I Got Hired: Operations Team Lead at Randox Health

Posted on: 7 October 2022 by Samantha Riella in Graduate stories

Class of 2021 Psychology graduate Sophie Macdonald, talks about stepping away from her degree and moving into a new industry.

What is your current job title and organisation you work for?

Operations Team Lead at Randox Health.

How did you hear about the role?

Indeed.

How did you get to where you are now?

I got hired as a patient coordinator at Randox Health, which consisted of booking in patients to get tested and also running and reporting covid tests in the lab. After 7 months I was promoted to deputy operations lead, however the operations team lead left work for a month, so I was running the clinic alone until their return in April. The team lead then left the clinic in May after finding a new role in the company, and I was then promoted again to Operations team lead as the site manager was impressed with how I ran the clinic alone throughout March. I am now very happy in my role, and although it does not relate to my psychology degree, I would not have been able to work in the lab without it, as we needed a science based degree to apply. I feel as though my degree has helped me get a job so quickly after finishing university and it has helped me progress quickly in my role. So, although not psych related, I am still using the skills I learnt in my degree every day.

What is your favourite experience as part of your role?

I am working with my team to test clients face to face every day. I love talking to people from different walks of life and helping them with any concerns they may have. 2 days are never the same!

What was the most challenging part of your graduate journey?

Due to finishing university when covid restrictions were still in place, it was difficult to find anywhere at first that was hiring, as most places had cut down on staff and not hiring due to covid, or they were working from home. I started applying in July and didn’t have any luck for a couple of months, however at the end of August I found Randox health, which was perfect as they had only opened a month ago were hiring due to an increase in tests needed. I heard back from them within a few days and started a week after the interview. It was tough at first due to how busy it was, we were working non-stop 12 hour days. But being thrown in at the deep end did help me just get stuck in and learn quickly.

What are your top three tips for other students?

1. Don’t be afraid to apply for a role that isn’t related to your degree - it was the best decision I made and you still use your degree skills in any job you have. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone pays off.

2. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get the job after an interview. Use it as practice and a learning experience for how to improve on your next one!

3. For current students, I would suggest searching the job market way before you get your results. I wish I had been looking earlier so I knew what was out there. It was time-consuming and if you have just graduated and want a job asap, it can take a while to search through everything and apply.