Completing my final year of University during the COVID-19 pandemic was, as expected, not without its struggles.
“As social distancing guidelines were introduced onto the university campus in March 2020, ensuring that all learning was to be done remotely and through zoom, the reality that my final year of studying was not going to go as I had originally planned became increasingly real. The lack of interaction was something I initially extremely struggled with, not having face-to-face learning in my most important year at University was a daunting feeling which I’m sure was felt by many across the UK. Like most people around the UK at the time, switching to home learning and working was unfamiliar territory, it was not something I was used to or had experienced before. Nevertheless, my degree was a priority and I had to adjust to how the university wanted to conduct my final year, to be able to focus on achieving the best grade.
My approach to final year was simple. Stay organised. It was difficult to always stay engaged with the content I was learning after hours of back-to-back lectures but staying organised and prepared well in advance of submission deadlines was the key to attaining my final grade. I made a timetable so that I could gradually work on assignments rather than losing interest, panicking, and then picking it up a week before they were due. This seemed to work well for me and enabled me to stay engaged as much with my modules and allowed me to get the best out my assignments. Truthfully, it was my love for HR that kept me focused and my strive for success which paid off when I received my first-class degree in a subject I’m so passionate about.
Finishing University and entering ‘the real world’ was another minefield that I don’t think I was quite prepared for. The pressure to get a job as soon as you submit your final assignment plays on the minds of final year students, myself included. The stigma around going to University and therefore it being easier to get a job, in this climate, I would argue is not true. Hard work and determination in any sense, to go out and hunt for the job that suits you the best, is what leads you to success. For me, this was at Strategi.
HR consultancy grabbed my attention when completing a consultancy module in the second year of my degree. As a leading organisation in the world of HR Consultancy, I had been following Strategi and their successes over the past few years leading up to me joining the team in July when I was appointed People Services Consultant within their HR team. The range of diverse yet complementary services on offer at Strategi is what I believe makes them so unique, operating with people as the main focus across every discipline.
With everything that has happening since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the world of work has changed dramatically with people adapting to the ‘new normal’ and businesses making drastic and permanent changes based off the outcomes. I can’t think of a better time to join the world of HR and begin my career at Strategi with such an amazing, experienced team, eagerly looking forward to making transformative changes to organisations in need of our help.”
Emily Morley, People Services Consultant
