Published: Thursday, 28th February, 2008 4:30pm

Graeme is growing up fast

by Elaine Bowers

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TRAINEE marketing executive Graeme Baillie had been working less than three months when he was left in charge of his department at work. How did he fare? Today, we catch up with The Recruit winner to find out. Plus, he tells us about being recognised in Tesco and why he very nearly didn’t live to see the day he started school — let alone work. Graeme also tells ELAINE BOWERS why satellite navigation is a must...

GRAEME Baillie’s career has got off to a brilliant start. Just a few months out of Wellington Academy and already he is working as a trainee marketing executive — thanks to The Recruit.

The determined 18-year-old, who lives in Greenock, was one of seven pupils to win an £18,000 job contract following a summer of tough challenges designed to find business leaders of the future.

Various firms provided the jobs, including IBM,

T-Mobile, Blairs Limited, Hewlett Packard and Milne Craig.

Graeme’s prize took him to TLG Education Ltd in Milngavie — formerly The Learning Game — where he is currently part of a dynamic department.

He has grown up a lot in the six months since he transformed from talented young schoolboy to ambitious young businessman, and he is relishing the challenges every day brings, as well as his new responsibilities.

Graeme said: “My boss, Lorna, went on holiday for a week in November and I was left to run the department myself.

“I didn’t realise how much work it takes. There are always people wanting to know something, or wanting something done yesterday. It was great to have so much responsibility and I think I did well.

“I managed to cope by just prioritising and being honest. By being honest, I mean telling people I was simply too busy to help them.”

November was a busy month for Graeme, who also enjoyed a team-building event with his new colleagues. He said: “It was amazing, due to the fact I had only been in the door a couple of months. It gave me a great chance to get to know everyone. It was a great day out and let me see everyone’s sense of humour.”

A typical day in the life of the young marketing executive starts with him arriving at work at 8.20am in preparation for an 8.30am start.

“Half 8 until 5pm is a lot longer than I thought,” he said, confiding that the working day takes a bit of getting used to after the much-shorter school timetable.

The first job of the day involves Graeme catching up on correspondence and answering emails that have come in overnight. He then checks what his focus is for the day.

Graeme said: “As we are such a dynamic department, I have different tasks every day and I would never say any day is the same in our office.”

Some days are more challenging — and frustrating — than others.

Most people can recall a funny anecdote about their early days at work they would rather forget, and Graeme is no exception.

He told the Tele: “I was here about a month and I was to drive to Cumbernauld to view one of the courses we do.

“I got rather lost and ended up in Cardonald. Anyone who drives knows that’s pretty lost.”

On a brighter note, Graeme is enjoying his new salary and spent his first wage on a laptop computer and a few nights out. Since then, his cash has gone on a PlayStation 3, a flat screen TV for his room and new clothes. Plus, he pays for his car every month.

He said: “It’s a lot easier to enjoy the weekends with more money to spend.”

Had Graeme not won The Recruit, he would have gone on to university.

As it is, by winning his job he has gained a lot of experience and says running his department for a week has been his proudest work achievement to date.

At the end of his first year in work, Graeme says he will be ‘helping the company reach its goal and developing myself for future challenges’.

Ultimately, Graeme’s career goal is to have a successful company of his own and know he has done everything he can in life. His bosses send him to Paisley University every Tuesday, where he is studying for a degree in marketing that will help further his career.

When he is not working, or studying, Graeme likes to keep active. He said: “Because I am at my desk a lot of the day, I make sure I go to the gym three times a week to keep fit.”

WHILE Graeme had enjoyed winning The Recruit, he says it was a day he would never have seen if his life had not been saved when he was a tiny baby.

Graeme said: “I was in the Tele 18 years ago because I nearly died when I was born with a diaphragmatic hernia and needed major surgery.

“They did a big story about me then — so if it wasn’t for the doctors I might not have been here to win The Recruit.” Graeme would like to see more businesses taking part in The Recruit and the council investing money in it.

Last year, the cash for The Recruit came from the Scottish Executive through its Determined to Succeed programme.

The cost of the £18,000-a-year salaries has been met partly by the employers who took on the recruits and partly from the Executive’s cash, which was given to enterprise development officer Robert Lamb to turn his idea for The Recruit, which is based loosely on the popular TV show The Apprentice, into reality.

And Graeme’s advice to school pupils entering The Recruit 2008? He said: “Don’t get complacent. Be confident, and make sure you do your own thing because all of the people who won last year have very different attributes.

“I cannot say anything bad about the programme, especially when it has changed my life so much. It’s the best opportunity ever presented to young people in Inverclyde and the people with the power to make it happen again should take note that it works.”

Potential Recruits should also note they may have to get used to being recognised on the street.

Graeme said: “When the programme was running up to the finale, I was in Tesco with my girlfriend and two woman were behind us in the queue and said to each other — ‘those two are in that Recruit thing in the Tele, I wonder if one of them will win?’

“That shows it isn’t only the 36 young people who took part that it affected.

“It gave the whole community something to be proud of and showed the rest of Scotland that Inverclyde is a good place to be.”

•ENTRY forms for The Recruit 2008 have to be returned by February 28. Details have been supplied by organiser Robert Lamb to all local secondary schools.