With graduation season coming along soon, it’s a timely moment to hear from our Head of Emerging Talent & Careers team, Hayley, about her advice and experience for those who are about to enter the job market for the first time. 

After spending several years hosting and welcoming students into our global Graduate and Intern Programs, Hayley has a wealth of knowledge on how to make the best start to corporate life, so we caught up with her to find out her top three pieces of advice for new grads and interns starting the world of work. 

Hayley Bowd | Director, Emerging Talent & Careers | London, UK

My team and role

Hi, I’m Hayley and I lead our Emerging Talent & Careers team, which includes teams of recruiters and program specialists. You can think of it as one side of the team that focuses on bringing in great talent to our programs, and the other side that delivers their program and supports them whilst they’re here. We have an incredible team of smart and passionate individuals who truly care about the programs we deliver and seek to continuously improve them, striving to ‘Go Get What’s Next’. 

We deliver the global intern, graduate, military placement and apprenticeship programs at EG. The best part of my role is actually the experience of working with so many different teams, both in collaboration in running the program and learning about the various teams that welcome our program participants. And every year we see the benefits of bringing in these talented cohorts of individuals to EG. Seeing them thrive and have impact is hugely rewarding and a reason why I’ve worked in emerging talent for so long. I’m also an internal board member of WELL (Women at Expedia Learning and Leading) which is a huge part of my life here and another reason I enjoy working at EG. 

My advice to New Graduates and Interns starting their careers

1. An open mind opens opportunities
   Psychologist Carol Dweck developed the concept of a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset, and how looking at challenges as learning opportunities can be a powerful tool. Some advice on developing a growth mindset (and reaping the benefits!) is to embrace challenges that you might face and focus on what you’re learning from them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and saying yes to opportunities that arise. Curiosity is a sought-after skill and crucial at any time in your career, and you never know where an opportunity might lead you with a growth mindset.

2.  A career journey is not always straightforward
   You have a long career ahead of you with lots of opportunity to try different things (and some jobs might not even exist yet). Think of it as having multiple scenarios in a room with many doors – you can’t see behind the doors, but you need to choose one to go through at various points in your career. My advice? Try something you feel like you might enjoy, and where you will learn, and if you ever reach a point where those things are not happening, you can explore other doors (and some of those options might even be within the same team or organisation!)

3. Start building your map of connections
   Surrounding yourself with a network of people who can support you, encourage you, challenge you, inspire you, is important. When you start working, you’ll have opportunities to meet lots of new people – take some time to get to know them, ask questions, ask for advice, and try to understand their career journeys. At Expedia Group we have an incredible set of IBGs (Inclusion Business Groups) which anyone can join and be part of, and are a great way to meet people. And lastly, don’t forget those who have already been part of your journey – peers at university, inspirational teachers or mentors. LinkedIn is a great way to stay in touch during the various career moments you’ll experience. 

Why I’d recommend starting a career at Expedia Group

Starting any career is daunting and scary, so we aim to setup everyone on our Emerging Talent & Careers programs for success. We provide the support and structure to help them thrive in their roles, and at EG. Some core components of our programs are focused on development; learning courses, being paired with a mentor, community; joining as part of a cohort and going through this experience together, and building relevant work experience; getting to do work that contributes to our mission, with the support of a great manager and team. You can find out more about our programs here.  

Our worldview is that travel is a force for good, and I’d recommend a career at EG because the work we all do contributes to this and serves our travelers. People are an organisation’s greatest asset and we have wonderful teams and communities who work hard, and support each other, all while having fun. 

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