I started the Bord Bia - Smurfit Global Graduate Programme last July and am one of two grads based in the Shanghai office. I studied International Commerce with Chinese in UCD for my undergraduate degree before going straight into this position. Here are my expectations versus reality, from looking back on starting the programme 8 months ago, to now …
Coming out of an international commerce degree and wanting to pursue marketing can be daunting, when the majority of grad jobs in Ireland seem to fall into the finance sector with little options to travel or work abroad. Bord Bia was one of very few international graduate opportunities that stood out and appealed to me as someone with an interest in marketing and living abroad.
As a result, it was actually the only job I interviewed for, which I was sure would stand against me, as my classmates had all done loads. I also had little faith in my language ability with Chinese, as I definitely wasn’t top of the class. I assumed that going back to China to live and work straight after university would be impossible, unless I went the route of teaching English, as many who have studied Chinese do.
It really doesn’t matter how many interviews you’ve done if you have prepped well and are genuinely suited to the job. If you have a passion for marketing and the food industry, it will come across in your application and interview. If you are applying, try to think outside the box about different examples of ways that you have interacted with the food industry, whether through a college project or work experience, with brands who really inspires you. It also helps to show a top level interest in the industry, so be familiar with what Bord Bia and the programme are all about by following their website and socials and keeping up to date with industry news.
In terms of the language assessment, just try your best. I thought I did really badly in both the oral and written language assessment, but I gave it a go and it paid off. Show how you are suited to the market in other ways too. Understanding and engagement with the culture and examples of how you are mature and adaptable to living abroad are all just as important. In the interview they really listen and try to match you to a sector and market based off of what you say, so be honest about where you see yourself fitting in on the programme.
Before I got the programme, I was considering taking a year out to save up and do a masters. So obviously to get a full scholarship to one of the best business schools in Europe through the programme is amazing. BUT at the same time I was worried - doing the same amount of credits as a full-time business masters student in Smurfit, while also doing a pretty hands-on work placement… I had visions of myself with no social life, bleary-eyed on the weekends from late nights glued to my laptop, final year barely-human version of myself making an unwelcome comeback - Never a good look.
As a last-minute procrastination queen, it can definitely be a bit hectic around assignment deadlines, but the workload is broken up pretty evenly throughout the year so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. Every six months we are all based in Smurfit for two weeks of physical lectures, which are followed by related assignments. Bord Bia and UCD are really understanding and accommodating around this time about our double workload and coordinate with the lecturers to give us realistic assignment deadlines.
Not to mention that our first month of the programme was spent altogether in Smurfit where the 32 of us all became super close from seeing each other literally all day every day (picture a PG version of Love Island). So whenever we have group assignments or modules in Dublin, everyone is really excited to catch up, especially as half of the grads are based in various offices abroad. Meaning even when the workload is more full-on, the bi-annual reunions make it all worthwhile. After just graduating from university, it’s really nice that the programme has such a strong social aspect to it.
It also means that we get home to see our families and friends twice a year, including at Christmas time. After doing a year abroad before without seeing my family, this is such a huge plus for me. To be able to live and work in a culture that I love, speak the language daily, and know that the time will fly until I’m home again, makes it so much easier being based in one of the furthest markets. You can really throw yourself into the experience and make the most of the time abroad when you’re not missing home as much.
I didn’t think many graduate programmes would offer a role with a lot of autonomy or responsibility. I had heard of friends going into large firms and feeling like they were ‘just a number’ or a PA, spending their days inputting meaningless numbers into endless spreadsheets and not learning a whole lot.
Personally, I was also worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up in Bord Bia, not coming from an agricultural background at home or in my degree.
Everyone on the programme comes from a diverse range of educational backgrounds and they made sure to bring us all up to speed on the areas we weren’t familiar with during the on-boarding process - queue my debut on a farm.
What was also made clear to us from the outset, was Bord Bia’s company culture, which values its people working together and staying connected. Everyone in the company knows each other, regardless of their level, sector or market. We were encouraged from day one to mix with everyone, not just our team or other grads. In our first week we were introduced to the senior management from each sector and we work with people at all levels of the organization on a daily basis. Even being based in one of the offices abroad, it still feels connected to the rest of the organization, and there is constant communication and learnings taking place across the different markets globally.
One thing that really stands out and surprised me about the programme is that I get a lot of autonomy in my role and feel like an equally valued member of the team as a grad. In the Shanghai office, I am directly involved in decision-making at meetings and event organization. I am heading up my own project in the alcohol sector, which is really exciting and educational, and it is really encouraging for people in the organization with years of experience to trust and support my work and see it influence the strategies implemented within the business.
From living in China as a student, I have learned that the only thing to expect is the unexpected (and not to drink the free alcohol in night clubs if you like your liver)! As a student, I don’t think I ever fully got over the culture shock of living in China, but I had the best, most memorable year. My one regret from that time was that my language ability didn’t improve as much as I would have liked, which was down to me not stepping outside of the international student bubble. I wasn’t sure what to expect going back, whether it would have changed or stayed the same, and without my close group of friends who I had experienced it with the first time.
Going back to Shanghai was familiar in a lot of ways but I have got to experience a whole other side of the city that I missed out on as an international student with only other international students as friends. Our office is bilingual, with a pretty even split between Irish and Chinese staff, meaning I feel a lot more integrated into the culture, and am (finally!) making progress with the language. I have a new found love and appreciation for the local food and culture which I was barely familiar with before. Shanghai itself is an exciting hub of creativity and innovation and the perfect place to live at this age. It attracts such interesting and entrepreneurial people from all over and there’s always so much to do and see.
In terms of work experience, China is a huge country with a diverse range of cultures, cuisines and climates, and this position offers a unique learning opportunity in terms of marketing. Besides that, I find that living and working in a culture so far from my own really accelerates personal growth. In such a short space of time, my placement in Shanghai has taught me more maturity, patience, empathy and adaptability that I can carry forward in my future career.
If you are looking for graduate opportunities abroad in 2020, you can learn more about the programme on the Smurfit website, the Bord Bia website, or by following it across all social media platforms linked below.