Trust and a great team: Why Gerald Edelman is right for me

At any company, culture is at the very heart of the successful running of your business. It doesn’t stop at social events, but in fact, runs all the way to how employees work together and treat one another.

This month, we caught up with Business Services Department (BSD) Senior, Sahra Deldjavan, to learn how she started her career in Gerald Edelman’s BSD team, why she chose our firm and how she believes GE culture has helped her grow in the early years of her role.

Have you always wanted to work in BSD? If not, what motivated you on to your current career path?

When I was training in my previous role I was in BSD, but once I qualified and moved on I missed the BSD element and was looking for more variety in my role.

I like to be challenged, and can get bored easily if I’m doing the same tasks, so I wanted to be in a job where every day was different and that’s what you get with BSD.

Why did you choose Gerald Edelman (GE)?

One of the things that stuck out to me when I was applying for GE was the variety of clients. From large multinationals to charities and small businesses, I knew that my role would be varied and that I would gain valuable experience.

What do you enjoy most about working at GE?

I think for a lot of us at GE, it’s the ability to get exposure to a wide range of projects. Unlike with a Big 4 firm, you’re more than just a small cog in a big machine. I would find it difficult to describe a day in my role at GE, because every day and every client is different.

As well as my actual role, I really enjoy working with my immediate team. They are supportive and knowledgeable, but we are also a really sociable group that click well – they’re good eggs! I think people forget how important team culture is, and GE’s united culture is something that has really shone through during the pandemic.

What have been your biggest challenges so far?

I can’t pin down a single challenge, but I have been given quite challenging client work in the past where I have initially found it extremely daunting. But, with time, research, and support from my immediate team I manage to always deliver the work and build trust with the client.

Again, going back to my reference to having a role in a Big 4 firm, GE provides you with opportunities to really showcase your skills and trust you with responsibility when it comes to client work. You’re not just given a few specific jobs, meaning you can really develop a quality relationship with your clients from the get-go.

What are your goals for the future?

I would say I’m quite an ambitious person and I always want to be learning new things. For me, my main goal is to stay in GE, keep learning and progress as far as I can within the firm.

What advice would you give others that are seeking to pursue a career in BSD?  

Keep learning! I think people can often stick with what they have learned in their exams, but I would say where I thrive the most is when I have made a conscious effort to learn more about a certain part of my role and expand my knowledge.

Also when it comes to projects and client work, don’t fret about getting things right the first time! You’re always learning in this role. Always adopt first principle thinking – breaking a problem down into its fundamental parts. This is such a simple, yet underrated method and has helped me so much in past projects.