At 26, Alice is a Community Manager at PepsiCo, looking after iconic brands like Quaker Oats. Her journey from the public sector to a global corporate giant illustrates how a CMI Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship provides more than just management theory, it can offer the self-reflection needed to navigate neurodiversity and build lasting professional confidence.

Navigating the corporate world

Entering a high-profile corporate environment presented Alice with her first major hurdle: a lack of familiar footsteps to follow.

“I’m one of the first in my family to work in this field. It felt a bit isolating to not be following in someone’s footsteps,” she says.

Without a roadmap for navigating corporate life, Alice had to find her own way, a process that was further complicated by her late diagnosis of ADHD. “I got diagnosed recently, after my apprenticeship finished. My ADHD affected me a lot, for example feeling overwhelmed with my workload, being too much of a perfectionist and having imposter syndrome. They were such big barriers for me in the world of work.”

Working with ADHD

It was the quiet reflection required by her CMI apprenticeship, through training provider Corndel, that led Alice to seek her diagnosis.

“Part of the reason I went for the diagnosis was because I did so much self-reflection during the programme. Being told that I had ADHD helped me understand that my brain works differently. The tutors at Corndel were also very helpful, structuring the programme in a clear way so that I knew exactly what was expected of me at each stage.”

Now, Alice uses that understanding to manage her energy and her relationships with stakeholders more effectively.

“Having ADHD gives me certain strengths. I’m creative and good at problem-solving, and if a crisis comes up, I can look at it objectively and sort it out - even though I might have a meltdown over something trivial like what to have for dinner! I’ve learned to have honest conversations with my manager about what I need, such as clear deadlines and literal instructions, so I can do my best work.”

The power of emotional intelligence 

A key component of the CMI Level 3 apprenticeship was emotional intelligence, a skill Alice believes is often overlooked but is vital for stakeholder management.

“Being able to de-escalate a situation or provide support for someone, and really think about how my outward presentation affects them, was huge. I’ve had instances where emotional intelligence helped me flip a negative situation into a positive one and maintain good partnerships across the business.”

She also used specific CMI frameworks, such as feedback models, to improve her communication.

Before the programme, a colleague commented that the feedback I gave wasn’t very helpful. It was hard to hear, but having the CMI models to refer to helped me provide the right support people actually need.

Leaning into discomfort

Alice’s advice to young professionals is to lean into the discomfort of growth and not wait for a perfect moment of readiness. “Trust yourself and your judgement. I think you just have to face it and you’ll figure it out along the way. I don't think there's ever been a time in my career where I felt that I was totally ready to take on something new.”

She encourages others to step outside their comfort zones, even when it feels daunting.

If something scares you, that means it’s worth trying. You can’t grow if you’re not scared or nervous sometimes. Even if you don’t feel confident, fake it until you make it. You’ll soon find that the confidence becomes real.