Crafting your Future Career with Brewdog

Brewdog was founded in 2007 and since then they have become a market leader in cutting-edge beer, restaurants, and bars. They are renowned for their chilled out and community focused culture.

I spent an afternoon at DogTap, their distillery in Ellon, speaking to people of various roles in the business - Head of Distillation Stephen Kersley, 'The Job Whisperer' Nicolle Sinclair, 'Brewcruiter' Alex Mair, 'The Helmsman' Mark Dalgarno, and Recruitment Resourcer Bex Hislop. Here's what Brewdog had to say...

     1. Which degrees/qualifications do you look for candidates to have?

Brewdog don't offer graduate schemes, however, they welcome candidates from many different backgrounds if they fit the job description and company culture. There is a huge emphasis on there being no set path to end up working with Brewdog. If it's brewing and distilling you're interested in then a degree in chemistry or engineering points you in the right direction. Heriot-Watt offer a Brewing and Distilling BSc and there are various other qualifications you can attain which are very tailored to the skills required for a job at DogTap. 

However, the main focus is on passion points and to have a love for the process. If you're innovative, creative, and experimental and love brewing you own beer at home, you'd fit in with the team - Stephen, Head of Distillation, summed it up as requiring a "relentlessly curious" personality and drive.

     2. What makes an exceptional employee?

Someone who is exposed to the Brewdog way - they know the language, they have a passion for the brand, and they have a willingness and aptitude to learn. If they have a degree and experience in the field, then great! But if they are proactive, self-driven and have great social skills then they will stand out. It's these extras on top of a degree that make a person a great employee, said Nicolle, Global Head of Talent.

     3. What impact do graduates have on your business?

They have a huge positive influence as they aren't pigeon holed in the business. Employees are given their own PDP and use this to their benefit as they can set their targets for the next job role they want, and move there at their own pace. 

The local outreach programme that Brewdog undertake in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire (Ellon Academy, RGU, Aberdeen University, etc) gives back to the community but also allows Brewdog to attain the insight of fresh minds and innovative young thinking.

     4. Which elements do graduates find most challenging?

The business is always modernising and changing, so it's sometimes hard for new recruits to keep up. Brewdog doesn't have the "it's not broken, so why fix it" mentality. They don't play safe and always strive to innovate and change the way the business works for the better. There's also a high expectancy to perform, with a "have your shit together" mindset, says Mark.

     5. Why should a candidate chose your business as their grad job?

Recruiter, Bex, had a very personalised path as she began at Brewdog part-time whilst completing her schooling at Ellon Academy. She says that the Brewdog culture is so unique and inspiring - it's a "Monday is the best day of the week" type employer and they offer many great benefits for their employees. Alex, who is also a recruiter, says that the company is so mission-led and they are sincerely a good employer that the staff feel proud to work for. 

Find out more about Jobs at Brewdog here

Do you have a future in Academia?

Head of Aberdeen Business School at RGU, Professor Elizabeth Gammie, talks about choosing academia as your potential graduate route.

       1) Which degrees/qualifications do you look a candidate to have?

We usually look for applicants to have a PhD or be in the process of writing up their PhD. The PhD topic is usually related to the area that they have applied to teach in. For example, if you have applied for a lecturing post in Entrepreneurship, then we would expect the PhD to be in Entrepreneurship. The subject matter for the first degree us less relevant. 

        2) What makes an exceptional employee?

Someone who is well rounded, can deliver well prepared material, and who the students relate to and enjoy their classes. Alongside publishing good quality research papers and attracting research funding. What really determines exceptional performance is someone who is a proactive employee, constantly striving to improve what they do and what the School does, who innovates and is creative in their thinking.

        3) What impact do graduates have within your business?

Staff are the lifeblood of a university and all employees have a significant role to play in delivering on both our teaching and academic commitments.

        4) Which elements do graduates find most challenging?

Probably standing up in front of a large class and keeping their attention. The first year is incredibly challenging as the preparation time for lecture material always takes much longer than expected.

        5) Why should a candidate chose academia as their grad career?

It is challenging but incredibly rewarding career. There are also lots of opportunities for career progression. Making a difference to young people's lives by inspiring and empowering them to reach their full potential is very gratifying. There is also lots of variety - no day is ever the same. It is very flexible in terms of workload with lots of opportunities to work at home and also travel. For example, this year I have been to Las Vegas, Kenya, New York, Mexico, and I am going to China soon! 

Introduction

Are you a student ready to graduate in the near future? If so, I'm sure you have thought about future prospects and graduate jobs. 

I want to discover the ins and outs of graduate recruitment in order to understand exactly what happens once we leave education. I hope to help my future self and anyone else that needs advice when it comes to applying for these opportunities.

In each blog post I will interview a different business on what they look for when recruiting graduates as well as asking about what their own graduate opportunities entail. I aim to approach companies from a wide range of industry sectors to gather as much information as possible. Each business will be asked the same 5 questions:

1. Which degrees/qualifications do you look for a candidate to have?
2. What makes an exceptional employee at your firm/what are standout qualities?
3. What impact do graduates have within your business?
4. Which elements do graduates find most challenging?
5. Why should a candidate chose your business as their grad job?

Feel free to let me know through the comments section if there's a business you want to hear from!