Expectations and Challenges
I was lucky to go to a very good state school which encouraged me to pursue my interests, but it wasn’t until I went to university that I realised that having the right networks and experiences brought enormous value. I went to the University of Bristol: a university with a reputation of having a privileged student body. I was the only non-private schooler on my corridor of 12 and had friends who, for example, interned at Goldman Sachs in New York because their uncle was a Director.
I also studied Economics, which meant I was surrounded by coursemates who defined success by which tier of bank or consultancy they received offers from. A common denominator of this environment was an expectation, confidence and assumption that everything would be alright and getting a top corporate job was inevitable. Despite this, I wasn’t put off and started seeking out corporate grad schemes. But I still felt disadvantaged when competing against those who seemed to have the right networks and experiences from an early age.
An Alternative Route
My whole perspective changed once I discovered Jumpstart, which provides people with an alternative path: into start-ups. At start-ups, you are judged on your proactivity and enthusiasm for making an impact – rather than the opportunities you’ve been offered through your network. This has helped me to see that the start-up world is where I belong. Everyone wants to build something great and innovative, rather than trying to fit the mould. It often feels like some grad schemes are outdated and slow down graduate progression; at start-ups, I feel like I get the opportunities and responsibility needed to accelerate.
“It often feels like some grad schemes are outdated and slow down graduate progression; at start-ups, I feel like I get the opportunities and responsibility needed to accelerate.”
People with a state-school background should apply to start-ups (and Jumpstart!) as you will have more space to thrive without the constraints found in the corporate system. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found my way into an early-stage start-up and I encourage more graduates to challenge the conventional corporate routes.
