Our Graduate Programme has been running for a couple of years. Hear from our recent grads Rupa, Jake and Stuart who have gone through it and Tyler and Alberto who joined it last year on their experience and takeaways.
What is the Grad Programme i.e how can people apply, what does the interview process look like broadly, how long do you stay a Grad?
Rupa – The graduate programme was first set up in 2018 and we have had 3 successful years of it since, hiring a total of 5 graduates. Candidates typically apply by submitting their CV and a cover letter via our website. The role is advertised on LinkedIn, University job boards and more specifically via websites such as Target Jobs and graduatejobs.com.
The interview process consists of a telephone interview, a face-to-face assessment centre and a final panel interview. We feel as though this process is far more personal as it gives us a real chance to get to know each candidate on a personal level prior to being offered the job.
Graduates tend to be promoted after the first year and there is a real push on progression within WL.
Tell us a few words about yourselves i.e background, previous experience (whether that from education or a previous role)
Rupa – I graduated from Lancaster University in the summer of 2018 with a 2:1 in BBA Management. I did a sandwich year as part of my degree and worked at Hewlett Packard Enterprise as a Project and Process Management intern.
Tyler – Prior to working for Wireless Logic and starting the graduate program I completed a Bachelor in Business and Management, which also included a placement year in a Commercial & Corporate Department of a law firm.
Stuart – I studied Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry at school. With such a background in applied mathematics this mapped out much of my final years in education. I left this to do Mechanical Engineering at the University of Exeter. I graduated after a tough 4-year course achieving a 1st Class with Honors.
Alberto – By nationality I’m Italian, but also I worked/studied in Scotland, Belgium and Hurley now! I studied Economics at Bocconi University in Milan. During the BSc I fell in love with maths, especially statistics. Therefore, I decided to continue with it and enrolled in a MSc in Statistics at the Uni of St Andrews. I then worked as an intern in the Scottish Gov as a software engineer before moving back to Italy to work as a Data Scientist for a Swedish multinational (Munters) where I was later promoted Global Pricing Manager. Later, I accepted a role as software engineer in Brussels, Belgium for a financial consultancy. To sum up, all my roles until Wireless Logic have been on the development side, always in DataOps.
Jake – My background is that after completing my A Levels at Pangbourne College, I decided to study history at Royal Holloway, University of London. I graduated in July 2018 with a 2:1 and began my career in Sales in September 2018
What was it that attracted you to the Grad programme and WL vs other companies?
Rupa – The feeling I got from Wireless Logic from the very beginning was that it was an inclusive company that put people first. As I moved a long way from home for this role, I wanted to be 100% sure that the company I worked for was somewhere I could see myself being for a long time with an environment that made me happy. I got this vibe from the start which is what attracted me to this position.
Tyler – There was a quirkiness to the job spec and graduate programme. Personally, the extensive client interaction and strong references to teamwork stood out.
Stuart – I was drawn to the job description – this put a large emphasis on not just finding the right person for the job but finding the right person for the team. This was an early indication as to how team orientated the position was. This provided all the support and assistance, which is key to a good Grad programme.
Alberto – I no longer felt satisfied with my developing career and I didn’t see much future in it. I wanted to have more client interaction, improving my communication skills and, more importantly, learn the essence of a company, which is making revenue. Hence, I essentially had to pivot towards entry level commercial roles, given that I had no experience in it. Wireless Logic attracted me for the high-tech product and the fantastic business outlook that IoT has. Moreover, since the first interview, I saw that the company is all about the people and community. I felt it would be an awesome place to work for!
Jake – I was attracted by Wireless Logic as the IoT market was something that massively stood out to me. We offer a unique service in a rapidly growing and developing industry. Upon my initial interviews, I instantly recognised the drive and desire within the company, and I could tell that I would be given a huge amount of support and freedom to grow into my new role.
What sort of projects have you been involved in whilst on the Grad programme?
Rupa – I joined as part of the first Graduate cohort back in 2018, so being given the chance to fully take ownership and run future Graduate schemes has been the biggest project I have undertaken. I helped last year, but this year I have overseen the whole process along with one of my colleagues and together we have developed it to be as inviting and inclusive as ever.
Tyler – As having only recently joined the company and role I have not worked on any extensive projects as yet, however I have begun building my list of clients whilst providing valuable Wireless Logic services. Additionally, I have also had the opportunity to speak about the graduate program on a company wide webinar, as well as being tasked with conducting an overview and analysis of the Inside Sales department.
Stuart – As part of the growing success of the graduate’s programme, I have been involved in a companywide presentation along with my other graduates. This was designed to promote the success of the scheme within Inside Sales to see if the principle could be expanded to other departments. For my part I had to give a brief presentation on myself and my experience so far being 1 year into the scheme.
Alberto – We had significant training in sales methodologies and communications, rounds of meetings with all other departments and technical lessons on the products. Plus, lots of customer calls!
