#GradDiaries: Musgrave Graduate Programme

By October 5, 2016For Talent

Out of college and at the crossroads? Whether you are struggling with the abundance of choice or see no opportunities around you, it’s always better to make decisions based on real life experiences. In our Grad series, we ask participants of different graduate programmes to tell us about their journey. This might be enough to beat your doubts and help you get started.


Musgrave Graduate Programme

Niamh Scally

Company: Centra, Musgrave

Role: Marketing Graduate

Location: Cork, Ireland 


Talk us through your typical work day.

My days are very diverse and can vary from being in the office, in a store or at a shoot. On a day to day basis, I work on producing communications for Centra stores, so this may range from producing social, radio ads, creating point of sale or working closely with in-house designers to create handbills, press or quality brochures. The beauty of my role is the unpredictability – I always have a project to work on, so this could range from working in event management, cross functionally or at a food shoot which is always an exciting experience!

My Musgrave experience in three words: Diverse, exciting, educational.

What has surprised you about working at Musgrave Group?

What has really surprised me is how invested the company are in their people. Personally speaking, being on the Graduate Programme has opened a lot of opportunities for me. I feel people are more aware that I am here to learn, develop and grow as a professional and this has definitely sent more challenges my way. It was a nice surprise to see that the Graduate Programme was so well regarded by others. It’s a conscious investment that the company puts into my career, but Musgrave are really good for investing in their people in lots of other ways also.

We hear Musgrave have great perks… which one is your favourite?

My favourite perk is the diversity of the role – yes it may sound mundane but the Graduate Programme is all about development so this, for me, is true! Working in such a big company has provided me with so many opportunities; within a year I have gained experience in a broad spectrum of areas like digital partnerships, store fittings, store design, food leadership, strategy, food photography and videos, social media, event management, value for money and finance; building on existing strengths and developing more. The opportunity to move around my team has definitely been a massive advantage!

Musgrave Graduate Programme

What first attracted you to the Musgrave Graduate Programme?

From a rural community, I have grown up with a love for food, but above all, have seen first-hand the positive effects of supporting local producers. For me, Musgrave have been rooted in the community for years and years, and are credible supporters of everything local. That’s why I picked the brand! The Graduate Programme itself was extremely attractive to me as I knew there would be an opportunity to rotate within divisions.

This would really give me a chance to broaden my horizons and soak up as much experience as I possibly could whilst maybe giving me the opportunity to work with different brands. Another really attractive aspect is the training that we would receive at the Irish Management Institution – this would help me develop confidence in areas like public speaking, presenting and negotiating by providing me with practical tips and experience.

How do you think this programme will help you in your future career?

What I am learning now is definitely providing a strong foundation for the rest of my career. My training at the IMI will really stand to me – I am learning to deal with situations now that I have never experienced before which is great for character building. Getting a taste of big projects like our Retailer Conference (an event with over 1000 delegates) and Tradeshow, learning ways of working and gaining insights will definitely help me in the future.

One of the greatest habits I have gained through this programme is the structure – by implementing personal targets, it really gives you a measurement for your progression and this is surprisingly very rewarding and something that I intend to take forward. With a real emphasis on gaining experience and progression, it makes you more hungry and ambitious to learn, succeed and develop. It gives you that extra kick to put yourself out there, push out the boundaries and get outside your comfort zone.

Top tips for applying

Be enthusiastic, opinionated, dare to be different and don’t hide your passion. When working in Musgrave, you quickly learn that your team are as invested in the goals of the company and care as much about their stores as the retailers themselves. It’s important to have a passion for what the company does, whether you love food, dealing with people or have real faith in what our brands do – like supporting local, it’s important to express this because that’s what they like to see – people that really care about the company’s values so try to communicate this in your application.

It’s not all about plain sailing either, in my opinion it’s important to have your own personal train of thought and share your opinions on food retail, do not be afraid to think differently in an effort to add value. Food retail is a very big and bold, competitive industry these days, so it’s good sometimes to be able to challenge the norms and ways of thinking – expressing your opinions shows great initiative and drive and if you don’t try, you will never know what could have been.


#GradDiaries

Author Jobbio

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