I Got Hired: National Graduate Development Programme

Posted on: 15 April 2023 by Samantha Riella in Graduate stories

Niyah Jowett is a Geography BA graduate who is now on the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) for local government.

How did you get to where you are now?

Studying geography at the University of Liverpool opened my eyes to social inequalities and how we have a duty to challenge them. This led me to begin thinking how can I overcome social inequalities and make changes in communities that will be effective and empowering. I searched beyond the regular job sites like Indeed and eventually came across what seemed to be the perfect graduate scheme for me, by typing in key phrases on google of what I envisioned myself to be doing and my role to look like.

Once I knew I wanted to apply to my graduate scheme, I connected with graduates on LinkedIn who had been offered positions and were now employed, this helped me to understand exactly what my role would be by them sharing their experiences and I also would drop them a message about how they are finding it or tips for the interview process (as I had to go through 4 very challenging stages across 8 months!). Also, on LinkedIn I was able to discover graduate networks the scheme had, this was great as I was able to attend webinars in between the various assessment stages which prepared me really well for the interviews, assessment centre and job. Most importantly by attending the sessions, it gave me a lot of confidence and self belief as it can be quite intimidating having to apply for professional jobs and go through tricky interviews for the first time.

Additionally, taking on the offers that are available at the University of Liverpool such as being part of societies and really getting the most out of my experience, as well as volunteering gave me a lot to talk about in my interviews and made me realise the amount of skills I had acquired during my three year degree.         

What has been your best experience as part of your role?

I really love how my graduate scheme allows you to work in 3 different departments across 2 years, so my experience is constantly changing, I initially joined the Communications Team where I was able to work on internal and external press releases for the council and I will have to say, meeting Liverpool FCs manager, Jurgen Klopp was also a highlight to award him is Freedom of the City Award at a press event.

I think my favourite part of my job currently in Public Health, although it is not an experience is knowing that all the work I am doing is contributing to the greater good for the people of Liverpool to make change. I also really enjoy how different each day is for example, I have planned workshops, wrote a Public Health paper, researched for a Behavioural Insight Brief to name a few.

What has been the most challenging part of your graduate journey?   

I was fortunate enough to know that I had a job before graduation, however, the most challenging part for me was adapting to the world of work, which in my case is very different to studying and believing in myself as a graduate. It can be overwhelming working in an environment with specialists with a long history in the company and having the self belief to contribute to discussions and offer my opinion in case I was wrong. However, I soon learnt how valuable having a degree is and the amount of transferrable skills I have been able to bring over to my workplace and develop even further.

What are your top tips for other students and graduates?

1. Knowing where and how to start looking for jobs is hard and harder than that can be knowing what you want to do. Reach out to all the support you have on campus at the Careers Hub, and look for jobs that can offer you different experiences if you don't know what to do. I thought I would have to be confined to a particular industry and role until I came across my scheme that offered me so much variation

2. Make the most out of your university experience or time at university, now is the time to try new things, join new clubs and get experiences that will set you apart when you decide you want to find a job- you hear it a lot, but honestly its really valuable to do

3. Graduate jobs can have rigorous interview stages, prepare, prepare and prepare!