Robiul joined AQA’s Early Careers programme in January 2022 on the Business Graduate Scheme. We spoke to him about his experiences on the programme.
Can you describe your role at AQA?:
As a Junior Project Manager I assist in the planning, execution, and monitoring of projects. I help to coordinate tasks, communicate with different team members, and ensure that the project objectives are met.
What do you like about your role, and where do you see it taking you?
As a Project Manager, you’re not confined into one area. You get to work with many different areas of the business and as such, you’re always learning something new with each project you undertake. There is also great career progression in the world of Project Management. You can work your way up from Junior Project Manager to Project Manger, to Programme Manager, to Portfolio Project Manager. You’ve also got the freedom to move to another area of the business because you’re always developing new skills, knowledge, and capabilities as a Project Manager.
What attracted you to AQA’s Early Careers programme?
After finishing university, I didn’t know what the right career path for me was. The Graduate programme gave me the opportunity to explore and try out different fields of work, and settle into one which suits me and my skills the best. As a result, I discovered the world of Project Management as part of the Graduate programme, which ended up being the field I was most interested in and is where I work now.
What is life at AQA like, and what stands out about working with them?
AQA is people-first workplace which makes it a friendly and supportive environment to work in. Because AQA is a charity, it exists to serve a charitable purpose rather than shareholders. There are also a number of networks at AQA, including a Mental Health Hub, Empowering Women Network, LGBTQ+ Network, and a Run Club. The meaningfulness of the work I do, the work culture, and the number of employee benefits all combine to make AQA an attractive employer.
Finally, do you have any tips for someone wanting to join AQA’s Early Careers programme?
Doing your research on AQA will really help you. AQA is so different to other businesses in terms of the services provided and how the organisation is regulated. Many people think that AQA is just an exam board that writes and marks exam papers, but it’s only when you join that you realise that they are so much more than that! It takes a while to get your head around everything, but if you do your research ahead of time it’ll make it much easier to understand AQA.
Interested to find out more about joining AQA on their graduate schemes, head this way.