Jake – I have been involved in the recruitment process during the 2019 graduate intake, which was a great experience as it enabled me to shape my understanding of what Wireless Logic looks for in a future employee. Similarly, I have worked with many of my customers on large scale SIM rollouts, along with connected hardware deployments.
What key things have you learned or gained experience in?
Rupa– I’ve learnt all about M2M and IoT which I had very minimal knowledge of prior to joining. But most importantly, I have learnt the importance of being proactive and managing my time as the accountability for your progress at Wireless Logic is entirely on yourself. I enjoy this as it motivates me to be the best I can be without having to report back to someone on a daily basis.
Tyler – I really think the training and ongoing development has been very well balance and designed. I’ve received training on all product and service offerings, as well as extensive sales training, which has really helped me settle into the role.
Stuart – One of the most important abilities I have gained would be dealing with tricky, or confrontational, customers. Previously this may have been a challenge I would have shied away from or avoided, however now I am more confident in my ability to take control of the situation, ease tensions and find a satisfactory resolution for all concerned.
Alberto – I learnt how to communicate properly, especially in virtual settings. Inside Sales is a fantastic gym for future business interactions given that virtual meeting tools will be more and more ubiquitous.
Jake – Through my two years at WL, we have received on-going external sales training. This enabled me to grow my confidence, understand buying habits and allow me to be better placed to assist my customer requirements whilst aiding WL’s continued growth
How has the Grad programme helped you progress in your career
Rupa – I was promoted after my first year to the position of Inside Sales Account Manager. More recently, after 2 years with Wireless Logic, I have been promoted once again to Graduate Scheme Leader which proves that hard work has results.
Stuart – The programme has challenged me in ways which I had previously not been tested in. I feel like this has made me more well-rounded candidate. My confidence has been hugely increased as has my ability to handle customers directly.
Jake – I joined on our Inside Sales team, managing some of the smaller accounts in the company, but steadily increasing the revenue and responsibility associated with my accounts. This increased further when I was promoted to Inside Sales Account Manager a year into the scheme. I was given the responsibility to manage bigger accounts, and through the success of my management, via a mixture of new business, strategic re-signs & connected hardware, I was promoted further in November 2020. I will be joining the Account Development in managing the top accounts within WL.
By the end of your time in the Grad programme, what would you have liked to have achieved from it?
Tyler – To improve my technical and soft skills, while developing professionally.
Alberto – I would like to understand the role that Commercial departments have in driving a company, not only from the revenue side, but also from the reputation side. In addition, I would like to learn how to be confident in closing (and asking customers to close) business deals.
What’s been your favourite moment so far at Wireless Logic?
Rupa – Being part of the social committee, I am biased when I say that the events that Wireless Logic organises for the wellbeing of employees is my favourite part. Most notably, back in January of 2020, we had a day dedicated to puppies! We organised Paws in Work to come into the offices with six chocolate Labrador puppies and employees got to take half an hour away from their desks to just play with the puppies. Often, trying to beat the January blues is hard, but we hope this brought a little bit of light into the world of WL and I can confirm it was a great success!
Tyler – The constant and unwavering support of the entire team. Everyone is really approachable and happy to help answer any questions, and this makes it a very enjoyable work environment.
Stuart – One of my biggest highlights from my time here, and this is probably shared by a fairly large number of my colleagues was the Paws at Workday. This saw the boardroom being taken over by a litter of young pups. The event, designed to help reduce stress and anxiety was a big success, and one of the most enjoyable workdays one could imagine. The atmosphere in the office was so vibrant, with everyone excited for their time with the puppies.
Alberto – The days in the office: putting aside COVID, there’s always a fun and friendly atmosphere in the office.
Jake – For me, it would be all the fantastic team days out, whether its been escape rooms, football & much more, the team spirit at WL is fantastic and its definitely something that makes us unique. On a more general note, the freedom and trust instilled in me by my managers from Day 1 has definitely allowed to grow and develop exponentially.
If you had any advice for someone looking at applying to a Grad programme, what would it be?
Rupa – Just be yourself! We want energetic, pro-active and friendly people to join the organisation who love working in a team.
Tyler – Look at what the programme will offer in terms of career and even personal development, don’t worry about the big brand tag associated to the job.
Stuart – The most important thing is the people, the Job itself almost comes second. If you are in a supportive nurturing environment, you should be able to thrive in any position. As a graduate, sometimes you can feel like you are being thrown into the deep end so this is critical, to not only your success in the role, but also your progression and growth beyond this.
Alberto – WL interviewers just want the best for you, hence don’t worry too much and have confidence in your abilities.
Jake – Apply to jobs with an open mind, look for industries/roles that you may not have initially envisaged yourself going into, you never know what you might find. As a graduate also, ensure that you are applying to a role that is graduate level as you want to find something at an appropriate level especially after 3+ years at university!
