Hamzah Khan
- Hamzah studied Business Information Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University and now works for BT as a Business Improvement and Campaign Manager.
Recent graduates
Technology/Telecoms - BT
Honestly, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I started university, nor did I have any better clue whilst I was on my course! I knew I wanted variety and the ability to work with different people, but beyond that I couldn’t think what specifically I wanted. This changed when I visited the BT stand at a careers fair and found that they are more than just a phone company. After reading the brochure I decided to apply for project management, as I felt this led to the variety I was looking for.
When I first started, I spent most of the year shadowing various people within the sales department to gain more understanding of the business. I worked on a variety of projects, from increasing customer satisfaction to measuring performance of sales people, and success in one of these projects prompted the head of field sales to offer me a job driving his strategy and transforming his area.
I have been doing this job since April 2007 and I love every minute of it! The pace is quick and ever changing and I can actually see the benefit and value I add to the business.
Monday
I'm sitting on the 09.00 train to London, for a meeting about understanding our customer segments, when I get a call from another graduate asking for my help.
One great thing about BT is the various internal networks you can join, which help you in a multitude of ways including mentoring and career progression. On this occasion, Altaf, who leads the BT Muslim Network, needs some advice on some project plans we have in place for the current year. We arrange to get together after my meeting to discuss the projects.
I get into the office by 10.30 and make my way up to the meeting room. Many other employees are in a similar position to me, in that they want to gain an understanding of what our business customers look like in terms of their buying preferences and what segment they fit into. As a campaign manager, I need to understand almost every piece of insight we have on our business customers so I can create specific campaigns and focused activity.
For example, if we have a large number of customers within a particular industry, I need to engage with marketing to understand what specific propositions we have for them and then plan a campaign about what BT can offer. The meeting proves to be incredibly insightful and I gain some additional contacts to help me for an upcoming campaign around our retail customers.
After the meeting I meet with Altaf and over a coffee we discuss progress on our plans. Every year, part of the objectives of the BT Muslim Network is to deliver some key programmes, of which I am involved in three out of four and leading on one. We discuss where we are in relation to our deadlines and potential showstoppers. As the leader on website development, I update Altaf on what we hope to achieve.
I leave Altaf and BT Centre and make my way back home to Birmingham.
Tuesday
Today I find myself in the Birmingham office attending a workshop with people from different parts of BT, with one aim: to create a bespoke product for a customer. In the room are my manager, the sales person who looks after the customer, the head of mobile sales and a representative from marketing.
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