Valarie is a Accounting and Finance student from the University of Warwick. She secured a Specialised Purchasing Placement role at Cummins Inc. in Peterborough through Bright Network.
First, in a few sentences please tell us a little bit about yourself.
“I’m a student at Warwick, but I grew up in Dubai. I think having always been fascinated by money management, pursuing a degree in accounting and finance made sense.
What motivates me every day is the opportunity to learn and grow, not just professionally, but as a person as well.”
What motivated you to apply for your role?
“I’ve always known that I wanted to go into a career to do with money, and a career in finance has always appealed to me.
I decided to apply for the specialised purchasing role, which is quite different to what I thought I wanted to pursue. This was because I like trying new things and thought it’d be a great opportunity to see how important money management is, in a company that’s engineering focused.
It was one of the best decisions I could have made as I’m constantly learning new things on the job, and have got the chance to meet so many different people and expand my connections and knowledge.”
What was the application journey like?
“I was most nervous about the interviews, being a bit of a shy person myself. Having gone through many applications and rejections, you learn not to take it personally and instead view it as opportunities to grow and work on yourself.”
How did Bright Network help you secure your role?
“I found the role through Bright Network. There was a thorough description of the job and expectations, which made the interview rounds easier, because I had clear idea of what I was applying for.”
What are you most proud about your journey?
“I’m proud of being able to adapt to an environment where I’m engaging in tasks that are quite different to university. For example, communicating with suppliers and following thorough procedures to set up was something that I initially struggled a bit with as I was unfamiliar with the processes in place at Cummins.
My team has been incredibly supportive and that has helped me navigate and become familiar with how the team operates, and the procedures they follow.”
What have you learned from going through the process?
“My application process with Cummins was pretty straightforward and shorter than expected. What I realised is that the company wants to see how willing you are to learn and whether you’d be a good fit with the team, more than how much experience or knowledge you may have.”
What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
“My biggest piece of advice would be to be well prepared for the interviews, and having a good understanding of what your skills are."
"Often we focus on knowing a lot about the company, and whilst that’s important, it’s equally important to understand yourself and to know what your own strengths and weaknesses are."
"When you know what your weaknesses are, you can acknowledge them and work through them, which is far better than being unaware of what your weaknesses are.”
Tell us about the future. What’s next?
“I think what I’m most excited about is trying different things until I realise my true passion. I’m still so young and have many more exciting opportunities and experiences awaiting me that keeps me going.”
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