January 2021 is a strange time for anyone to start a new role, never mind a new graduate. Now being with the team for one month, we caught up with the Shaks and Charlotte, two of our ION Academy Graduates to learn more about their first month.

Hi both, thanks for joining me today. Let’s start with an easy question, can you describe your first month to me in three words.

Shaks: Exciting, informative, and teamwork

Charlotte: Exciting, hands-on, and independent

It has been a strange month to join with the country going back into lockdown, tell us about how it has been?

Charlotte: It has been a strange time to join the company because we have been working from home. Ideally, I would have liked to have been in the office so that I can get to know the team better rather than doing everything through Microsoft Teams. However, the team is making me feel welcome and it will be great to meet everyone properly when we are back in the office.

‍Shaks: It’s been challenging in the sense that I still have not met all the team and I felt unsure how my first few weeks as a new graduate starter would play out. Luckily, I have a fantastic team and line manager that gave me a plan of action for my induction and training to help me get settled in.

Can you tell us what you have been up to in the first month?

Shaks: The theme of my first month has been introductions and training. On my first day, I had an induction with the team, who instantly made me feel welcome and a part of the ION family. Then I got started with a training program which has included completing several Salesforce and FinancialForce accounting training modules.

Charlotte: The focus during my first month at ION was also around training, which was conducted using Trailhead, which is the training platform for Salesforce. This stood apart from the usual training you would endure when starting a new job as you can earn badges for different modules which I found very encouraging! Similar to Shaks, ION focused on making sure I fit in with the team and had the opportunity to meet everyone despite starting during a national lockdown. It involved several meetings with my fellow colleagues as part of the induction, allowing me to learn about their different roles.

Looking ahead to the next 3 months, what are the main activities you will be undertaking?

Shaks: My objectives for the next 3 months focus on training in FinancialForce Accounting to develop my skillset, so that I can be hands-on in configuring the system and adding value to ION. In this time, I am also hoping to be able to settle back into the office to meet and work alongside my colleagues whilst learning more about ION as a company.

Charlotte: Similar to Shaks, we will be focusing a lot on training. As a recent graduate, there is a lot to learn for my data analyst role around applying different technologies and API solutions. I’m also looking forward to getting to work more closely with the wider team on some big projects.  

What advice would you give to any new graduates looking to join the ION team?

Shaks: The advice I would give to new graduates would be that ION is a great company to help you kickstart your career. They are focused on providing you with extensive training that will open future career opportunities for you, whilst gaining hands-on experience performing real-lifeday to day tasks in a fast-growing organisation. ION will provide you with an excellent level of training in cutting edge technology and open opportunities for you.

Charlotte: My advice to new graduates would just be yourself, everyone on the team is friendly and will make you feel instantly welcome and part of the ION family. I have felt comfortable asking any questions or for additional support as the team at ION is always more than happy to help. I would also advise that you have a pre-understanding of both your personal and career goals as ION will be willing to help you achieve these.

Thank you guys great to have you as part of the ION team.

We are currently recruiting for new graduates to join our ION Academy and for other roles within the ION team. Visit our careers page for more information.

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