We recently caught up with Marjana about how she secured a sales graduate role with P&G, making an application stand out and her top tips for Bright Network members looking to follow in her footsteps.
What stood out to you about P&G?
P&G is one of the largest Consumer Goods/FMCG companies in the world, with household brands like Fairy, Pampers, Gillette and Aussie. So once I decided to enter the FMCG industry, I knew that P&G would be top of my list!
Having a technical background and experience in retail management, I knew that Sales at P&G would perfectly blend my desire to keep a connection with retailers (since I knew what happened on the shop floor!) but also have that data analytics and consumer behaviour element. Having received offers from Reckitt Benckiser and M&S also, my decision to join P&G was ultimately due to their commitments to Diversity & Inclusion, the company culture of authenticity and integrity, and the fact that I would have a ‘real job’ from Day 1!
How did you make your application stand out?
For me, one of my key focus points was demonstrating my commercial awareness beyond what could be found via Google or their company website. I networked with graduates and senior employees by attending P&G Brand and Sales Masterclasses, joining the P&G Immersion Academy with the 93% Club and was heavily involved in the FMCG, Luxury and Retail Career Club at Imperial. This helped me gain a deeper understanding of the graduate role, career trajectories and the culture, which I could then bring into my cover letter and interviews (e.g. asking specific questions about differences between Account and Category Management).
However, it was equally important to allow my personality to shine throughout the process. So even during interviews with Commercial Directors (which were nerve wracking as it is), I found opportunities to comment, joke and smile to lighten the mood. Doing this and taking a genuine interest in others showed to assessors that I was not just a qualified candidate, but someone they would actually enjoy working with!
What part of the application process did you find the most challenging?
The entire process consisted of an application, online games and tests followed by two interviews before being offered a place on the Sales Career Academy. The Career Academy is the last stage of the process, where you do a brand case study and then a final interview. For me, the brand case study was definitely the hardest stage of the process, as you have to analyse a lot of data in a set amount of time and then come up with a recommendation which you present to ‘buyers’ followed by questions. The questions were challenging on purpose to see how you react in tough situations with clients, but the key is not to get flustered and be honest if you don’t know something – you don’t want to get called out on a bluff!
How did Bright Network help you secure this role?
Bright Network helped me indirectly in getting the role, as they waived my application fee to apply to Imperial for my Master’s degree, which really helped at the time. Having had a purely STEM background until that point, I’m sure that without my newly developed confidence in tackling business topics, I wouldn’t have succeeded in getting the role at P&G or elsewhere – so thank you!
Aside from that, during my preparation I accessed Bright Network advice articles about how to succeed in interviews and assessment centres which helped me feel more prepared going in. I also still listen to the Thinking Commercially podcast, which keeps me up-to-date with global affairs and helps me link what is happening to industries I’m interested in.
Did you get any feedback in the past that helped you with your application?
One of the best pieces of advice I got from unsuccessful applications was to be more creative and ‘natural’ with my examples in competency interviews. This feedback helped shift my perspective in what I was trying to get across to the interviewer – from then on, I’ve used a combination of examples from academics, work experience and also from my personal life. Again, this mixing of examples from all areas really helps to make you memorable as a candidate (especially if delivered with enthusiasm!) and shows that you’re not just ‘book smart’.
What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?
- Try to broaden your commercial awareness from all areas, balancing learning about specifics of the role and broader events in the world/economy
- Use the STAR technique for interview answers, but don’t memorise answers word-for-word to ensure a natural delivery (being very familiar with your CV helps for this)
- Be yourself! It’s difficult during stressful situations, but building genuine connections is how you will get assessors to remember you – sometimes all you need is a smile and laugh!
Let us know where you've secured your work experience, internship or graduate role. We want to celebrate your success with a gift from us and exclusive invitations to evening networking drinks throughout the year.
