion for supporting local communities, and so I felt right at home joining NX given its charitable efforts and support for local communities and international organisations like Transaid.
I was approached by a recruitment specialist about the role, as I was keen to move to the West Midlands and work for a big, people-focused company. The application process included a long-form written application, an introduction to the company, and then two stages of assessment days. The first consisted of four tasks: one written, one group, one presentation, and one interview. The latter included two tests and an interview with the HR Director, Madi Pilgrim.
Each stage saw candidates gradually get filtered out – there were around 800 applicants initially, which went down to roughly 60 on the first set of assessment days and then 20 on the final day. There were four places up for grabs.
I started in September 2017, and after an induction into the company I was put straight into our Yardley Wood bus garage to understand the work done there. Fay Cowie, who was also brought in through the graduate scheme, now manages the garage and was able to put together a jam-packed schedule that had me spending time with everyone including our traffic office, engineers, vault handlers, administrators, CCTV, and more. Though it was all great, I had the most fun on nights with the cleaning team – we had a great laugh and it was good to get my hands dirty!
The time at the garage showed me how much work went into delivering a good service in often challenging situations – particularly when faced with conditions like the week of snow that we had in December!
I’m just about to start a placement at our Walsall Training School, where I’ll get first-hand experience of how we train our drivers by gaining my Category D license! I’ve just passed my theory test and will be spending the next couple of weeks on our intensive training programme. Fingers crossed!
In addition to monthly meetings with my line manager, Kelly Moore, I also have a contact for help at each for my placements, and regular meetings with a mentor from the Senior Management Team – the Commercial Director David Bradford. As well as this, I also have Alexandra Joy as a graduate mentor, who joined the company in 2016, and the wider graduate network, who have been a great help when it comes to questions that you don’t know who would be best to answer!
The NX Network trip to Madrid was an incredible experience that really put the company’s international status into perspective. It was really interesting to see how ALSA (a Spanish subsidiary of NX) operated and take those lessons back to the UK. It also made it clear how much the company believes in its pool of graduates and how much of an impact we can have. I felt like an important part of the company right away.
Dealing with the adverse weather conditions whilst at Yardley Wood garage has been my biggest challenge so far. While it was a lot to handle, it gave me a really valuable insight into how we handle crisis situations, and the team really came together across the garage so that we were delivering the best and safest service that we could.
I’m just about to start my practical training for my bus drivers’ license, which I’ve been looking forward to since interview. I only drive a Mini normally, so it’ll definitely be a big change, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge and spending some time out on the road. I also can’t wait to get involved in the recruitment process for next year’s graduates and seeing the variety of candidates that apply for the role. The opportunity to do a bit of grilling is a bonus as well!
Sarah Dyer, Stagecoach
My name is Sarah Dyer. I’m in my first year of the Stagecoach Bus Graduate Management Training programme and I’m currently based in Northampton at Stagecoach Midlands. I’m 23 years old.
I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow where I gained a degree in Chemistry. Following this, I decided that I wanted to study for a Masters degree in Business Management, which I completed at the University of Hull.
I found out about the scheme when I searched online for Operations Management graduate schemes. I particularly enjoyed the operations management module I took at university and so decided to focus on this area when looking for a graduate job. I could never picture myself doing a typical 0900-1700hrs job and I was seeking a programme which offered real variety and responsibility early on in my career. I came across the Stagecoach scheme online and after reading about some of the experiences of previous graduates, the variety of training offered by the programme and the career progression opportunities, I decided to apply.
I initially applied online, which involved answering some competency based questions and explaining why I wanted to work for Stagecoach. I was then invited to a first interview where I was able to find out more about the programme. Following this, I was invited to the assessment centre which was the final stage of the process. There were approximately 300 applicants and from this group, five applicants were offered positions on the two-year management development programme.
I started at the beginning of September 2017. I initially had an induction week where I visited the depots within my operating company where I was able to meet the management teams at each depot and gain an understanding of the local operations. I also completed route learning to improve my knowledge of the local bus network before going to Manchester for a week with the other graduates to provide support with promotion and sales of the Unirider tickets we offer in the area.
I am just about to start my engineering module which I’m really looking forward to. Having worked within different areas of operations, I’m looking forward to seeing how the business operates from the engineering side. I’ve witnessed how important it is for both sides of the business to work together to achieve optimum performance and so I will be interested to understand the challenges faced from an engineering perspective. In amongst this, I will be spending a few days away on an external Health and Safety training course, one of numerous training courses which are included in the programme.
I’m provided with a great support network. I have a mentor within my operating company who I meet with every month to discuss my progress and my experiences from each training module. Throughout the programme, I am encouraged to challenge what I see and constructively discuss ideas for improvements to the processes I’ve observed, and this is really helped by the supportive atmosphere within the company. I’m also supported by my Training Manager who is always on hand to offer support and advice when required. Everyone I have met so far has been really friendly and helpful, which is great as there is so much to learn and being surrounded by such a good support network improves my overall learning experience.
I have to say that one of my highlights was learning to drive a bus. I was so excited to start at the driver Training School and throughout training I loved it! It was quite daunting at times, but my instructor was really supportive, and I’m pleased to say I passed my test first time. It’s something I never imagined I would have the opportunity to do on a graduate scheme, but it has definitely been a highlight for me.
After passing my driving test, I spent two weeks driving in service. This was quite a challenge for me as I didn’t fully appreciate all the aspects you have to deal with as a bus driver. On the training bus, I just had to focus on my driving but in service, there is so much more to consider as you are dealing with customers, issuing tickets and ensuring that you provide customers with the best possible experience. I was supported by a mentor in my first week who helped me with all parts of the job, from learning different routes, to ticket requests and right through to paying in at the end of the shift. This was great as it helped to ease me into the job before I was given the opportunity to drive alone in service.
I’m really looking forward to my time working in operations later this year, where I will be given the opportunity to get involved with the running of the depot when I join the depot management team. This will give me a taste of what’s to come in my second year when I will take up an Assistant Operations Manager post. I will be able to get involved in the day-to-day running of the depot including recruitment, health & safety and accident management. This will give me real hands-on experience of a depot management position and I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in.[/wlm_ismember]
