Vodafone Graduate Programme: Meet The Technology Graduate

Applications for the Vodafone Graduate Programme are open once more, so we wanted to find out just what the Vodafone Graduate Programme is all about from people who have experienced it.

Laura Corbett went through the technology stream of the graduate programme, having studied General Science in Trinity College. Laura spent the last two years of her course specialising in Physics and Astrophysics.

The Allure of Vodafone

Laura joined Vodafone as a summer intern before her final year in Trinity, with Laura choosing to join Vodafone due to "the strides the company were making in technology" at the time.

She also found that there were opportunities aplenty to gain more experience within Vodafone, which was another bonus.

Laura also wanted to experience the multi-faceted nature of the telecommunications industry. She wanted the dual exposure of "the customer-facing and the business sides of a technology company".

The Roles Undertaken

Both of Laura's rotations in the graduate programme were based in the technology department. Within the first rotation, Laura started in Project Management and IT as a scrum master and agile coach.

In her second rotation, she worked within the strategy and planning team, "mainly looking at monitoring and analytics of fixed-line services".

According to Laura, "you don't need to come from technology background" like her to work on the tech grad programme. If that tickles your fancy, you can fall into a number of areas in technology including big data, IT and network and digital.

The Extra-Curricular Activities Of Working For Vodafone

Laura likens the company to a "college campus" and as a graduate, you're encouraged to do as much as possible.

The activities are varied, with Laura mentioning "sports and social clubs to the choir to classes in the gym, even to talks, seminars and panel discussions".

As for Laura, the graduate programme has given her the opportunity to get involved in the women's network which "includes youth outreach programmes and opportunities to gain mentorship and support from leading women in technology".

Laura also got involved with Vodafone's charity partners and the choir whilst in the grad programme.

The Highlights Thus Far

For Laura, the highlights of her tenure have simply been the people she's encountered in the company.

"What's excellent about Vodafone is that it has a culture of people who want you to succeed, learn more and become experienced in the areas you're interested in".

Also, for Laura, having a group of graduates that are in the same boat as you coming in as a support network is simply "lovely".