Rebecca Jordan
2017 Business Management BSc graduate Rebecca is Principal of Workforce and Organisation Transformation at Mercer in London, UK.
Interview
Since graduating, what have you gone on to do?
After graduation, I joined IBM on their Consulting by Degree graduate scheme as a Talent and Change Consultant. I have been involved in many diverse projects for clients across a range of industries and it's that variety that makes consulting so interesting. For example, on my last project I advised a Chief Human Resource Officer on their organisation development strategy and before that I developed the operating model for a multi-national Telco to become agile and delivered coaching. At IBM, we use design thinking philosophies to co-create solutions with our clients and often deliver projects in agile ways of working, which is really fun and engaging. I have since been promoted to Senior Consultant in the same department.
Is the above what you planned to do before starting university?
Before starting at Newcastle University I wasn't too sure what aspect of management I wanted to work in, so I started my degree with an open mind to see what I would find most interesting.
What was your favourite thing about your course?
As nerdy as it may sound, I really liked writing my dissertation because I enjoyed immersing myself into my topic (which was succession planning) and conducting research to understand the realities of it and the implications for team dynamics. The interviewing was something I hadn't done before but thought it was really interesting, and the whole process taught me a lot about my working style.
Did you complete a placement year/study abroad/summer internship during your time at Newcastle?
I completed a placement year as part of my undergraduate course, for which I also worked at IBM in our South Bank offices. I was part of the European Sales and Distribution team and worked in the talent management space, mostly focused on learning and development and performance management for the tech sellers.
During my placement I started building my network and learnt more about consulting at IBM and what graduates typically do. From that, I knew I wanted to become a Consultant after graduation and having worked at IBM, I knew the organisational culture here would be a good fit for me to start my career.
What extra-curricular activities or societies were you involved with during your time here?
During my years at Newcastle University, I was heavily involved in Enactus, which is a society that helps vulnerable people via social enterprise. Most notably, I led a project in Rwanda advising and supporting a local cooperative in producing and selling environment friendly sanitation products, and managed the operations of the society. This included everything from marketing to member recruitment and development, to managing external and university stakeholder relationships, as well as commercial projects.
How do you see future technologies and new ways of working (future of work) affecting your sector?
Working at IBM I am at the forefront of tech innovations and I am excited about how Blockchain, Cloud and AI are disrupting our ways of working. Even with my focus on talent strategies, there are unlimited opportunities to better engage and manage talent, for example the use of AI in candidate selection and performance assessment to avoid unconscious bias or using cognitive technologies to develop personalised learning.
Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
What a difficult question, particularly for consultants who usually don't even know what project they will be on next!
Try lots of different things to find out what you enjoy doing and take the time to reflect. Don't be afraid to admit something isn't a good fit for you.