#MDSFutures: bringing MDS to life

Emma’s Blog: 2021 Round-up

  • Trainee Futures
 – 3.12.2021

To mark the start of December and the closing of the year, Trainee Emma decided to reflect on 2021. Read below to find out all about 2021’s highs and lows as she looks forward to 2022.

2021

2021 has been a pivotal year for us all. Working remotely has become normalised. We have been reunited with colleagues in the office after months apart (for some of us, we have finally met our colleagues in person). We’ve been able to celebrate work successes with workplace events resuming, and overall, we are finding our feet in what is the ‘new normal’.

2021 saw me working remotely for the first half of the year with my parents in Warwickshire. I spent the Spring and Summer in Kent with Greencell, and in October, I moved into my final placement at Angus Soft Fruits just outside of Evesham. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet my colleagues in person, attend several workplace events, and travel to different sites to meet other departments and colleagues whom I’d only worked with over Teams.

Highlights

For me, the highlights have been finally coming together with colleagues in the workplace environment. It has been good fun being so close with my colleagues as it’s allowed me to establish strong relationships and experience work dynamics within an office. Another highlight for me has been the site visits and workplace events that I have attended! These have been highly valuable and given me the great opportunity to expand my commercial knowledge within Greencell and Angus Soft Fruits. It has also given me the chance to ask questions and network with people I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to otherwise.

Challenges

In 2021, I’ve had the opportunity to work in both Commercial and Technical environments. I’ve gone from one complexity to the next, which has broadened my scope and talent hugely so. This is something I wouldn’t have been able to do if it wasn’t for being a part of the MDS Scheme, so I only have the Graduate Scheme to thank for the opportunities I’ve been given both in and outside of work.

Looking into 2022

I’m looking forward to my first in-person Meet the Trainees event in January, where I’m finally able to meet my group. I will also get the chance to experience in-person networking. I’m coming to the end of my MDS experience, so I will reflect on everything I have learnt and how I’ve developed over 24 months. With this, I’m looking forward to exploring the opportunities waiting for me in April and what the future holds.

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