Career Advice

So you’ve made it into a training program and it’s go-time. What should you do now?

3
min read
Justine Schlossmacher

Training programs, be it for graduates, current students or even small-time professionals can be stressful. You know you’re under watch and you want to do your best to hopefully start a career out of it. If you’re looking for tips and advice on what to do on that big day, look no further.

Thanks to Emily Leong, the head of HR at Convoy Global Holdings, who appeared on our podcast series Happyer Work, Happyer Life, where we sit down with industry leaders and discuss specific, hard-hitting questions on career advice and job tips, we have all the answers for you here. Convoy recently set up a Graduate Training Program (GTP) for the first time, mentoring five students from all walks of life, so she has first-hand experience in knowing what recruiters are looking at during this period.

1.Be proactive in training sessions and meetings.

Proactiveness and participation are two key areas that are looked at during this time. On the first day, try introducing yourself unprompted to the individuals around you. This not only helps recruiters remember who you are, but they also want to see that you are able to take leadership and ownership of situations, as it helps them see your future potential in a professional environment. In addition, sessions with mentors and meetings also act as informal interviews which helps them to understand your thought process and what you’re thinking, as well as your ability to work in teams and collaborative spaces. If you are always willing to learn and be active, you will stand out more in a crowd.

2.Have basic courtesy.

Even though you and the others may be in a way competing for a limited number of positions with the company after the program, show basic courtesy to those around you. Politeness can take you very far, as it shows you are respectful and well-mannered, which helps you to become more liked. If for some reason you need to miss a day, have the decency to drop your supervisor an email or phone call explaining your absence.

3. Being quiet is alright.

If you’re an introvert, you may have trouble putting yourself out there so exuberantly. That’s not a problem! There’s plenty of ways the mentors assess your performance that isn’t through how loud you’re being. It is the manner in which you overcome certain problems and whether when you do speak that your words have substance and meaning that is most important. The same is true for extroverts! If what you’re saying is paper-thin and adds no value, this does you no good. Save your words for when you have something truly important to add.

Of course at the end of the day, your individual performance in interviews with the company is what matters the most. Staying abreast of current affairs and trends in your industry, knowing the company and understanding your values will really help you during this process.

We recommend listening to the full interview with Emily to gain more valuable insights into attaining a career in the fintech industry! Check out our series on Anchor and Spotify today.

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