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Recently, I started my second rotation within Umicore as a Young Graduate in the Environment, Health, and Safety Department in the Brussels’ office. Having completed my first assignment in Hoboken and being fully integrated within the team in Brussels, I thought this would be an ideal moment to reflect on my 15-month journey at Umicore.

Quid Umicore?

Before sharing my experiences as Young Graduate, I would like to start by explaining why I have eventually chosen to work for Umicore in the first place, and therefore, I need to explain a bit of my background. 

My academic journey began in 2015 at Ghent University where I started a 5-year master’s degree in Business Engineering. During these five years, I was lucky to get the opportunity to study in Sweden for six months. After completing my studies in Ghent and having enjoyed my half-year abroad, I decided to move to London, where I pursued a Master’s in Management at UCL School of Management. During that year abroad, I understood which elements needed to be present in my first job and the company I wanted to work for. The list was as follows:

The company I want to work for is a company with:

• An international presence, but with Belgian roots;
• A future-oriented mindset and innovative culture;
• A focus on sustainability;
• A strong track record of developing young talents and providing them with an ideal atmosphere to thrive;

Indeed, and I agree, it is not an easy list to start with. However, after doing some desktop research, I discovered that a friend was working as a Young Graduate at Umicore. I knew Umicore from the news and was excited to get to know more about her experience at Umicore. After I had a call with her, I could tick all the above boxes and applied immediately. And now, you can probably guess how that part of the story ended, isn’t it?

Working at Umicore

And, indeed, on September 1st, 2021, my journey at Umicore officially started as a Business Young Graduate. As part of a two-year rotational program, each Business Young Graduate takes two different roles at two different Umicore sites in Belgium. The Business Young Graduate program differs slightly from the Technical Young Graduate program at Umicore, which is designed for people with a more technical background in chemical, industrial or civil engineering. In the latter case, the Young Graduate will contribute to four different projects of six months.

My first, one-year project was in Hoboken, at Umicore’s Transportation & Trade Compliance Department. As Young Graduate Transport Procurement – which was the official name of my role – I was responsible for all kinds of logistic-related projects ranging from warehousing projects to the organization of transportation flows. During my period at T&TC – using abbreviations for everything is daily business at Umicore – I was also involved in the rise of Umicore’s new Business Unit, namely Battery Recycling Solutions, or BRS. Participating in the design of a reverse logistics supply chain for batteries, and, thereby, directly contributing to what makes Umicore so unique, i.e., its circular business model, felt really fulfilling. The continuous developments, as well as the dynamic environment in which we were (and still are) operating, made this project even more interesting.

Nowadays, in my new role at Umicore’s headquarters in Brussels, I’m supporting the sustainability team in its “Let’s Go for Zero” ambitions. Umicore wants to be a leader in all aspects of sustainability and has committed to very ambitious targets to do so. The projects I’m currently working on are linked to the responsible sourcing of battery materials, as well as measuring and reducing Umicore’s GHG footprint. 

 
Working at Umicore really gets under your skin

To summarize the above, working at Umicore really gets under your skin. In a dynamic environment, thriving on global megatrends, Umicore will play a crucial part in the rise of clean mobility and addressing the concerns regarding resource scarcity. To be a leader in these areas, we, at Umicore, are forced to innovate, learn, and act on a daily basis. This continuous learning, openness to new ideas, cocreating together with others, as well as getting to know Umicore in all its facets are essential parts of the Young Graduate Program. And this is exactly what makes working at Umicore so exciting, fun and compelling.  

Hi there! My name is Fantine and I will be talking about my wonderful experience as a young graduate at Umicore. Let me take you with me to do an introspection of what happened in a year. 

What should I do after my studies?

I was really seeking to work for a company that has purpose and great positive impacts, precisely like Umicore. What Umicore does and how they communicate about it inspired me. It really did not feel like the ‘green-washing’ you sometimes get from other companies. Quite the opposite, the core driver of Umicore’s strategy is to have a better future. On top of that, I found positive online testimonials that highlighted a good organizational culture. Today, it is my turn to share my positive journey with you. 

How can I combine all of my interests together?

My personal approach to my studies was to keep open doors by learning and experiencing new topics of interest. I did an honor's degree in Public Relations, Marketing and Events (social sciences) in Edinburgh. Then, I moved back to Brussels to study an advanced master of Innovation and Strategic Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship (Business school). In other words, I studied a bunch of topics that triggered me to learn even more. By providing a rotation system at Umicore, the young graduate program allows me to keep opening doors by increasing my learnings and experiences. Furthermore, the program suits me as it offers the opportunity to apply both of my background: social sciences and business in a dynamic way.

