Selan's success story: Securing a graduate role at Mott MacDonald

Selan is a Psychology graduate from Royal Holloway University of London. She secured a role as a Graduate Project Manager in Social Infrastructure at Mott MacDonald in London, through Bright Network.  

First, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

“I could never decide what I wanted to be growing up, but I knew that I wanted a career that would help people and benefit society.

Growing up with Asian immigrant parents, university was always a goal for them but also for me, as it was a way I could have dedicated time to learn and find out what I wanted to do while being supported financially and gaining a qualification. I’m very grateful that my degree gave me the opportunity to find where my interests truly lie.”

What was the application process like?

“Two things that surprised me about the application process were how human it was and how they were genuinely open to people from other related disciplines.

Initially, I worried that I wasn’t going to succeed in my application, as I was applying to an engineering consultancy with a Psychology degree, so I was surprised to learn I wasn’t automatically rejected and that my degree actually helped me get in.”

How did you prepare for the  application process?

“To prepare for Mott MacDonald, I spent a lot of time reading their website and learning about the projects they had completed. I also learnt about their DEI policies and latest developments.

By knowing the kinds of projects Mott MacDonald was working on, along with the policies they had in place, I was able to answer the interview questions easily and ask questions that actually related to Mott MacDonald.”     

How did Bright Network help you secure your role?

“Bright Network recommended roles that would suit my interests and enabled me to keep track of my applications as I applied, so I never missed any deadlines for different stages of the application process.

Bright Network’s FESTIVAL also helped me see what different companies were looking for and it was helpful to have the chance to meet the careers teams to learn the vibe of each company.”

What are you most proud of about your journey?

“One of the biggest challenges for me was trying to break into the corporate world as the first in my generation. My parents are blue-collar workers and the rest of my family live in South Korea, so I didn't have any connections or understanding of how to get jobs in the corporate workspace.

During university, I tried to get as much experience as possible, from volunteering to work experience and lectures, so I feel incredibly proud of the decisions I made and the experiences I took part in to get me here.

Another big challenge in my career journey has been navigating the career space with a chronic illness. Many companies have DEI initiatives or support systems in place for people like me, but they usually only cover the basics. I feel incredibly grateful and happy to have found a career with a flexible and understanding organisation that is committed to being, and proud to be, a Disability Confident employer.”

What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?

“My advice would be to make a spreadsheet to track all your applications, as you’ll be applying to quite a few and they all have different deadlines and processes. I’d recommend organising your applications so you can keep track of where you’re at and who to contact at the company if something goes wrong.

I'd also recommend taking a breath when going through different application stages. When you receive an email, read what the next steps are and take a minute to think about whether something needs to be done immediately. Deadlines can be stressful, but going headfirst into the next step can mean you miss out on something really key.

My best advice is to reflect, reflect, reflect, as without reflection you won’t know what you want to do or how you can improve.”

Tell us about the future. What’s next?

“I'm looking forward to continuing my career development. I'm quite lucky that I've got some time I can dedicate to developing myself in my first year, so I'm looking to start my project management certification process as soon as I can.

I'm also eager to help others like myself get into the corporate world, so I'll be looking to volunteer for the next careers fair as a grad myself!”