I Got Hired: Lily

Posted on: 2 September 2026 by Richard Finch in Class of 2025

Class of 2025 Combined Honours Business and English graduate Lily Jones is now working as a Business Management Graduate at Bupa, building on the skills, experience and commercial awareness developed during her time at the University of Liverpool.

What first caught your attention about this role, and what made you think, “This is for me”? 

What first caught my attention about the role was Bupa’s meaningful mission to help people live longer, healthier and happier lives. For me, it was so impairment to work for a company whose values align with my own, and I find it especially rewarding to know that the work I do contributes to such a positive purpose. 

I was also really attracted to the breadth of experience offered by the graduate scheme, with opportunities to work across a wide range of areas including brand, Finance transformation, Technology, Audit, Sustainability, External Relations, to name a few! As a graduate with limited corporate experience, I saw it as a valuable way to explore different functions to see why my strengths and interests lie. 

Which experience along your journey has had the biggest impact on who you are professionally today? 

I would say moving from university into a professional environment challenged me to step outside my comfort zone, build confidence and develop skills that can’t be learnt in a lecture hall. Working with different stakeholders of all ages, taking ownership of completely new projects and adapting to new situations has helped me become more resilient and proactive. 

What’s been the toughest part of your graduate journey, and what did it teach you? 

The toughest part of the graduate journey was balancing university assignments with graduate job applications, whilst also dealing with rejections at the same time. The process taught me the importance of staying motivated despite setbacks, and learning how to try and turn each rejection into an opportunity to improve in the future. 

If you could give future grads one piece of advice, what would it be? 

In interviews, remember that employers are hiring a person, not just a CV, so be authentic, show enthusiasm, and let your personality come through just as much as your skills and experience. 

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