A global company’s graduate programme gives successful candidates the chance to sample roles in different teams, accelerating their learning and widening their experience.
When Kate Murphy applied for a place on PepsiCo’s graduate programme, she already knew what it was like to work for the company. “I’d been an IT delivery and development intern there in 2022 as part of my degree course,” she explains. “As soon as I started, I just knew I was going to stay.”
Graduate pathways in action
That’s exactly how it worked out. Murphy finished her degree in Business Information Systems at University College Cork and joined the company as an IT graduate in 2023. Since then, she has relished the chance to sample life in different IT teams, supported by on-the-job training and mentorship. “IT is such a broad subject,” she says. “So, learning about different roles has been really satisfying.”
An average of 20 graduates join the company-wide programme each year (around 80% are former interns) across finance, supply chain, engineering, procurement, quality, health and safety, HR, R&D and IT. They spend two years in their chosen function, are assigned a manager and a mentor and usually work in at least three different roles — although finance graduates spend three years on the programme to complete their relevant accountancy qualifications.
The work they do is real and
meaningful. It makes a difference
and contributes to the bottom line.
Making a difference and contributing to the bottom line
The rotational nature of the programme is a big reason for its success, explains Sinead O’Dwyer, Talent Acquisition and Employer Brand Lead. “Rotating roles within their function helps graduates gain diverse experience and accelerates their learning,” she says. “The work they do is real and meaningful. It makes a difference and contributes to the bottom line.”
David Hennessy, Customer Engagement and Logistics Senior Manager, agrees. He started in the company as a graduate in 2010 and knows how career-enhancing diverse experiences can be. “I’m an engineer by trade, but I’ve worked in operations, productivity, data analytics and am now onto my third role within supply chain,” he says. “It’s an environment where you’re encouraged to explore opportunities.”
Hennessy is also an Early Talent Sponsor with a remit to support the programme’s supply chain graduates. “It gives them a real footing in the business,” he says. “But it’s not a one-way street. From our side, grads bring a fresh perspective, so it’s brilliant to see them come in, challenge the status quo and acquire a lot of new skills. They start to add value within the first month.”
Investing in high-calibre and talented individuals
That said, after the two years are up, a full-time job is not guaranteed. “One of my roles as a sponsor is to make sure grads are hot property by the time their programme ends,” says Hennessy. “When we’ve been investing effort into fantastic, high-calibre people, we want to find a place for their talents.”
The company continues to look for ways to develop its skills training. From September, graduates will also be able to participate in a formalised 12-month training programme, run in partnership with IBEC and accredited with TU Dublin.
Building hands-on local and global skills
For Kate, things are changing. Her time on the graduate programme is now coming to an end — although she has applied for a permanent IT role. “I’ve really enjoyed the last two years,” she says. “I delivered training for colleagues outside IT. I worked on a big project that ended up being adopted by the IT department. I also helped manage an IT execution system for the manufacturing floor and got to travel to the US and Uruguay for a project’s go-live and hypercare phases. It’s great to know that the work I’ve done has been useful, valued and will stand me in good stead for the future.”
Sinead O’Dwyer
Global Talent Acquisition Lead, Early Talent – Europe, PepsiCo
David Hennessy
Customer Engagement and Logistics Senior Manager, Early Talent Sponsor, PepsiCo
Kate Murphy
IT Graduate, PepsiCo
