BENEFITS OF BEING AN MT!

YOU ARE EXPOSED TO EVERY ASPECT OF THE BUSINESS

One thing common among most management trainee programmes is the fact that they involve job rotations – one day you could be working in the sales department, three months later in operations. This is so that you are exposed to every department and aspect of the business so that you know exactly how each department works and how they come together as an entity. This gives you a broad overview of the business and essentially makes you a well-rounded employee and eventually, a leader who understands the business well.

On top of that, job rotations also offer you flexibility in terms of exposing you to various skill sets. Through this method, you can then discover where your true “talent” is and eventually pick the department where you will be able to contribute the most in terms of interests and skills.

YOU ARE GROOMED FOR THE FUTURE

One reason why companies offer management trainee programmes is to help them nurture next-generation leaders. Which is why only the most promising talents are accepted in these programmes. As a management trainee, you will undergo training for managerial or supervisory positions – whether it is through classroom lessons, workshops or even more hands-on situations. All of this will come together to properly groom you for a managerial position as your career advances with the company. So in other words, a management trainee programme is your first step to the top!

YOU COMPETE WITH THE BEST

Because everyone in the programme is considered “leadership material”, the competition among your colleagues will be fierce... which is a good thing to keep your drive up and to motivate you to work harder and smarter! Nothing like a little bit of competition to get you going. Also, imagine the possibilities if you come out on top amongst your fellow trainees!

YOU GET A GOLDEN TICKET

By this we mean access to upper management as well as the big guns in the company. As a management trainee, you will be exposed to senior staff members who will have a lot to share and teach. Most of the time, you will also be assigned a mentor who will often be someone influential in the company. Some companies even organise special networking sessions where its management trainees are given the opportunity to mingle with the key people in the company. Think of it as a backstage pass to one of the most important moments in your life.

YOU SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE

As you will be exposed to almost every aspect of the business, this will give you a better insight of how the business works and what it takes to be successful. You will have a more comprehensive view compared to a fresh graduate who is assigned to just the human resource department. But it is not just the bigger picture that matters; because you are constantly on rotation, you will then gain a better insight on how each department works. So you get the best of both worlds really – the details of every aspect of the business leading up to the bigger picture.

YOU MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Think about it – if a management trainee programme is designed to nurture future leaders, your fellow trainees are all going to be somebody someday (provided that they complete the programme). So being pals with them now means that you will not only have support in different departments in the future as everyone settles in their selected courses but also if one or two of them eventually becomes a CEO or CFO in the company. How’s that for networking?

YOU PICK UP ON OTHER SKILLS

One thing a management training programme focuses on is nurturing soft skills – communication, leadership, teamwork. Aside from getting the right education on how to do your job well, you will also pick up helpful tips on how to be a star employee. Whether it is through classroom teachings or hands-on experience, the lessons you gain from your programme will be invaluable in whatever course you decide to take after the programme.

IT’S A BOOTCAMP!

Most management trainee programmes involve accelerated training schemes in which you will spend one or two years basically learning everything, anything, all the time. It is not easy but that is why it is only reserved for those who can, right? Think of it as a working bootcamp – you have to rough it out, cry a little, endure some “pain”, suffer long hours, late nights, drawn-out weeks... but before you know it, you became a champ at what you do and will shine from the rest.