Tell us about yourself, where you’re from and what you studied in college
My name is Erica Dowling, and I am from Dublin. By way of background, I graduated from Technological University Dublin with a first-class honour’s degree in logistics and supply chain management in 2021 and in the following year I obtained a master’s degree in project management, from Smurfit Business School, UCD.
What attracted you to the grad programme?
I was originally attracted to the Vodafone Graduate Programme as I had always planned on starting my professional journey through a graduate programme, within the communications sector. This was a sector which always interested me due to its continuous growth, its level of technology innovation, along with multiple career path opportunities. I feel that graduate programmes provide a very strong career foundation in helping to prepare for future roles, in a supportive environment. For example, it provides an opportunity to try new things and learn from your own mistakes, whilst receiving mentoring support.
What is the graduate programme like?
The graduate programme consists of two 9-month rotations, which can be in any one of the eight company departments. I have had an amazing experience in both rotations, where I was warmly welcomed by both of my rotation teams. I have received a lot of responsibility in both roles, including developing premium products and services, as well as organising an internal commercial launch for a new highly innovative product. As part of the programme, graduates are also encouraged to get involved in wider company activities to enable us to discover and develop our interests, as well as build on our CVs.
How important is mentorship to you?
Mentorship is extremely important to me as I like to learn from the best. It is a very collaborative workplace which enables everyone (not just grads) to work and learn from each other. I’m very appreciative that even in such a fast-paced work environment, every manager and senior manager I have worked with has offered and provided me with guidance, support, advice, and time.
As part of the graduate programme, we are also encouraged to take on mentoring roles to incoming graduates, transition year students, and interns. This is a great way for us to also showcase some of our own learnings and provide some advice we might have wished we had received sooner.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
In the next five years, I see myself growing within Vodafone by taking on new challenges and expanding my skillset. I am interested in learning more about sustainability. In addition, I plan to seek out opportunities to collaborate with teams and gain a deeper understanding of their operations.
What’s your advice to graduates applying to the programme?
My best advice to those applying is to think about where you would like your career to take you and if Vodafone’s mission and key pillars are aligned with your goals. The next step is to be prepared, open minded and be ready to learn.
