Name: Patrick McCormack
Company / Programme: Musgrave Graduate Programme
Job Title: Assistant Trading Manager
What college did you attend?
Maynooth
What course did you study in college?
Business & Management
What attracted you to the Musgrave Graduate Programme as a grad?
The importance of Musgrave in the Irish economy and the role that they play in the communities they are involved in. I am proud to work for a company that places such importance on supporting jobs in Ireland.
Tell us about the interview process.
Initially I applied through the online CV submission. I then progressed to the online numerical and verbal assessments. The video interview was next, initially this was a bit strange as I had never done it before – I would advise that you practice this beforehand to get over the initial jitters.
How do you spend your days?
Each day is very different and there is no such thing as a “typical” day!!
I run sales reports and review the previous week’s sales each Monday. After this I attend a quality meeting with our quality auditor. I spend the rest of my week dealing with suppliers, managing margin and reviewing performance within my area.
What skills are ‘must haves’ to do your job well?
Time management and task prioritisation are essential. In trading you will be dealing with suppliers and most of the internal departments within the company. Everybody will have their own targets and requirements from you. The ability to manage your diary and determine the tasks that are most critical to your role will take you a long way
How do you think this programme will help you in your future career?
I have gained great exposure throughout the programme – presenting numerous times in front of senior management, this gives me great confidence when it comes to preparing and presenting internally, and to our retailers and suppliers. The training I received during our IMI course gave me a huge advantage in terms of professional and personal development in areas such Leadership, Communication skills and Project Management.
What are your top tips for grads when applying for jobs?
Do some preparation; try to understand the company you are applying for and what is important to them. If it matches what is important to you then you should be a good fit.
Try to let your personality come out in the interview/selection process, nobody expects you to be a robot.
What one piece of advice would you offer all soon-to-be graduates that are leaving college and joining the working world?
Give yourself time to settle into a job and the working world, it is a very steep learning curve and people will afford you the time to develop your skills. Don’t spend your time panicking if you don’t know how to do something; spend your time asking questions instead!!
If this sounds like the opportunity for you, you can apply for the Musgrave Graduate Programme here but hurry, there’s only TWO DAYS left!
