We spoke to graduate Chloe Muir about life on the Falkirk Council graduate scheme. Chloe is working in a communications role with the Roads and Grounds team.
What did you think it would be like working for a council?
I wasn't sure what to expect but thought it would be challenging and quite daunting.
What did you imagine you would be doing?
Coming into the Council as a graduate without experience working in Roads & Grounds, I didn't think I'd be given much responsibility. I thought I would be shadowing others and helping them with their projects.
I knew that it would be very challenging having to learn how a council operates due to the vast number of services it offers and that a large amount of my time would be getting to grips with that.
How has the reality differed?
I've been a valued team member from day one. My team and management have always welcomed any ideas I've had and encouraged me to get involved, giving me a lot of responsibility including managing and rolling out a community engagement project. Any time I've needed advice, support or guidance it has always been available.
I've also been encouraged to develop my skills and have attended social media training and video making workshops. Because the service is frontline and reactive, it means the working environment is very fast paced so no two days are the same which I really enjoy.
What projects have you worked on?
I helped run a competition with local primary schools to name Falkirk Council's gritters and was involved in a social media campaign to promote the newly named gritters. This was part of a bigger project, to launch a new online interactive winter maintenance map allowing the public to track where our gritters are on the road.
I have also managed my own community engagement project, the Winter Warden Initiative, which encourages and offers support to local communities to self-help when there is snow and ice.
Chloe has been involved in several big projects with the Roads and Grounds team
How has the graduate position helped you?
Because I engage with a number of different people from various sectors and backgrounds on a daily basis my confidence has increased as has my ability to communicate with others. I am able to organise my workload and prioritise to meet changing demands. Having the opportunity to collaborate with others has also meant I've learned a lot from them.
Has your degree helped you and in what way?
My degree gave me the basic skills needed to enter the workplace and my job has allowed me to put these skills into practice and develop them further. As part of my dissertation, I investigated community engagement which is an important aspect of my graduate position - helping to improve how the Council communicates with the public.
Would you recommend the graduate scheme and why?
Yes! The scheme is excellent, offering hands on experience allowing you to develop your skill set. The Council also provide its employees with so many opportunities that I wasn’t aware of until I started my job, for example further professional training and skill development.
Anything else to add?
A career with the Council opens so many doors. Because the Council provides a vast range of services, if you are interested in an area there's always a chance you could get involved. I am interested in resilience and climate change and got to bring my dog to work so they could be involved in a resilience campaign!
The Falkirk Council graduate scheme is open until 25 April 2021. There are ten posts available in areas like finance, communications, engineering and planning.