The Associate Programme
We’re a community who put purpose before profit. Who get stuck in and never think of work as ‘just a job’. Our Associate Programme provides the space you need to jump-start a purpose led career. It’s a way to gain experience of working in purpose-oriented organisations while receiving a level of support that you’d rarely receive in a conventional working situation. Weekly training sessions introduce you to new ways of thinking, and the community you’re surrounded by is ever-inspiring - and a lot of fun. This pack aims to shed light on what it’s like to be an Associate, and what we’re looking for during the application process. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Programme Structure and Key Information
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Placements
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Training
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Mentoring and Coaching
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After The Programme
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What We Look For
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Application Process
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An Example: Parita’s Time as an Associate
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An Example: David’s Time as an Associate
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Useful Links
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Contact Us
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Programme Structure and Key Information The Associate Programme is a full-time, year-long programme. During this time, you: • Complete two six month placements in purpose-oriented organisations, working with them for 4.5 days per week • Take part in half a day of training every Friday afternoon • Benefit from mentoring sessions every fortnight, and coaching sessions every quarter • Enjoy the invaluable support of the On Purpose community, both in the UK and abroad The programme is based in London. Over the year, we’ll provide a £22,500 stipend for your year of training and development. You also get a normal UK holiday allowance. When you complete the programme, you’ll remain part of our diverse, connected and collaborative community. Please note that to apply, you’ll need at least two years of full-time, paid work experience. You’ll also need to be eligible to work in the UK for the duration of the programme. To apply for the programme, click here:
Apply Now
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Placements “Whatever placement you end up working at you’ll be valued. You have a real opportunity to deliver value and drive change” - Ann, 2011 Placements are a central part of the programme. In them, you work in a purpose-oriented organisation for six months – for example, tackling food waste with Fareshare or poverty with Big Issue Invest. You meet like-minded people and grapple with a variety of problems. Then you do it over again at a different organisation. Associates find their placements useful in a number of ways. For example, Dimitra took part in the programme in April 2014 and said: “my placement at the British Council has given me the job satisfaction I’d been dreaming of. I find the work I am doing really rewarding and feel that I am able to contribute to my social concerns. I still use skills from my previous corporate role – and I feared that I wouldn’t like that – but the subject matter is so different and interesting, that I find the work I do much more rewarding. Working in the social enterprise sector has definitely inspired me and has helped increase my creative thinking.”
The organisations we work with are social enterprises, social divisions of profit seeking companies and charities. Previous placements have included: • Working with Clarity, one of the UK’s oldest social enterprises, to launch The Soap Co. - a new consumer brand that creates employment for blind people • Developing ‘nudges’ with the Behavioural Insights Team at King’s College London, to make the university work better for all students • Setting up a climate activism campaign for Ben & Jerry’s • Helping Big Society Capital set up the Business Impact Challenge to encourage corporate social investment Placement allocation We arrange a speed-dating style event to match you with your placements – giving you a chance to meet key staff from a number of placement organisations, and giving them a chance to meet you. Following the event, we consider your preferred placements (and the placement’s preferred Associates) and aim to allocate the best Associate-Placement matches we can. The matching process ensures that the interests and backgrounds of all of our Associates are taken into account. 4
Katie Hobson (Oct ‘15) on her first day with British Council
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Training “The On Purpose year was crucial to helping me understand how I could transfer my skills and apply them to something truly fulfilling” - Harriet, 2010 We’re privileged to receive training run by brilliant people from the Social Investment Business, McKinsey, the Design Council and more. The training introduces you to new ways of thinking and gives you the knowledge you need to achieve your potential. Training covers four key areas: • Commercial basics: The fundamentals of how organisations work, from strategy and marketing to finance and law • Social Sector Know-How: What you don’t learn in the private sector: the landscape, complexities and particularities of purpose-driven organisations – delivered by those who have been there and done it • Professional Skills: The problem solving, teamwork and communication skills needed to excel in any working environment • Personal Development: Helping you understand yourself and those around you; your strengths and goals and how you might achieve them Training is also a weekly opportunity to chat with the rest of your cohort, offer each other support and share ideas and skills. You can find examples of previous training sessions on our website.
