A day at World Wide Technology's European Headquarters

October was Black History Month, which gave us all the opportunity to celebrate the contribution and achievements that many people, from African, Asian and Caribbean heritage have added to our ‘island story’ throughout time.?

One of our partners, World Wide Technology (WWT), are the largest ethnic minority owned company in the whole of the United States and there really are a lot of huge companies in the US (which is actually 40 times the size of the UK). WWT is a modern technology company that actually fosters a modern outlook and ethos too, it’s a progressive company that has some of the highest ethnic minority hire rates in the country. Forbes have announced them among the top of America’s best diversity employers.

Last month we popped into the European headquarters of World Wide Technology to meet Stacey Kingshott, the Senior HR Director and Dylan Aupetit, a Partner Account Manager. For those that follow us on Instagram you may already have seen the office behind-the-scenes tour (it’s really rather impressive!).?

We actually joined Stacey and Dylan for a staff celebration of the Three Lions bringing it home during the summer - which although was a lovely (and free!) lunch, it actually says a lot about the culture at WWT. Diversity and inclusion isn’t a box ticking exercise for this company, they actually nurture and value individuality and personality for the benefits it brings to a business. Stacey and Dylan both co-lead WWT’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) programme within Europe, the Middle East and Africa (the EMEA).?

Dylan chatted to us about why he ended up working at WWT and how his original goal was to work for a small business, so he could really make a difference and play a key role within a team. Despite WWT having hundreds of employees, Dylan explained it feels like working within a startup as they really value individuality and encourage you to bring all of yourself to work. Individuality being so celebrated feels unusual in the workplace, but it shouldn't be. World Wide Technology achieves such a cohesive workforce that is excited by change, whilst educating its staff throughout the walk of life. It wasn't then surprising to hear that the sense of belonging is one of Dylan’s favourite things about working at WWT!

"Diversity is a key asset to have. D&I isn't just a buzzword here, it has always been here since founding. It’s within our core values and we live and breathe D&I. D&I isn't just a programme, it's who we are."

Dylan’s words of wisdom: "The most important thing as a student is to plan ahead. Whether that is a business plan, a cheat sheet of your skills or a list of the things you need to improve on. By looking at what you want to achieve in life you can break it down into manageable steps on how to get there! And finally, don’t ever be afraid to reach out to your support network and ask for help, reach out for mentors and learn as much as you can."

The purpose of our visit was to finalise the details of the Ohanna and SHADES event we recently hosted with WWT during our Black History Month celebrations. This hugely successful student event, saw some of our brightest Young Professionals attend an evening at the WWT headquarters in London. Students gained insight into professional careers in Technology and heard personal reflections from WWT leaders to inspire their future careers.

I also had a catch-up with Stacey, the Senior HR Director, as recently the Young Professionals team hosted an assessment day for WWT to help them select their next graduate apprentices. The assessment day went really well and several students from the Young Professionals network have been offered places for this year’s intake! Although sadly Stacey said how hard the decision process was because all of the students performed so well on the day.?

Stacey shared some top tips for anyone considering a career with WWT or applying for apprenticeships in the coming weeks - p.s. keep your eyes peeled on our Young Professionals social media pages to make sure you don't miss the application opening date!

Stacey stressed the importance of completing your research on the company you are interested in joining, ultimately you must be able to show you have a genuine interest when meeting your potential employer. At World Wide Technology, personality is so important, they truly care about you as a person and your interests - so Stacey recommends you get your passions across. As the HR Director, Stacey has plenty of interview experiences and said that it's really appealing when they find a candidate that is actually enthusiastic about a hobby, whether that is a sport or debating council, it demonstrates your commitment, shows your personality and also the value you could bring to the team.?

Stacey's final words of wisdom: "Best of luck to you all in your career, there are so many more opportunities available now to you compared to when I was in your position - so seize every opportunity as it comes to you and you will do well."

We know all applications are either now open, or will begin to open in the coming weeks and it can be a really stressful time. But we are here to help and have plenty of great resources on our website to support you on your job-hunting! Good luck our Young Pros.

Young Professionals UK, founded in 2015, are leading school-leavers experts whose mission is to bring better and more vibrant opportunities to students who need them the most. They have already helped thousands of students accelerate their careers with apprenticeship and work experience programs alongside some of the world’s leading companies. To stay tuned for future student or employer opportunities visit?https://young-professionals.uk/?or?https://www.instagram.com/youngprouk?