Welcome back to Part 2, everyone! Today, let’s chat about the benefits of rotation programs for post-graduate students and why you should consider these types of opportunities during your job search.

Benefits of Post-Grad Rotation Programs

City Exploration: With many companies still offering full-time remote opportunities or pushing for a return to in-office work, a rotation program in a new city is a great way (or excuse) to push you to explore a different location for a limited amount of time! Especially for those students who don’t yet have a full-time position secured upon graduation, moving away and knowing that there is essentially an “expiration” date for you to reevaluate your goals should provide a huge sense of comfort and is the epitome of… why not?! So, we encourage you to take a deep breath even if you have no plan for your career, and shift your mindset into evaluating a rotation program as a lever toward exploring a variety of interests in roles or locations throughout the U.S…. and beyond!
Career Exploration: In a similar way to how a rotation program may encourage you to try out a completely new environment, this job format may also provide you a chance to explore multiple career paths and try something that you may have never previously considered! Why not go for that accounting, marketing, graphic design, fashion, product development, supply chain, real estate, finance, or any other role that taps into a newfound skill set that you haven’t ever been able to develop in the past?! If you’re itching with discomfort about knowing what you ‘want to do’ forever, don’t fret! That is a completely normal feeling that you can easily tackle while becoming even more experienced. Consider taking a few LinkedIn courses with the downtime you have over school breaks or the summer to preview a variety of fields and skill sets to identify those that leave you feeling inspired.
Networking: Additionally, as rotation programs inherently provide opportunities for participants to rotate throughout companies and organizations, you’ll be immediately set up for networking success! Simply by working on a variety of teams, you’ll be afforded the chance to connect with a variety of different employees, to further evaluate where you are best suited in terms of team culture, skills, and more. If you do pursue this type of program, always take advantage of networking events, coffee chats, ‘speed dating’ events, employee resource groups, and other avenues through which to connect with others and leave the most impactful footprint on a company as you can. Whether you stay at an organization after the program or venture toward a new opportunity, creating a network of support may very well provide the bridge toward returning to a company one day and maintaining positive sentiment.
Friends! It’s easy to overlook one of the most crucial components of job satisfaction… work friends! These are the people that you will end up spending the vast majority of your days with, so it is important that you find a culture fit and develop professional relationships that help embed fun into your daily tasks. Engaging in a rotation program is a great way to create friendships within your ‘rotation class’ and those above and below you. As I’ve found, rotation participants are notably linked throughout the company by their shared experience (no matter the age or seniority!). Especially if you’re considering a new city, this is a top benefit to aid your social life and connection to others.

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