Whistle-stop Wednesdays: The Grad Edition

What do you do in Admiral and how long have you been working here?

I’ve been in the company since January 2019, but on the Graduate Programme since February 2020, meaning most of my graduate experience has been virtual. 

I’m currently on Admiral’s Graduate Programme, on my third placement within the Engagement Team within Recruitment.

We’re responsible for attraction and outreach.  We manage the Admiral Jobs social media platforms, the careers website and some of the business’ external partnerships.  A big part of my role is networking with my colleagues across the business, to produce content that showcases Admiral as an employer.

How did you get onto the Graduate Programme?

After completing my degree in Psychology and Criminology from Swansea University in 2018, I went travelling for 3 months and by the end of it, I was desperate to start working full time. I actually applied for the Graduate Programme just before I went travelling, and even had my interview in a hostel in Thailand! I was unsuccessful and absolutely gutted, but I was so determined to work for Admiral because of all the amazing stories I had heard. This hurdle made me realise that I desperately wanted to work at Admiral, regardless of the role.

So, after my travels, I applied for a role in the Contact Centre in Customer Loyalty and was fortunately successful. I loved the department, I couldn’t believe the amount of fun we had and with the incentive, there was so much friendly competition. After a few months, applications for the Graduate Programme opened again, and my manager encouraged me to apply. Yes! Managers do that here! This time, I didn’t have the distractions of travelling to hold me back so I put everything into my application, practised my interview techniques, and my manager put me in touch with someone who was already on the Graduate Programme.

I went to Disneyland Paris during this period and just my luck, the only interview slot was when I was away! So, one of my interviews was held in a Toy Story themed hotel room which was interrupted halfway through by the hotel cleaners who could only speak French and just wouldn’t leave! You couldn’t write this – first a hostel in Thailand and now Disney Land Paris. But to my amazement, I was offered the position. I was so proud! Maybe the cleaners brought me luck?! I was in such a slump post-Uni, not really knowing what to do with my career. Since being on the Graduate Programme, my goals are so clear, and my self-confidence has improved immensely. I can honestly see me working here for infinity and beyond! (too much?)

Why were you so determined to work at Admiral?

I grew up just outside of Cardiff, so I knew a lot of people who worked at Admiral – it’s difficult not to know someone with us being such a big employer in South Wales. I was constantly hearing about how fun it was, how much they supported career progression and of course, the free shares! I really wanted to work somewhere I would feel looked after. It might sound like a typical “soft Gen Z” answer, but I heard the horror stories of working in big corporations, working you to death and providing no enjoyment, I just really didn’t want that to be my life.

As luck would have it, I live less than 30 minutes away from the only FTSE100 company in Wales. A company who is renowned for treating their staff well and who encourage career development, progression, and opportunity – exactly what I needed having left Uni with little direction. Admiral was where I wanted to work, and I was prepared to let nothing step in my way.

Can you tell us about your placements?

My first placement was in the People and Communications team within the Claims department. The team are responsible for ensuring that our Claims colleagues are well supported in areas such as wellbeing, self-development and their overall experience working in Claims. After working in a customer-facing role for a while, this placement was a great introduction into Business Support, and I loved that I got to be involved in helping people enjoy work! My second placement was in Tech, as a Programme Co-ordinator for one of the biggest Tech programmes in the company. I was there to support the Programme Manager with the governance, admin, and risk management of the programme. With no prior experience to anything technical, I found it challenging in the beginning. Every conversation sounded like a foreign language, but I had so much support from my team and my managers that I got to grips with it quite quickly! The exposure I had to real project management and high-level business conversations was incredibly valuable. Then, I joined my current placement. I do a lot of content production to drive our various recruitment campaigns, and the creative freedom we have in the team is so inspiring. We all have such a passion for the company, and I love how we bounce ideas off one another and end up with something amazing. I’ve found a passion in content marketing and communications that I never thought I had! That’s the beauty with this Grad Programme.  The four placements allow you to explore areas you might never have considered.  After this placement, I have one left to complete, and then I’ll be looking to secure a permanent role in one of these areas.

Are there opportunities to grow and develop here?

Yes, 100%. Since being on the Graduate Programme I have completed an Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) 2 certification in Leadership and Team Skills, and I’m currently working on ILM 3, Leadership and Management.

I completed my AgilePM Foundation and Practitioner qualifications during my placement in Admiral Tech, as the department allows a full ‘focus day’ every fortnight to work on personal development.

We’re lucky with the Graduate Programme to have so much exposure to different areas around the business, it’s meant that my list of experience keeps getting longer by the month. We get involved in a lot of side projects; charity fundraising, our Diversity and Inclusion forums, career fairs, policy changes, and even major business decisions such as reward package reviews. With so much exposure, you identify your strengths and weaknesses quite quickly, so you’re aware of where you need to develop, and the resources to do that are readily available!

Do you have any advice for someone looking to join the graduate programme?

I’d say to really let your personality shine through. The Admiral culture is all about “leaving your ego at the door”, being bold, open, and setting your sights high. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to do in your career, myself and many of the other graduates felt exactly the same after Uni. As long as you work hard and aren’t afraid to take on challenges, you’ll be fine. You’ll get so much support along the way that it really isn’t as scary as you thought it would be! The programme is there to allow you to try new things and explore your own talent, so you don’t have to have everything figured out beforehand.

And of course, try to arrange an interview when you’re not staying in a hostel.. or a Toy Story hotel. 😊

Keep an eye out for our Graduate Programme openings here.