Graduate Spotlight: Rizwan’s Journey from Work Placement to Full-Time Role

As a recent graduate of the University of Central Lancashire, meet Rizwan, who joined Pennington Choices’ Fire Safety team this summer. From completing a two-week placement with us at the beginning of the year, to now starting in a full-time role in July as a Graduate Fire Risk Assessor/Validator, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Rizwan to chat about his experience from finishing university and going straight into a full-time role, to the exciting prospects that lie ahead in his new career. 

What’s your journey been like from completing your work placement and your degree to securing your current role at Pennington Choices?  

My journey from university to beginning a full-time role was a short one. I was fortunate enough to have great lecturers and support staff at UCLan, where I studied a 3-year degree in Fire and Leadership. Since the age of 6, my lifelong dream was to fulfil a role in the fire service as a whole-time firefighter (thanks to fireman Sam!), however there were some issues that I faced along the way, from religious reasons to developing physical and mental toughness. It wasn't until my second year of university where I found that I was unable to join the service due to my facial hair (during a breathing apparatus course which I was unable to participate in) which I have kept for religious purposes. Having memorised the Holy Quran by the age of 16, I felt it was a greater obligation upon me to preserve the duties and responsibilities of a Muslim male. For this reason, I began searching for other avenues to take and at the start of my third year, my university lecturer recommended a company named Pennington Choices, where I would eventually carry out a work placement and achieve a full-time role as a Fire Risk Assessor. From a young boy who had dreams of saving lives on the frontline, I discovered that God had greater opportunities for me behind the scenes that I was completely unaware of throughout my years of education. This just shows that when you have faith and do your best, anything is possible. 

What aspects of the company culture made you want to return for a full-time position? 

Everyone is so friendly and supportive which really appealed to me having worked in similar environments in the past, seeing first-hand how important a supportive culture is for any team. I also value the opportunities for development and growth at Pennington Choices; I’m looking forward to completing my Level 3 Certificate in Fire Safety soon, and I have a clear idea of the pathways available from my current role.  

What new challenges are you excited about facing in your role now compared to your placement experience?  

Whilst I’m still quite new to the team, I’m really looking forward to going out on site and experiencing the learning process of getting stuck into my role. I recently spent the day on site with my manager, Jim, who showed me how everything works and what a typical day-in-the-life looks like, which gave me a valuable understanding of the practical aspects of the job.  

What advice would you give to other graduates or students who are considering doing a placement with the intention of securing a full-time role afterward?  

Above all, I’d say to just be yourself and do your best to be confident in how you approach people, especially in an interview process. If you’re unsure of what opportunities might be available to you, I’d recommend speaking to people who have been through something similar, or even approaching your university lecturers who are there to support you in finding your feet post-university.  

Describe your job in 5 words or less.  

Exciting, challenging, and rewarding.  

Thank you to Rizwan for sharing his story with us, we’re so excited to see where your role will take you! Are you an aspiring graduate looking for your next step? You can view our range of career opportunities here. For more insight into what #LifeAtPc is like, click here.