The world of work is a difficult place for a young graduate to navigate. How do you get noticed?, get taken seriously?, get things done? Everything and everyone is new!
Well, product design graduate Michelle Blackett had some of the answers to those thorny questions when she gave an inspirational talk to our students last week. Michelle graduated in 2010 and her first destination job was as a Knowledge Transfer Associate with Nifco UK. Nifco UK is an injection moulding company, supplying many of the big name car manufacturers.
Michelle was employed through the university and mentored in her role by Peter Reid, Senior Lecturer in Product Design. Her job was to develop a New Product Development Strategy. No small task! Michelle has since gone on to be employed by Nifco in a variety of roles from project engineer where she was responsible for key accounts with Ford and Jaguar/Land Rover to her current position as Marketing Manager with responsibility for Branding, internal and external communications.
One of many great examples of how Michelle has gone the extra mile is when she organised a teambuilding and charity event for Nifco staff to climb England’s highest mountain, Scarfell Pike in the Lake District. http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/stockton-workers-peak-performance-tsunami-3675240
But now Michelle is about to go a few miles further… Ford have offered her a new role in Essex!
And the secret of Michelle’s success, in a nutshell… “always going that extra mile” and exceeding your boss’s expectations. That’s what quickly builds respect and builds your career.