Senior Consultant Review

In my role I work with collaboratively with clients to create strategies to successfully manage and implement change. At the moment I am working on a global transformation on a ServiceNow rollout, and this involves working across cultures to break through the status quo. A lot of my role is about anticipating resistance and thinking of initiatives that can help counter this.

In the last few years I have developed a much deeper understanding about myself through the use of reflexivity. This has allowed me to reflect critically on my behaviour in situations, and be able to contextualize the responses of my immediate peers and colleagues. Whilst some people still believe being a senior leader is all about translating 15,000 word documents into a 20 minute pitch (it's not), this programme has helped me develop my skills leading and mentoring colleagues in my organisation.

Fujitsu is a very supportive company and the culture reflects that; everyone is very helpful and friendly and it has exceeded my expectations in that regard. I enjoy working here and a lot of that is down to the people. I work in a small team in the UK (circa 120) but work extensively in Europe.

The programme has a great structure and hierarchy and its very easy to navigate through the chain of command. If I have ever had problems I know exactly who to contact, and we also had a 'student rep' who has been on hand if we needed to raise any concerns with the University.

I have had a huge amount of support from the start of my apprenticeship and this has been pivotal to its success. From having 20% off the job being made available for my studies, to compassionate leave regarding a death in the family, it's been a very supportive environment.

I've found the MMU to be difficult when it came to supporting my studies. The quality of the teaching would vary enormously from unit to unit, and some would be willing to provide additional support via email or even face to face, but this was few and far between. One or two units were fantastic, but overall I wouldn't say I enjoyed my time there.

This comes down to the wisdom, maturity and development that comes from studying over several years. I've learned a lot about operational management and lean thinking, as well as trade theory and why China's economy is so successful. The whole in this sense is much more than the sum of its parts, and the course combined has made me a more balanced and enriched person as a result.

COVID has made any extra-curricular activities much more difficult. There had been a virtual quiz every week, and regular drop-in calls to try and encourage people to get to know each other - but these are difficult when 50 people join, it makes you appreciate the nuances of in-person interaction where more than one conversation can take place at a time!

Yes

Fujitsu has a great supportive culture and is a family-orientated company to work for. The only downside is the yearly restructure, but I think this is common now across the industry. It's not like it's competitors that will burn you out in a couple of years, Fujitsu is more invested in the health and wellbeing of its employees.

I'd reach out to professionals working for Fujitsu on LinkedIn and ask for advice, or perhaps even a mock interview. Understanding who our clients our, our business structure and future ambitions would all work well going into an interview. Fujitsu's direction is often set by Japan, so it's worth looking at press releases and seeing what is being said.