Mentoring and Coaching “From mentors, coaches, our cohort, to the On Purpose team and broader network – the people element is invaluable.”- Clemence, April 2014 Mentors are your most frequent regular support, meeting you every fortnight. They provide guidance and challenge you, while getting to know you on a personal level and helping you with your career beyond On Purpose. They’ll also help you overcome the challenges of your placements and add value to them, e.g. by reviewing a board presentation or helping you navigate organisational politics. Coaches meet with you four times a year. They’re experienced professionals who have not only done significant amounts of coaching at senior and executive levels in organisations, but have also had careers in business themselves. They offer an opportunity to step back and reflect on what you’re learning from the programme and where your future career might take you. The coaches are independent of On Purpose and their objective is to support your leadership development; they’ll challenge you to find your own solutions based on your own strengths and values. 7
After The Programme “I’ve learned a lot about what I want from my career, and I’m more committed to the need for great, forward thinking, socially aware businesses than ever before. I’m looking forward to the next step and playing my part.” – David Puttergill, Oct 2014 The On Purpose experience doesn’t stop after a year. Those who complete the Associate Programme remain a central part of our community, and continue enjoying its benefits. We share developmental opportunities with each other, have socials together and involve alumni in the selection and training of new Associates. Our online collaboration platform ensures you never miss out on events and meet-ups relevant to your interests. We’ll also do what we can to help you find a job after the programme. Job openings are shared amongst the community, and Associates frequently find jobs with present or past placement organisations. While we can’t guarantee you a job, we’ll always help you with your search where we can. Plus, a year on the Associate Programme provides ample preparation for a purpose-oriented career: successful Associates have a significantly higher sense of purpose than they do before the programme, and feel more able to clearly articulate their long term professional goals. Over 98% of Associates feel they have a good awareness of professional opportunities in the social enterprise space - compared to 26% before the programme. 8
What We Look For To become an Associate, you must have at least two years of full time, paid work experience. Beyond that, we’ll happily consider you whether you have five years experience or fifteen: above all, we look for people with an inspiring track record of achievement, be it personal, professional or academic. Throughout the assessment process, you’ll be asked to demonstrate: • Motivation and persistence: the ability to turn ideas into reality and seize opportunities, to challenge yourself and set goals, and to knowing when to compromise or to involve others • Interpersonal skills: convincing, drawing in and inspiring others, whilst also dealing effectively and sensitively with conflict • Attitudes and mindsets: retaining high expectations, an open mind and an eagerness to experience new things; being pragmatic, self-sufficient, and comfortable with changing situations. Able to articulate your commitment to work in the social enterprise space • Problem solving: structuring and breaking down complex problems into solvable elements, whilst not losing sight of the big picture; being comfortable with quantitative analysis and mental arithmetic We’ll also be looking for your ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, to listen carefully and to make a mature and professional impression. 9
Application Process We’ve designed the application process to reflect the challenge and enjoyment of being an Associate. This way you’ll get a better sense of what being on the programme is about. Plus, if you learn and thrive over the course of the assessments, we’ll have confidence that you’ll do well if you’re invited to join the programme. The application process is as follows: Online Applications: March-Mid May
Interviews: Mid June
Submit an application online as soon as possible, including a copy of your CV, a cover letter and a URL to a short video that introduces you. Click here for full details.
Attend in-person interviews, with invitations to be sent in May. You attend two interviews: one that focuses on your personal experiences, and a social enterprise based case interview which will test problem solving skills. You’ll be interviewed by members of the core team, current Associates and Fellows.
During this period, we’ll also be holding drinks evenings where you get a chance to meet some of our community and ask questions about the programme. You can find information about these evenings here. Learning about and Engaging with the Programme: Late May-Early June Prior to your interviews, you’ll be offered the opportunity to: • Join a conference call detailing what to expect from the interviews and how to prepare for them • Attend an example On Purpose training session • Review an example of a project that you could be working on in a placement, and different ways you might approach challenges in that project.
Regardless of the outcome of your application, we offer 1:1 feedback to everyone that we interview. Please note, we’re unable to make offers to candidates that we haven’t met in person during the application process. Offers made: June-August Placement allocations: September First placement begins: October
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An Example: Parita’s Time as an Associate
Parita took part in the programme in October 2012. Here’s what she did before, during and after her time as an Associate: What were you doing before you joined the Associate Programme? I worked for a few years at Oliver Wyman, a strategy consultancy focused on the Financial Services sector. What made you decide to move? When I was 18, I came across the concept of a “social business” and was excited by the prospect of a middle ground between charity and business and its potential to create lasting change. My interest was sparked, but the corporate sector pulled me in for a few years after graduating and then I finally took the leap to explore this concept of social enterprise by actually working in the space.
Why did you choose to apply for the programme, and what did you get out of it? I felt sure I wanted to move into social enterprise but wasn’t clear on what the opportunities were, what area I wanted to work, how to look for jobs and I had no contacts. On Purpose sounded like an incredible opportunity to gain all of this, as well as find a community of people who you could support you and you could share the experience with. Where did you spend your placements? One of my placements was at Shaftesbury Partnership, a social business intermediary and incubator. I had a key role in managing the operations for FranchisingWorks Licence fund, which has £1.2m investment to provide financial support to unemployed people looking to become self-employed via a franchise business. My other placement was at a young consultancy, A Very Good Company, where I worked on a range of internal and client projects ranging from corporate employee engagement to youth entrepreneurship. Where are you now? After completing On Purpose I joined Oomph! Wellness, a social enterprise that aims to improve the quality of life of older adults through fun, interactive exercise classes. As Head of Impact, I am driving our work on tracking and measuring the benefits of our classes, and continuing to increase the evidence base for our impact via research studies. 11
An Example: David’s Time as an Associate
What were you doing before you joined the Associate Programme, and what are you doing now? I started out as an accountant at PwC, then tried out corporate finance for a bit. I’m now head of operations at Fair Finance, a social business tackling financial exclusion, based in East London. Why did you change careers? I didn’t care enough about what I was doing. I studied Geography, and always knew that there were a lot of things I’d like to change about the world, but I was working on things that started to seem a bit pointless. I also just couldn’t picture myself wanting to be any of my bosses which was a bit depressing. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Go for it. The worst scenario is that you pick up a bunch of new skills and go back to where you were as a more interesting person. Click here to read more of David’s story 12
Useful Links If you’d like to know more about us or the Associate Programme, we’ve created a number of useful resources online. • Humans On Purpose documents some of the characters that make up, and inspire, our community • Associate Yearbooks are a great place to find out about the experiences of past Associates • Our information evenings explain more about the programme, offer a chance to meet some of our core team and Associates in person, and to ask any questions you might have • This video from one of our information evenings is full of useful insights about the programme. • Our Paris and Berlin websites have more information about the Associate Programmes we run in France and Germany. To apply for the programme, click here:
Apply Now
Contact Us If you have any questions about the programme, please do get in touch with us at recruitment@onpurpose.uk.com Beyond that, best of luck with your application. We look forward to getting to know you!
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