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10 Aug 2006 15:04:48
The competition in the graduate job market can be tough, but a Luton graduate has been demonstrating that she’s got what it takes after being hired by a national translation company, before she had taken her final exams.
Divjyot Kaur Budhiraja, who has just completed an MSc in International Business and Management, was recruited by Bradford-based ABF Services Ltd, to work as a translator for a court case in the Punjab, India.
The appointment was made thanks to the team at the University’s Job Shop, which is regularly approached by employers to find suitable students for placements, one-off jobs and permanent employment after graduation.
“When I got the call from the Job Shop to say that ABF wanted to appoint me for this assignment, I was thrilled,” said the 25-year-old graduate. “I’m aware how tough it is to secure employment before graduation so I jumped at the chance to go to India.”
The all expenses-paid trip, with five-star accommodation plus a generous salary, gave Divjyot, who originally comes from the Punjab, the chance to put her language and business skills to the test.
In recent years, ABF has offered various translating and interpreting jobs around the UK to students via the Job Shop, but this is the first international assignment that has been made available to students.
“ABF needed somebody who could read, write and speak in Gurmukhi Punjabi, so we put the call out to our students,” said Job Shop Manager, Priya Chauhan. “We advertised the position online, on notice boards, and an e-mail was sent to all students. As soon as we met Divjyot, we knew she was the perfect candidate.”
Divjyot, who studied a degree in Business Studies before coming to Luton, said: “As part of the selection process ABF asked me to translate text into Gurmukhi Punjabi. I obviously did well because I was offered the job within two days!”
The court case was originally based in Luton but because most of the witnesses were in Punjab, the case had to take place in India. Divjyot's main responsibility was to take statements from all the witnesses, working closely with the case solicitor.
ABF Manager, Ashi Iqbal, said: “We were really pleased with Divjyot’s work – the project was very successful. She proved to be hardworking, trustworthy and hugely ambitious. We’ve used the Job Shop on previous occasions and have always been impressed with the calibre of candidates.”
The experience has made Divjyot think about her future. “I enjoyed it so much that I have decided to go into law,” she said. “I’m not only grateful to ABF for allowing me to work with them on this assignment, but for also giving me an insight into a career that I hadn’t previously considered.
“I hope that both employers and students realise the important role the Job Shop plays in matching up the right candidate with the right job. I hope my experience will encourage more people to do so,” she added.
To find out more about the Job Shop, call Priya Chauhan on 01582 743426 or visit www.beds.ac.uk/jobshop.
Latest news» 2006» Aug» Graduate gets a head start in job market with international post
