Vicki - Strategic Partnerships
Where have the last few months gone?! I’m now nearly 3 months into my second rotation, in Strategic Partnerships, and almost half way through the graduate scheme!
As ever, the grad scheme has been fun, interesting and has often taken me out of my comfort zone - never a dull day! The last few months have seen me sieving soil and cutting up nappies (don’t ask!) for outreach events, researching and meeting with companies and charitable trusts for potential partnerships, trying my hand at commercial sales for our Enterprise Plus scheme, and mentoring finalists at our Chemistry World science communication competition in London. I’ve also had the chance to work more closely with the Campaigns team, producing a politics report and daily election updates. Now, for the first time in my life, I think I might actually understand British politics!
My rotation in the Strategic Partnerships team is a new challenge, but a good one. So far it has really helped me expand my knowledge of business, increase my understanding of how and why we partner with other organisations, and gain experience presenting the organisation externally. I’ve worked on several projects in this rotation and there has been a lot of variety. My main project involves producing careers booklets for Irish school students, so much of my time has been devoted to understanding the Irish education system and marvelling at the opportunities they enjoy in their curriculum-free Transition Year! I’ve also been putting the communication skills I learned in my last rotation to good use and have written two more speeches!
Outside my rotation, I’ve been involved with outreach activities in schools and at the Cambridge Science Festival, and in February I wrote my first ever Chemistry World article. I’m also now a fully-fledged member of the RSC badminton club – I’ll be going to my first badminton club curry night in a couple of weeks.
So it’s been another great couple of months with many highlights, including a holiday to New Zealand that I managed to squeeze in back in January! I’m still enjoying life at the RSC and in Cambridge, especially as the warm weather approaches and the punts come out of hibernation...
I’m excited for the summer!
Vicki is a Graduate currently working in the Strategic Partnerships Team on the Royal Society of Chemistry's Graduate Scheme. To see if we are currently recruiting for the RSC Graduate Scheme click here