How to begin a graduate career in business change

1. Do your research

Business transformation is a growing sector. As technology dominates our working lives, it has opened the door to a variety of careers in business, digital and data transformation. When considering a career in business change, one of the first things to think about is what type of industry you would like to work in and what type of role you are after. Do you want to be a graduate business analyst, a graduate data analyst or a graduate project manager? That means it is more important than ever to do your research. Read industry reports, case studies, and follow thought leaders in different fields to gain insights into the latest trends and best practices. 

2. Assess your strengths

If you’re passionate about transforming organisations and making a meaningful impact, a career in business transformation might be the perfect fit for you. But it is important to be brutally honest with yourself about your own personal values and whether they match your career aspirations. Analyse your strengths and weaknesses and use this to assess whether a career in business change is a good fit for you. The more you know about yourself, the easier it will be to find a role that makes the most of your abilities and that will go on to be a rewarding and promising career for the future. 

3. Network, network, network

Like it or not, establishing a strong professional network is vital in any industry, so make an effort to get to know people in the business transformation industry. Start by networking online, using Linkedin to connect with business leaders and business change consultants, business transformation recruitment specialists, and other business change graduates. Join online forums, LinkedIn groups, and other social media platforms to engage in conversations, share insights, and learn from experienced practitioners.

4. Gain experience

All of that networking should result in some physical leads, whether that’s converting a chat to an in-person meeting, attending a seminar or workshop or establishing some form of business change volunteering role within an organisation. You could also look for opportunities to work on business change projects within your own company – anything to improve your skill base and enhance your CV with tangible examples of business transformation experience.

5. Develop soft skills

As a graduate, you already have the academic and intellectual qualification to work in business transformation. However, there is no piece of paper that tells people you also possess the sort of soft skills that are so important in most careers. Often referred to as people skills, they are the unspoken code that helps the business world run smoothly and successfully. Good communication and interpersonal skills; the ability to collaborate and listen effectively; being emotionally intelligent and showing traits of adaptability and resilience: these are the types of skills that employers will be looking for, over and above pure technical or intellectual aptitude.  

6. Sign up to a specialist recruitment agency

Once you feel confident in your skills and experience, start your job search. The easiest way to do this is to sign up with a specialist business change recruitment company that works with companies looking to hire business, change, digital and data consultants. Through our ea Resourcing department, we work with some of the country’s leading organisations who are actively looking to employ people into a business change role. For candidates, we offer permanent, interim and fixed-term opportunities for work as graduate business analysts, graduate data analysts and graduate project managers on business change projects that will make use of your skills and help you develop new ones. 

7. Enrol on a fast track graduate scheme

There are many benefits to enrolling onto a fast track graduate recruitment scheme. You will receive expert guidance and real-life experience working in a business change environment, earn a salary while you learn and build up a portfolio of contacts and experience to take with you once you qualify. At ea Change, we take the graduate training model a step further with our flexible alternative to the traditional graduate training scheme, ea Futures.