Meet Bradley about career development
I joined Roche’s Global Procurement team in May 2019 as a Contract Logistics Coordinator and I have gone from strength to strength since. I will admit, when I applied for the role I had only come across Procurement briefly during my study of Economics at school but, with its growing prominence, I could not have joined my new team at a better time…
On reflection, my biggest challenge when starting in Global Procurement was the lack of experience I had coming in to the new role. I found myself in an unfamiliar environment with new colleagues but this is something I need not worry about for long. These initial difficulties were eased with the support of my new colleagues and their appreciation for my youthfulness as I brought fresh ideas into Global Procurement.
This support was most apparent by way of my (then) line manager offering me the chance to embark on a Level 4 CIPS apprenticeship to further my knowledge of Procurement a few months into my role. This was music to my ears. I was enjoying my time in Global Procurement and I got a sense of fulfilment that my work was being rewarded with the news of this opportunity. It was a real confidence boost so I jumped at the chance!
During my apprenticeship I constantly tied the theoretical principles of Procurement to the working day which was always supported by my colleagues. I could rely on their expertise and experience to be able to fill the gaps in my knowledge. These connections are still very valuable today. I will say that balancing work, studies and life was something that I somewhat struggled with at times initially. However, true dedication and a plan from the outset was needed to navigate these challenges but it was never something that fazed me. Moreover, Roche and CIPS allowing me to focus my Monday’s purely on my studies was one way in which time management alleviated any problems, which I can only thank them both for. Therefore, I can confidently say that the work between Roche and CIPS accelerated my progression and directed me on a path to success.
