The traditional career playbook is broken. Apply online, wait for responses, hope someone notices your CV among hundreds of others. Meanwhile, the most interesting opportunities never make it to job boards.
During my final year at university, I watched this play out in real time. Talented peers followed the standard route, doing excellent work and attending networking events, hoping to be remembered when graduate positions opened. I took a different approach to create the role I wanted.
Private equity is notoriously difficult to break into, yet I found myself with an offer to join BGF as a graduate. It wasn’t by accident.
During the final weeks of my summer internship, I put together a proposition for a Northern graduate role and explained why I was uniquely positioned for it. The approach worked, not because it was groundbreaking, but because it was different in that specific context.
This isn’t just about converting an internship though. In today’s competitive market, you can’t be doing the same thing as everyone else if you want the best opportunities. I understood that the most interesting roles never make it to job boards, and waiting for someone else to create your perfect opportunity means you’re already behind.
My priority during the internship was doing genuinely good work. There’s no shortcut here, and it’s pointless to ask for a role if you don’t have proof points showing you’re capable. I threw myself completely into the projects I was given, but I was also strategic about which opportunities I pursued and how I spent my time.
Being aware of decision-makers was crucial. Our intern cohort had presentation opportunities in front of BGF’s executive committee, and I knew these moments would define whether I had any chance of joining full-time. So, I prepared extensively to ensure I was able to speak confidently about the work I’d produced.
I don’t believe I was the smartest person in my intern cohort, and I certainly wasn’t the most technical. But I knew my character and attributes aligned well with BGF’s culture, and I got on well with people across the business.
Companies hire people they want to work with. Technical skills can be taught, but cultural alignment cannot. If you can demonstrate that you truly understand and care about what the company does, it comes through in your interactions.
I used LinkedIn throughout my time at university, even though it felt uncomfortable. Most students avoid it because it feels self-promotional, but that’s exactly why it’s effective.
It’s essentially free space where you can highlight experience that doesn’t fit on your CV. You control what you share and how you present yourself professionally. You can build a presence that puts you front of mind when opportunities arise. I think you can be far more strategic with it than people realise.
The proposition I put together identified what I saw as a genuine business need and presented how I could address it. I wasn’t asking for a favour but offering value they hadn’t previously considered. What made it work was that I approached it as solving a problem rather than asking for something.
In today’s market, sometimes you need the audacity to ask for what you want. The worst thing that can happen is they say no, but if you’ve done the work to demonstrate your value, you’ve got nothing to lose by presenting your case.
Getting the role was just the beginning. I created this position for myself, and now I must prove it was the right decision. BGF invested in my potential, and now I need to deliver on it.
What I want to be clear about is that the real challenge isn’t getting your dream job. It’s creating an opportunity for yourself and then proving you deserved the chance. In a competitive market, that’s often what it takes.
- Lily Piddington is an Investor at BGF’ s Manchester office.