My name is Xiaobo Zhang, and I am one of the Finance graduates in Batch 2022. I have finished my first rotation in Group Financial Controlling, and I am currently part of the Group Treasury team. The past 9 months have been great and more than I could ever expect. Starting a full-time job is not always easy but I am happy that I chose to experience it with Demant. Therefore, in this blog I tried to write down a few ideas that I think would be helpful for prospective graduates or simply someone who wants to know more about being a graduate.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for resources

  Since the first day I joined Demant, I was told there are never stupid questions. Here at Demant, everyone I meet is always willing to help and offer materials and resources. There are different events and training courses held for graduates both by the company and former graduates, where we get to learn not only management skills but also professional skills. Within the department I have also received so much help and different kind of learning materials that I think I will benefit from it for a lifetime.

   

• Dare to try

  In every rotation, there are a lot of new challenges which I have never faced before. There are also things that I have learnt in school but never got to put in practice. At Group financial controlling, I got the chance to join the year-end process for the first time. At Group Treasury, I am currently part of an automation project for our financial system. These things were all new to me when I started. Today when I look back, I am really glad I accepted these challenges, as they are the experiences that taught me the most. It is not only a process of personal development, but also a process to learn about teamwork and gaining trust from colleagues.

   

• Ask for feedback

  For me it is always important to know how I am performing in my role and whether I am going in the right direction with my tasks. As graduates, we can not only have 1-to-1 conversations with our host manager and go-to manager, but also with Carolin (Graduate Programme Manager) and talent acquisition consultants. Feedback from different perspectives gives me a better understanding of my career path, my strengths and weaknesses, the company culture, the business and so many other things.

   

• Invest in relationships

  Another advantage of being in the graduate programme is that all the graduates work in different areas. Every second month we have a forum where all graduates are invited to share their experience and gain insight about each other’s working field. I really enjoy it because it gives me the chance to learn about new areas outside Finance. Former graduates who have finished the programme and are still working in Demant also join, so we also get a chance to hear how things go after the graduate programme. We also arrange social events after work and get to know each other better outside work. I really appreciate it since meeting all these nice people  made the beginning  way easier for me as an international.

   

• Embrace changes

One of the distinctive features of being a graduate is that our role changes every once in a while, depending on the track (every six or eight months). This means that at some point, as a graduate we join a new team that we are not that familiar with as we move to new areas or new responsibilities. At the beginning of each rotation, there might be a transition period, and it is not always easy. Being a graduate has taught me to stay positive and embrace the changes. Sharing my experience with my buddy and peer graduates also inspired me and helped me a lot during the transitions. 

To sum up, it has been a great journey working as a graduate in Demant so far. Feel free to reach out if you have any question regarding the finance track, the graduate programme or the work life at Demant.

Xiaobo Zhang