Pictured above: Corrina Firth, with the other winners, at this year's Meat & Poultry Processing Awards

Graduates looking for career opportunities can reap rich rewards in unexpected areas, by broadening their search for employment, according to specialist recruitment advisers.

With this year's exodus of graduates from universities across the UK, the hunt for jobs is heating up again, say experts at Discovery, a graduate recruitment specialist in the Midlands. They are advising graduates to be open-minded, and look into careers in sectors they would not ordinarily consider. 

Corrina Firth, of Hull-based Cranswick Country Foods, represents a vivid example of how a graduate can achieve glowing success by pursuing a career in an area that they would usually not consider. After studying business management at university, her long-term goal was to become a lecturer. 

Corrina initially joined Cranswick as an operative, to fund her degree, but stayed in the job after graduation, while applying for teaching qualifications. However, during this short time, she was offered a role in the QA department, which brought fresh and engaging challenges.

From there she progressed rapidly up the career ladder, from line leader to supervisor, then shift manager and finally to her current role as retail production manager. Her latest achievement is winning industry-wide recognition for her achievements, having swept up 'Young Processor of the Year' at the 2011 Meat & Poultry Processing Awards, held at the end of March.

Commenting on her experiences, Corrina said: "In the meat industry, graduates are given far more responsibility and freedom to develop than most. Winning the award has given me a huge confidence boost, enabling me to realise how far I have come and what I have achieved."

John Fletcher, General Manager at Cranswick Country Foods, commented: "Graduates are extremely important to our business; there is a need for young professional managers to grow and improve the industry. Graduates bring enthusiasm, a fresh approach, new ideas, intelligence, and are our future business leaders." 

Corrina is currently part way through Discovery's 'OPEN Programme', an experiential graduate training programme, accredited at Postgraduate Certificate level in Professional Development, Leadership and Organisational Change and reinforced back into the business through stretch assignments and business improvement projects.

"The OPEN Programme has allowed me to realise how I am viewed by others, be aware of my strengths and weaknesses, and how to build confidence in others. The coaching and techniques learned on the OPEN Programme have enabled me to bring out the best in others", said Corrina.

Mr Fletcher added: "We are very proud of Corrina. She is a credit to both herself and Cranswick, and thoroughly vindicates our policy to invest in young talented managers, now and in the future."