How does Grayce prepare you for your first client assignment?

Grayce Analyst, Abbas Shamshudin shares how Grayce has set him up for success in his first client role.

According to Milkround's Candidate Compass 2020 report, only 15% of respondents feel fully prepared for the workplace. At Grayce, we equip our graduates with the skills, tools, professional network and wellbeing support to go into their role with confidence to drive their own development from day one.

Here we chat to new Analyst, Abbas about the support he's received when starting the Grayce graduate Development Programme and how it's enabled him to hit the ground running for his first client assignment.

My client assignment

My current assignment is working as a Project Analyst within Global Payment Solutions at a leading payments organisation. I am working on consolidating the clients’ reporting processes for Alternate Payment Methods (APMs) following recent acquisitions and mergers. I will use this data to conduct a financial impact analysis of Brexit and make recommendations on where the client should expand their current offerings vs. where they could reduce them.

Starting a new role remotely

Starting at Grayce remotely has been a novel experience for me, one which was made comfortable and seamless by the rest of the Grayce community. Despite not being able to meet face to face, I have had lots of people reaching out over email, Microsoft Teams, and Linkedin to introduce themselves and make sure I had all the help I needed.

I also received daily check in calls in my first two weeks from my Delivery Manager to ensure everything was going smoothly with the client. It’s great to have this kind of support structure in place where there was always someone who could answer any questions I had.

Getting up to speed quickly

Before my first day on client site, I was given a pack of resources that outlined the role I would be in, different tools and techniques that would prove useful in this role, and detailed information about the client; including their history, and the work that they were currently doing across the business. This allowed me to have a preliminary understanding of the business which I could then build on in order to get up to speed quickly.

Mobilisation training

Grayce Mobilisation training in my first week was really useful in ensuring I was prepared for my new role. The 2-day course was key in making sure I was aligned to Grayce values and covered a range of roles, methodologies, and tools that I might come across. Having that level of basic understanding going into a role meant I could make the connections between what I had learned and what I saw. It was also great to meet other Grayce Analysts and build friendships with people outside of your client organisations.

Grayce buddies & mentors

On my first day, I was assigned a Grayce buddy and a mentor both working at the same client as me. Especially during a time when it’s a bit more difficult to ask questions to your colleagues, having these two resources in addition to everyone else whom I could ask as many questions as needed about access, acronyms and anything else proved invaluable in allowing me to add value for the client from day one.

At Grayce, we understand that starting a new role - especially your first professional role - can be a daunting experience, particularly when job hunting in the COVID-19 economy. That's why we support everyone in our community as people and as professionals.

Along with the professional support that Abbas has mentioned, we also have an Employee Assistance Programme, a 24/7 confidential service that provides dedicated wellbeing support. We're proud to offer graduates a holistic experience that gives them the hands-on experience, professional tools and emotional support to reach their potential.

Find out more about how Grayce supports leading organisations nationwide