My first year

My first year as a young graduate took place in Group Communications and Investor Relations at corporate in Brussels’ headquarters. A year full of memorable experiences and memories. I must point out that I met wonderful colleagues who took time to share their expertise. I believe that I did not spend one single day at the office without having a good laugh. There is a good team spirit for sure! When I talk to my friends about work, they can see in my eyes that I am happy to go to the office, this is not given to all organizations. A good organizational culture is a must have which I am able to find at Umicore. 

Regarding my projects I was able to fully manage several projects around the topic of digital solutions. One of my responsibilities was to manage a full year project to develop a tool that gathers data collected from our external communications. The aim was to make data analysis visually friendly for any type of user desiring to improve their communication strategy and external impacts. The project was a challenge that pushed me out of my conform zone. Through that project I was able to work closely with a variety of experts which was an incredible learning process. On top of that, I discovered a new topic of interest that is more technical than I would expect for myself. It highlights how being a young graduate is a fantastic opportunity to develop yourself and to push you out of your comfort zone. 

At Umicore, it feels like personal development is essential. You can find this value within the young graduate program. In one year had many trainings about several topics. The training courses were an opportunity to develop myself in different areas but also to meet new colleagues. When you read a #umicorefamily or #proutobeumicore it is not fake. The community at Umicore is an added value. The program is continuously improving due to open and honest communication. New training and mentoring sessions are available. It highlights a caring attitude for young talents. 

The beginning of my next project

After a year of working at Umicore, I must say a lot happened. The first year of entering professional life is special. Personally last year motivated me to keep going! I recently moved for my second rotation at Rechargeable Battery Materials. I joined the Communications and Marketing department. I have not started all my project yet as it is only the beginning. For sure what I am working on now is different from last year, which is super exciting. The Rechargeable Battery Materials is at the core of today’s megatrends. It is a booming industry which shapes the way of working and thinking. You feel a dynamic and driven energy. It makes me ask myself a new question “Imagine what I and, or you could do as part of the Umicore family?.” That question should inspire my future steps at Umicore.

My name is Arthur Peumans, I am 25 years old, Belgian, and I joined Umicore as a Business Young Graduate in September 2021. The Business Young Graduate Program is a two-year rotational program that offers you the enriching opportunity to immerse yourself in the multinational organization from two different perspectives. My first year as a Business Young Graduate started in the Purchasing & Transportation department in Hoboken where I was part of the Procurement & Transportation Excellence team. In September 2022, I switched to Corporate HR in Brussels. 

Why did I join Umicore?

You might wonder why someone with a degree in business and economics joins Umicore, one of Belgium’s industrial flagships. Umicore attracted me because of two elements that really stood out: strong in transition and innovative. First, the characteristic ‘strong in transition’ is for me related to the long and, far from being uninteresting, history of Umicore (including all its predecessors): from a mining company in the past, to a sustainable materials technology & recycling group nowadays. However, I have to admit that, since I started working at Umicore, strong in transition evolved more towards high agility and flexibility of a stable organization. Secondly, Umicore positioned itself as a very innovative company. Not only in the way of what they do (e.g., urban mining, having a circular business model, and focus on future technologies) also how they do it. Since I joined in September 2021, I’m still overwhelmed by how innovation is at the core of Umicore. 

My first year

In my first year as a Young Graduate, I was directly exposed to the innovative culture. Being part of the team working on process optimizations across the procurement and transportation chain, I was mainly involved in a large digitalization project in which my role focused on onboarding suppliers on our new procurement platform. In this role, I was given full ownership of the work. Thanks to this role, I learned how to come up with durable, value-creating solutions and to communicate to stakeholders in a responsible and convincing way, but also the ability to adapt and adjust to a changing business environment. 

Until thus far, I really enjoyed being part of Umicore and the YG program. Although I have not yet completed the program, I think the most valuable aspect about the YG program is that you are taken out of your comfort zone and given very interesting learning opportunities in a multinational organization within departments that would otherwise remain unknown. For instance, with no background in supply chain, I was able to gain a huge amount of practical knowledge about procurement and purchasing processes. 

Within Umicore, we all share the same purpose: to be the best at what we do and the most sustainable in the way we do it, in order to make the world a better place. Together with 11,000 passionate colleagues, we strive towards this goal. And I assure you, this gives energy and strength to go for it as a team. Imagine what you can do!? 

“I think it’s hugely valuable to have the opportunity to get to know and explore so many different sides of a company. Especially this early in my career.”

Matteo Perin (25), Technical Young Graduate