People Story

Beyond the Day Job: How Graduate Jaylan is Making the Most of Every Opportunity at Serco

After graduating from the University of Kent with a degree in International Business Management, Jaylan wanted to start his career somewhere he could learn, develop and gain experience across different areas of business.

In 2024, he joined Serco through the Graduate Management Scheme. Today, he is an Insurance Officer in Group Finance - but his career journey isn’t shaped by his day job alone.

From gaining experience across different functions through the Management graduate scheme to building relationships and taking on a leadership role with Embrace, Jaylan has continued to find new ways to grow.

Building experience from day one

Jaylan was attracted to Serco’s scale and the breadth of its work, seeing it as an opportunity to contribute to meaningful work while gaining varied experience early in his career.

The Management graduate scheme brought that variety to life, giving him the chance to work across different functions and build a broader understanding of how the organisation comes together.

He spent much of his time in Ethics & Compliance, as well as Litigation, learning how ethical policies and legal requirements are applied at a contract level. That experience later connected closely with his move into insurance.

For Jaylan, the variety of experiences helped him develop a much broader understanding of the business.

The importance of building relationships

One of the most valuable takeaways Jaylan has from the graduate programme came from his line manager. “He said building relationships is the most important part of corporate work.” Jaylan quickly discovered how true this was. As he explains, “You don't always have to know the exact person, but you want to at least know someone that can point you in the right direction.”

Spending time in the office helped him build those connections, while also giving him the chance to understand how to navigate a corporate environment.

Those relationships continue to help him in his role today.

"Building relationships is often the most important part of corporate work."

Jaylan
Insurance Officer

Growing beyond the day job

One of the biggest opportunities Jaylan took came very soon after joining Serco, when the then chair of the employee network for culture and ethnicity, Serco Embrace, encouraged him to get involved.

At first, he wasn't sure what being part of the network would involve. He decided to say yes - and it has since become one of the most rewarding parts of his career, he says. “For me, Embrace is a place for colleagues to share experiences, learn from one another and create a sense of belonging”.

His involvement eventually led to him becoming a co-chair, giving him opportunities to develop skills outside his role in Group Finance. Through the role, Jaylan has worked with senior leaders, led initiatives and developed his leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills, while also building his confidence and presentation skills.
From hosting a Black History Month quiz to speaking at events, he's taken on challenges that he wouldn't necessarily encounter in his day job.

But it's not just his own development that Jaylan is proud of. He has also seen Embrace grow its connections across and beyond Serco, working with other employee networks, teams across the business and external organisations such as blood cancer charity DKMS.

Embrace has supported DKMS registration drives at Serco contracts and developed initiatives such as Fast and the Curious, giving colleagues the opportunity to learn about different faiths and cultures through fasting challenges.
The network has also worked with the Talent & Learning team to help shape the second cohort of Ignite, Serco's leadership development programme for Black and mixed Black heritage colleagues. Building on feedback from the first cohort, Embrace helped influence improvements to the programme, which has seen increased interest and applications for its latest cohort.

And the network's work is receiving recognition beyond Serco, with Embrace having been nominated for three employee network awards (and counting!).

“Overall, it's shown me the impact that a group of passionate people can have when they work towards a common goal.”

"Embrace is a place for colleagues to share experiences, learn from one another and create a sense of belonging.”

Making the most of every opportunity

For Jaylan, one of the biggest lessons from his time at Serco so far has been to stay curious and be open to opportunities — even when they sit outside your immediate role.

Whether that’s supporting another team, building a new relationship or getting involved in a colleague network, he believes being willing to step outside your comfort zone can open up experiences you might not otherwise have.
“Serco is a very diverse and large place with opportunities beyond your day job,” he says. For Jaylan, those opportunities have helped him build a career that extends beyond the path he initially imagined — developing new skills, growing his confidence and connecting with people across the organisation.

His advice to others is simple: “The more willing you are to build relationships... the more willing you are to take advantage of opportunities and come out of your comfort zone, the more you'll get out of the experience and the more you'll get out of Serco.”

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