Graduate Development Programs

We all like to be acknowledged for our efforts and even better still, that they have resulted in something quite exceptional. To be acknowledged for exceptional work a a graduate, you need to make time to work on “exceptions”. That is, work which is not operational. A project or a piece of analysis. Something that is exceptional by definition should be very different from the expected.

The results of operational work, that is work related to the core function of a department, are measured often and tallied at the end of a quarter, half-year or annually. Operational work is what you are expected to do.

Operational performance is usually measured relative to your peers and various benchmarks, so differentiation is challenging and highly competitive. If you beat your targets by 10% and everybody else has exceeded them by 10% too, then you are not going to standout. The spotlight will shine on the person who topped the group with 30%.

So why not be that person? It’s too much work and besides, you can work the hardest and smartest yet still be trumped by someone due to circumstance. Why risk it?

For example, if you are in sales and your colleague picks up a “windfall” client who proves to be exceptionally lucrative, you will be blown out of the water. Such clients are not available to target in every portfolio and can be down to luck more than effort.

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…there is a significant disconnect between the marketing for graduate recruitment and the climate in which you enter an organisation. Furthermore, if you are in a relatively large organisation, there is an equal disconnect between the “Group” level graduate program activities and the day-to-day realities in your business unit. The objectives of the CEO and the people you interact with on a daily basis are very different and often conflicting. This can make life difficult for a graduate if you are not aware of it and subsequently, not ready to manage the situation

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