If you’d have asked me during university whether I thought I would end up working for the world’s leading car rental company my answer would most definitely have been no. But 8 years after graduating I am 8 years into my career with Enterprise Rent-A-Car and have never looked back.
I chose to study Drama and Dance at university as this was something I had so much passion for. I loved my degree but upon graduation found myself stuck with a tough decision. It can be really tough to be successful in the performance industry – work can be hard to come by and is not always that reliable. I wanted to follow my passion and use my degree but I also wanted a stable career that was going to earn me lots of money and offer me lots of progression.
I was blindly applying for jobs in a panic during the final term of university when I came across Enterprise and thought I would submit an application and see what happened. I was lucky enough to be successful and in my 8 years within the company have gone from Management trainee to Talent Acquisition Specialist, stopping at many other roles along the way.
I actually find myself using many of the skills I built up at university on a daily basis. Performing arts teaches you confidence, or how to act confidently in difficult situations. It also gave me a huge advantage when having to stand up in front of large groups of people and conduct presentations.
I remember during my first few weeks of training being asked to take part in role-play scenarios. All the other new employees dreaded the thought… but this was my dream, my forte and gave me a chance to shine.
Not only does studying performing arts give you confidence but it also teaches you leadership and team work – two skills that are crucial for a management trainee. I remember directing theatre plays and choreographing dance pieces at university and, for me, a day in the rental office was a pretty similar
process – managing a team of people with one end goal in mind and putting on a performance for the customer ensuring they received a great service.
When people find out I studied Drama and Dance at university they always ask me why I work at Enterprise. To me, it’s the perfect degree to teach you the life skills needed to succeed in business and management, and the training I receive in my roles teaches me everything else I need to know.
Enterprise welcome applicants from a variety of academic backgrounds so if you want to apply, have a look at our graduate job opportunities.
