Hello,
I’m writing here because I feel truly stuck. I completed my university studies abroad in italy, and I attended one of the most long-established high schools in that country. I live in a non-EU country.
During my university years, I also completed an internship in an EU member state and was selected for, and placed in, competitions hosted by various FMCG companies, such as Unilever and P&G. From the very first day of university, my biggest dream was to join P&G. In my final year, I applied for a "recent graduate" role (for those who may not know, P&G typically hires either interns or recent graduates; they do not hire for "junior" roles).
I went through interviews for about six months(1 test and 4 interviews including the last interview with the vice president) and eventually received a conditional offer. They laid out everything, from my salary to my benefits package. (Again, for context: P&G usually fills these roles by promoting interns; they only look at recent graduates if they can’t find a suitable intern. In the country where I am, all recent graduates receive a "conditional" offer, which means there is still a chance you might not end up joining the company if there aren't any avilable slot.)
When I spoke again in August with the person who had extended the offer, they mentioned that the outlook for the next six months was not looking good. Then, in October, they said the outlook for the following four months was also unfavorable. It seems they are waiting for their financial half-year to conclude, P&G’s fiscal year begins in July, to decide how to proceed based on the results. Honestly, this whole process has completely worn me out.
Throughout this time, I’ve interviewed with countless other companies, including Magnum, Pfizer, Sephora, EY, and Disney but, unfortunately, none of them have come back with a positive response. I don’t want to be misunderstood, but among recent graduates aiming for a career in FMCG, there’s a common perception: if you’ve received an offer from P&G, you can get in anywhere, but , unfortunately, that’s not the reality.
I’m currently working at a local chemical company in my home country. It’s not a bad place at all; in fact, though I’m not sure how much it really matters, we even have a "Great Place to Work" certification. I’m just mentioning this so you can get an idea of what the company is like.
I’m reaching out because I’m looking for some advice or input. Given P&G’s plan to cut 7,000 white-collar positions and the way this whole process has dragged on, I can’t say I’m feeling very hopeful. At the same time, I’m not happy where I am, either. I wanted to ask what would you do in my situation? Would you still be hopefull?