For many graduates, career progression matters. But so does work-life balance - and increasingly, they’re looking for employers who support their wellbeing, recognise the value of life outside work and give them the space to build successful careers.
At NFU Mutual, colleagues describe work-life balance positively. After asking people about their experience, the career website Flexa awarded us a 91% score for work-life balance, alongside 90% for being early career friendly and 93% for being family friendly.
We wanted to understand what sits behind these strong ratings for people at the start of their careers. So we spoke to four women who joined NFU Mutual through its Graduate Scheme: Willow Wright, Sarah Kilmister, Lucy Backhouse and Ellie Jackson.
Now working as a Locum Agency Manager, Finance Business Partner, Climate Change Consultant and Financial Reporting Accountant, their career journeys are all different. But together, they show that work-life balance matters across different roles, teams and stages of career development - from the Graduate Scheme through to permanent positions.
What does work-life balance look like at NFU Mutual?
Work-life balance means different things to different people. For graduates building their careers, it often shows up in practical, personal ways. It can mean having the flexibility to manage commitments outside work, the support to keep developing, or the confidence that ambition and wellbeing can sit alongside each other.
For Sarah Kilmister, balance has shaped her experience of progression. Rather than feeling pushed to move at a pace that doesn’t feel right, she describes a culture where you’re encouraged and supported to grow. “People do look after you. They want you to achieve and they want you to progress,” she explained.
And for Willow Wright, that same sense of balance has remained important as her career and personal life have developed. At the time of our conversation, she was preparing for maternity leave while continuing to build on the experience she gained through the Graduate Scheme.
How does flexibility help people thrive?
Across every conversation, flexibility stood out as one of the clearest ways NFU Mutual supports wellbeing - giving people more control over how they work and how they manage life outside work.
Ellie’s experience shows how flexibility can support professional development as well as wellbeing. “I was given plenty of time outside of work to study and my workload was managed to make sure I had the right balance between study, work and life,” she explained. For graduates undertaking professional qualifications, that kind of support can make a real difference - giving people space to learn, perform well and continue to progress without every part of life competing for attention.
For Lucy, flexibility has played a significant role in her positive experience at NFU Mutual. It’s helped her balance the expectations of her role with the time and energy she needs outside work, without feeling that one has to come at the expense of the other. “Work-life balance is important to me and that’s something you can factor in and still be a great employee,” she reflected.
For many roles, NFU Mutual offers up to 80% homeworking, and that practical flexibility has made a difference to Lucy’s day-to-day experience. It’s also helped her protect time for the things that matter outside work. “I’ve got horses and they demand a lot of my time, but it blends very well with this job,” she explained.
Whether it’s time to study, space to manage workload or flexibility to protect commitments outside work, this support can make a real difference - giving graduates room to learn, perform well and continue to progress without every part of life competing for attention.
How does NFU Mutual support ambition and wellbeing?
A Graduate Scheme can be stretching, especially when you’re learning quickly, taking on new responsibilities and building confidence in a professional environment.
For Ellie, what stood out at NFU Mutual was the way hard work sat alongside support. “You won’t find many graduate jobs that are as friendly as this,” she said. Rather than feeling that development had to come at the expense of wellbeing, she described an environment where you’re expected to work hard, but also feel supported as a person. “NFU Mutual genuinely cares about you,” she explained. That approach has shaped her experience of the Graduate Scheme. “There’s room for hard work, but there’s also room for work-life balance and a lot of personal development,” she added.
It’s something Sarah, Lucy, Willow and Ellie have all experienced in different ways. Their stories show that ambition and balance are not opposites — they’re all building meaningful careers, developing professionally and taking on new challenges, while keeping space for life outside work. At NFU Mutual, that support helps make career growth feel sustainable, not something that has to come at the expense of wellbeing.
A career that’s sustainable as well as successful
At NFU Mutual, we want to help you build a career that feels sustainable as well as successful. That starts with the culture around you - managers who understand what people need, colleagues who encourage development and an environment where ambition is supported without life outside work being pushed aside.
That means supporting you to pursue professional qualifications, build confidence and take on new opportunities, while maintaining the commitments that matter to you outside work. When you feel trusted, supported and able to manage your work-life balance, you’re better placed to keep learning, perform at your best and build momentum without feeling that progress has to come at a personal cost.
From the start of your graduate career and as you continue to grow, we’ll help you develop in a way that feels achievable, rewarding and right for you.
Interested in joining NFU Mutual?
Take a look at our current vacancies or register for job alerts by email. We look forward to hearing from you.