Natalya is a Biochemical Engineering graduate from University College London. She secured an Associate within Restructuring and Recovery Services graduate role at Evelyn Partners through Bright Network. 
First, we’d love for you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
“I’ve always been a generalist and could never decide what I wanted to do, because I was interested in everything. This is why I chose my degree subject, which combined an unusual mix of biochemical engineering, business and management.
I got a very multi-disciplinary perspective from this course and could see how every aspect of business operations affect biochemistry and tech companies.”
What motivated you to apply for your role?
“I love the combination of both a specific role such as restructuring and recovery services, with the educational aspect of my Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship for the ACA, taking place in tandem. It feels like the perfect transition from university into the working world!
Evelyn Partners also have a very diverse and dynamic service offering, which is going to lead to a very exciting and varied experience.”
What was the application process like?
“I loved that Evelyn Partners specified that although when I first applied in December there was no space to take my application further, that they would keep me on the waitlist and keep in touch if something came up. They did just that in May when I’d started losing all hope and I ended up securing the role.
Waitlists are not something to rely on, but reassure yourself that you’re doing something right and use the opportunity to remain visible to the company’s HR team, just in case something comes up!”
How did Bright Network help you secure your role?
“Bright Network’s excellent search function and daily job notifications helped me narrow down important aspects of the role I was looking for – from location to industry and salary.
The huge range of job vacancies, even after the filters were applied, made me feel like the world was my oyster and the daily email notifications helped push me to apply for more jobs than if they’d been less frequent!”
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What are you most proud of about your journey?
“After I initially got waitlisted for a graduate role at the company I did my summer internship at, I was disheartened and felt quite lost. I wasn’t getting further than the online test stage with most of my applications, so I started to panic about what I would do after graduation.”
“I’m proud that I kept applying and putting in the legwork because it all paid off!”
“I’m starting a role in the city I want to work in, completing a professional qualification alongside the role and starting with an excellent salary! The easiest thing in the world is to get despondent and give up, but the effort put towards something you want is truly never wasted, something will always turn up.”
What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
“Apply for or complete a job assessment each day! It truly is a numbers game unless you’re applying within a very specific niche, but also be open-minded about the sort of opportunties you’re looking for.
Do not give up applying in February or March, there are at least three more months of active job hunting you can do!”
Tell us about the future. What’s next?
“I’m looking forward to meeting my fellow cohort of graduates, developing into an expereinced insolvency practitioner and gaining a professional qualification while working in the best city in the world!”
