Why I applied to become a graduate

Less than one week to go before the application deadline kicks in on February 12, 2012. Many of you have already applied, just as many are probably still working on their applications and some have not yet made up their mind as to whether they want to apply or not. In fact, one year ago I was in that last group, still weighing the pros and cons and trying to figure out if being a graduate would fit my profile. My doubt was not whether I found Novo Nordisk attractive as a company since I had met the company on a few occasions before, but my doubts was more related to if the graduate programme was the right choice for me. At that point I was considering three different career tracks: Investment banking, Management consulting and the “corporate way”. In fact one of my colleagues who is now a 2nd year Corporate Finance graduate was faced with exactly the same dilemma which he shared his thoughts on last year (Link). So why did I end up in the Novo Nordisk Corporate Finance graduate programme?

To be honest, in the beginning of February 2011 I thought it was a bit early to think about where I wanted to work after business school, since I had only just started writing my thesis – a task that seemed pretty much overwhelming at that point. But due to the early application deadline I was forced to go through those tough reflections just like you are now. Having almost completed a master within Finance, which I see as a very narrow line of study, I considered myself destined for a specialized position where I in time could develop to be an expert within my field. That also characterized my way of working through my studies and student jobs; I was used to specialize in whatever I was working with and not stop before I felt I mastered the subject forwards and backwards (needless to say, that did take up a lot a hours). That way of doing things was how I felt most comfortable – it was my safe zone. However, I felt that I needed to find out whether this was really the way for me to go since I had not experienced anything else. I wanted to be put in positions where I didn’t have time to specialize and needed to come up with fast and well-thought solutions. Why? Because I am motivated by challenges and the need to excel. But how should I go about this?

I was certain that my future job should contain some degree of finance, but finance is a broad term so I considered both the world of banking, consulting and corporate life. There were appealing characteristics associated with each of the three options and I really struggled to decide what to go for. Realizing that I did not know where in the finance universe I would find my fit, simply because I hadn’t experienced the vast possibilities, I looked into finance graduate programmes. I found the structure of the programmes ideal, since I would have the opportunity to experience first hand 4 different parts of a global finance organisation. Furthermore 6 months in a department would demand a high level of adaptability combined with a very steep learning curve. Recognizing that this was not my typical way of doing business, I knew that it would definitely push my limits, challenge me and force me out of the comfort zone as Adam shared his insights on (link). Having decided that the graduate approach would benefit me, choosing the right company was not difficult as I already had an interest in Novo Nordisk and knew that the company’s programme was well put together.

So what happened since then? Well, I have soon finished my first rotation in Risk Office. In my next rotation starting March 1, 2012, I will be joining our internal projects department, Finance Projects, where I will get the opportunity to outlive my “consulting” thirst for 6 months in the hands of experienced project managers, many of which are former consultants from the very top consulting companies before joining Novo Nordisk. The following rotation has not yet been decided, but will be based out of a affiliate office abroad. When I return from my rotation abroad I plan on going to Treasury to experience the banking aspect, hedging currency exposures, looking at capital structure and be close to the financial markets. Being a graduate I feel I get to experience the best of all three worlds and eventually find out which way will be my career path after completing the graduate programme.

On the day of last years deadline, only 15 minutes before the window closed, I submitted my application with a peace in mind, certain that this was the right choice for me. So far I have not regret that decision…