What do you love about Bristol?
Charlotte Wheeler
Bristol is a great city, there’s always something going on – it’s full of great events, music and food. I love it for its mix of people and cultures and because of the green spaces - The Downs, Brandon Hill, Ashton Court, to name a few.
Ayo Anibaba
The community. Bristol’s a city that is enriched in cultural and historical significance – the murals, art, and activism of the city speaks for itself.
Alex Lambert
Bristol is a great city, there’s always something going on – it’s full of great events, music and food. I love it for its mix of people and cultures and because of the green spaces - The Downs, Brandon Hill, Ashton Court, to name a few.
What can you do outside of work?
Charlotte Wheeler
There are opportunities outside work. From volunteering to sports clubs to the board games society there is something for everyone. I play netball with the HL team weekly and each Friday we go for drinks after work.
Thomas Collett
I’m part of the HL running club who run every Thursday along the Harbourside as well as the 5-a-side football on Monday’s. There’s also a number of volunteering opportunities you can get involved with throughout the year, as HL give you two days’ paid leave each year that you can use towards this.
How are you supported on the scheme?
Charlotte Wheeler
Each graduate is given a coach and a mentor. A coach will work with you closely to create a personalised career plan, develop your skills and set goals in order to find a role that’s right for you. A mentor is really valuable for providing guidance, emotional support, and acting a role modelling to guide you through the scheme.
Claire Geekie
Through your fellow grads, and the grad alumni, your mentor and coach you get started with strong support system to help you out. The culture at HL is very supportive, and people are always willing to help and offer guidance when needed.
Thomas Collett
Not only will you have an assigned coach and mentor for the 2 years but you’ll also have a cohort of older graduates that you can lean on for guidance when you need it. Each rotation you go into you’ll have a line manager that will be able to assist with your day to day work. Support is not something you’ll find you’re short of at any point.
Are you involved in anything else outside your rotations?
Charlotte Wheeler
Yes, You’ll work on projects alongside your rotations, giving you the opportunity to take ownership, use your business knowledge and network to create great outcomes. You’ll also have the chance to complete professional qualifications.
Alex Lambert
HL give you two days’ paid leave each year for volunteering. In both years on the Grad Scheme, I’ve got involved with projects that mentor young adults. In my first year, I worked with Envision, where we helped children from a local school raise money for a charity of their choice and then prepare and deliver an Apprentice-style pitch to a panel of judges. In my second year, I worked on the Bright Sparks programme with the Bristol Sport Foundation, which uses the values and ethics of rugby to engage and inspire young people identified as being at risk of permanent exclusion, anti-social behaviour and potential imprisonment.
Ayo Anibaba
We have various Network Groups at HL, each with their own range of activities and ways to contribute to life at HL. As a member of the Cultural Diversity Group, I’ve been able to speak with Directors and leaders at HL about improving diversity at HL, something I’m passionate about. It’s been a great platform for me to take the initiative on important issues and drive some positive change here.
Why did you choose HL?
Claire Geekie
I had a good idea of where I wanted to end up but wasn’t entirely sure so I liked the opportunity to rotate around the business and to be able to shape those rotations based on my interests, skills and the value I could add.