Graduate
testimony

Anna Tregurtha - Senior manager human resources coordinators and change, Coca-Cola
 

My goal : human resources

La Rochelle’s BBA gave me the opportunity of acquiring an array of international experiences, enabling me to become very adaptable, flexible and reactive in the world of work when confronted with different demands, cultures and environments. I finished the BBA with one year’s experience in business and having spent one year abroad, and this proved a major asset not only in my further studies but also when I started looking for my first job.

After having worked in Australia, studied in China and completed my last internship in Germany, I realised that I wanted to work internationally but not necessarily in an exotic country, far away. Today, I work in London for Coca-Cola European Partners and I am responsible for a team of 8 HR Coordinators located across Europe. I have a lot of responsibilities and for me, it’s the perfect balance... coordinating a European team, with project trips every month to Madrid, Paris and Berlin !

The choices we have to make are not easy... study? carry out an internship? expatriation? But I have always placed more emphasis on the content of the job than its location and this has enabled me to not only develop my career in HR but also my overall employability. It’s very difficult to highlight an individual experience or one particular moment, there are simply too many! You have to be prepared to exceed your limits and not to choose the easy option... but you develop personally, gain more experience and embrace cultural diversity, all of which will certainly be of great assistance as you start out on your career !

Beginning my carrer at Coca-Cola

After my BBA, I continued my studies with a Masters in HR at the Sorbonne, which I undertook on a work-study track. I then joined the HR team at Coca-Cola European Partners on a Graduate programme, where over a period of three years, I worked in three different jobs experiencing different departments, and where I also had the possibility of changing country. Today I am a Senior HR Manager based in London. I feel totally fulfilled in my personal life, living in a very dynamic and multicultural city, as well as in my professional life, working for a great company with globally renowned products where I am in an international HR department, that is being driven to incorporate new technologies whilst still looking to optimise the employee experience.

My internships, studies and programmes gave me an important advantage when applying for both my Masters and the Graduate programme at Coca Cola, because I had already gained professional experience and an understanding of the professional environment. The BBA International allowed me to gain in confidence and autonomy. I also learned Soft Skills... making presentations, working on projects and speaking in public! This may seem simple but it really changed me, surprised my entourage and still helps me today !