The First Month At Fairgrove

How did you hear about Fairgrove and what stood out about the firm?

I found out about Fairgrove on my University’s online careers portal. Fairgrove’s job description really caught my attention among pages of similar companies specifying very particular job requirements, such as a narrow range of accepted degree subjects; instead, Fairgrove focused on the skills and interests applicants should have. After doing more research into the company, I was really excited by the idea of working for a boutique consultancy experiencing high growth, as I could imagine the sense of achievement and motivation that would come with contributing to the progress of a business. The diversity of projects they undertake was also a large positive driver for me, as the last thing I wanted was a boring, monotonous start to my career! A quick scroll through Fairgrove’s LinkedIn page definitely sealed the deal – reading about the days out and team development events was great as I had always hoped to work with sociable, fun people.

How have you found your first month at Fairgrove?

My first month at Fairgrove has been busy and extremely enjoyable – the learning curve has been very steep, and I can’t believe how much more I understand about businesses now compared to a month ago. I was put on a project on the final day of our first week after a whirlwind few days of training, and since then I have learnt so much from contributing to the team and putting the skills I observed during training into practice. In just my first few weeks I have produced numerous slides on market drivers and competitive landscapes, led interviews with customers, and participated in meetings with private equity clients. I have also had a great time getting to know my colleagues, particularly at our first social event at Flight Club!

What has surprised you since your start?

I have been really surprised by how much my voice has been heard and valued at Fairgrove at such an early stage. Having spoken to friends in similar jobs and industries, I anticipated that as a new graduate Associate straight out of university I would be expected not to contribute much during company meetings and spend a lot of my day doing tedious tasks that my more experienced colleagues did not have time for. I have been very pleasantly surprised to find that this is not the case! I have been consistently asked for my opinion and feedback, even on non-project aspects related to overall company development, and I feel like my perspective is always heard and my suggestions have been incorporated into project work. Being surrounded by incredibly intelligent people who are interested in what you have to say is such a stimulating environment to be in.

What advice would you give to an applicant?

I would definitely say there is no need to be intimidated by the application process – you are really encouraged to treat interviews as opportunities to find out more about Fairgrove and whether this is the right place for you. I came away from every interview feeling a heightened sense of excitement and certainty that I really wanted to work for this company, so they were definitely positive experiences! The Fairgrove team is also very quick at responding after each stage of the application process compared to most other companies, so this really helped to manage any nerves. Finally – a good cover letter goes a long way!