Graduate and Internship Coaching

Good, Better, Best You. Transform your graduate and internship programmes through my graduate coaching.

As a graduate coach, I love working with graduates as they have energy, enthusiasm and can be very entertaining! Their energy just needs to be harnessed and channelled for winning results.

Typically, many large global companies offer graduate programs and internships around the world.

There needs to be a mutual relationship between graduate and employer. Graduates are attracted to opportunity, having responsibility, developing their skills and gaining experience. The employer can attract top talent and build a talent pipeline. This is a great way for any business to diversify its workforce and can be effectively implemented through the use of a graduate coach.

This can be an overwhelming time where issues, complexities, challenges and rewards are all part of the learning process, and this is where I come in.

As any SMME or corporate will know, running a graduate program is an investment. There is training and development across the business where candidates are exposed to real-time clients and projects.

You want to make sure there is a Return On Investment by:

Partnering with a coach is a great way to support the business & graduates/interns by making sure personal and professional development is at the core of the program.

Coaching Allows Space For:

Environment exploration
Expectation management
Goal setting in alignment with KPI’s and business
Team dynamic and diversity exploration
Change management
Stress management
Accountability and adaptability
Survive to Thrive within the corporate space

The program manager will have someone to support them from the onset and throughout.

Potential + Opportunity = Performance

Lauren Wortmann

Solutions Executive for South East Territory at Dimension Data

As stakeholders of the TAP program, did you find it beneficial to have coaching support for the graduates?

Yes absolutely. It was really valuable to us and the TAP team to have someone neutral and trustworthy to talk to where the graduates could share concerns and coping strategies.

Did you find the feedback report useful and how will you use that feedback moving forward?

The feedback report was valuable to read and reflect on as well as put into context some of the challenges and anxiety facing the team. It provided valuable insights to addressing common concerns without impacting confidentiality.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Carly built fantastic rapport with the TAP team and was able to help them work through some of the challenges and anxiety they are facing in a practical way.

As stakeholders of the TAP program, did you find it beneficial to have coaching support for the graduates?

Having independent coaching as part of the program is a key element to its overall success, this is especially true when considering the remote nature of work under COVID-19. The various stages of lockdown and isolation caused new difficulties for our intern team caused by home circumstances and added emotional stress. The coaching approach allowed us the opportunity to identify these challenges and through the Coach provide practical advice on how to manage these.

Did you find the feedback report useful and how will you use that feedback moving forward?

The reports provided a source of valuable information on areas where we need to adapt our approach while still maintaining the confidence and trust relationship with the team.

Anything else you’d like to add?

The Coaching approach is an integral part of our program and provides a safe channel to assess the well-being of the team.

Chris Wiggett

Head of Digital Automation, Digital Advisory, Dimension Data

Interested in Graduate or Internship Coaching?

Still Have Questions about Graduate or Internship Coaching?

Please note:

Blue Sky Coaching specifically works with graduates who are already placed within a graduate program. We do not offer job recruitment, CV assistance or interview practice.

Once the graduate is hired, Blue Sky Coaching can assist with job performance and career progression.

What is a graduate coach?

A graduate coach can work internally as part of the business, or be contracted in. The main role is to partner with graduates, who are usually employed within a Graduate Program, to help them develop personally and professionally. The graduate coach will most likely work with the Learning & Development Team to understand business goals and workplace rotations to support the graduates through their journey. A coaching development program assists the graduates in sticking to defined goals and identifying growth areas. This is separate to defined KPI’s (key performance indicators) which are more job specific and linked to role delivery.

What can I expect from a graduate coaching session?

Each session is designed and delivered with the unique individual in mind. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach even though the graduate is part of a corporate program. The aim is to help the graduate build awareness as to how they think, feel and behave, and how that lens of their world will either help them or hold them back within the corporate environment. Communication and support are key coaching components. The graduates have to build their brand within the business and deliver on expectations and workload. Coaching is a wonderful space that offers support and accountability to boost learning and development.

What is the difference between graduate coaching and life coaching?

A coach will ultimately bring life coaching into a graduate coaching engagement as life inside and outside of work will have an impact on the individual’s development. There is a big focus on work\life balance these days because of our ‘always-on’ lifestyle. This is a crucial coaching conversation to have with a client within a graduate program as they put pressure on themselves to excel and perform. Extra-mural activities, hobbies, exercise, friendship circles, rest and relaxation all help to bring balance in times of stress. The key is to help the graduate uncover their recipe for success, learning and growth both inside and outside the business.