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James Shaw
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Commercial Graduate
Name:
James Shaw
Job title:
Commercial Graduate
Employer:
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP)
Qualification:
First Class Honours in International Business Management with Spanish
Salary Range:
£30,000
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Describe your job in 20-25 words.
- My role as a CCEP Commercial Graduate, revolves around visiting and actively engaging with a number of diverse outlets implementing effective sales strategies tailored to specific accounts.
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Give a description of a day in the life of a Commercial graduate.
- As a Commercial Graduate I have the opportunity to experience 4 rotations over four years allowing me to gain experience of the organisation and to integrate myself into the business. In my first rotation as a sales rep, my day often begins with an online team meeting, followed with customer visits using a structured plan. Also engaging and building relationships, promoting offers, introducing new products, and checking our product range.
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After you qualified, did it take long to find a job? How did you end up in this job?
- I applied for several job opportunities early on in my final year of university, with each process differing slightly in style depending on role. The CCEP application was straight forward, requiring my CV and some background information on education, then if successful onto the selection process. After progressing through the video interview stage, I was then invited to the assessment centre at CCEP Headquarters in Uxbridge, where I was required to prepare a presentation, undertake a competency-based interview, and complete a group task. This was followed up with a Field Day exercise and a final presentation. All sounds so intense but looking back each stage was an enjoyable challenge.
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What advice would you give to someone thinking of pursuing this career?
- Apply and seize the chance. This is a great opportunity to become part of a global organisation. Familiarise yourself with the organisation and its brand and take a proactive approach to understand market trends in the FMCG business. Have confidence in yourself and your abilities, develop strong communication skills, be resilient, adaptable, and customer focused. Demonstrate enthusiasm for the brand and strive for continuous improvement.
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Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
- I have an interest in Strategy and Revenue Growth and possibly making use of my foreign language skills and working overseas. My goals are to advance within the company, deepen my understanding of the industry and engage in cross-functional projects. I aim to take on roles with increasing responsibilities, potentially specialising in a specific area with long-term aspirations to hold a leadership position within CCEP, contributing to the company's strategic objectives and sustainability initiatives.
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If you could give your 16-year-old self some career advice, what would it be?
- My advice would be to keep calm and remain focussed, take a proactive career planning approach and to not limit myself, explore various fields and seek work experience for practical insights. Emphasise continuous learning, be adaptable, and acquire new skills through hobbies, interests, or further education. To acknowledge setbacks and uncertainties as natural parts of the journey and embrace challenges, learn from failures, and stay resilient.
