The end is nigh… October 14, 2008
Posted by gradselectteam in Uncategorized.Tags: best, careers, consultancy, employment, event, fair, finance, graduate, IT, jobs, London, recruitment, the careers group
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Graduate Select yesterday was a huge success, with over 500 visitors able to speak to representatives from top companies in finance, consultancy & IT. I hope those of you that made it found it useful; the pre-event Careers Coaching Session in particular was very well-attended! We welcome feedback, so if you have any thoughts on how we could improve the event please do get in touch at fairs@careers.lon.ac.uk. We are already taking bookings from exhibitors for the event next year, and are hoping to get the application process open earlier to give everyone as much chance as possible to get involved.
For anyone who wasn’t able to attend on Monday or who unfortunately was not accepted this time, our next event is The Guardian London Graduate Fair from The Careers Group, which takes place next Tuesday 21 October at the Business Design Centre. We have a great line-up of exhibitors from a huge variety of sectors, and some big names from the worlds of finance and IT, including Bloomberg, IG Index, the Financial Services Authority, Cerner, Fidessa, Capital One and many more…. For more information and to pre-register (no application form involved!) see the website www.londongradfair.co.uk/autumn.
This is the last post you’ll hear from us for a while, but do watch this space for our Events Team blog which will be coming soon….
Good luck and happy job-hunting!
The Grad Select Team
Don’t Ask Stupid Questions… October 10, 2008
Posted by gradselectteam in Uncategorized.Tags: careers, consultancy, employment, event, fair, finance, graduate, IT, jobs, London, recruitment, the careers group
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Graduate Select is only a few days away and so here is another juicy piece of advice from one of our resident expert Careers Advisers on how to avoid looking stupid in front of exhibitors at the event…
‘So, what do you do then?’
‘Do you have any jobs for me?’
‘Do you take on people who require work permits?’
‘How much do you pay?’
‘What sort of roles do you have available?’
Those are a few — there are lots more. They are questions that make employers on stands at events like Graduate Select grind their teeth.
Some questions demonstrate your lack of research. Don’t ever ask anything you could have found out by rooting around on their website or by looking through their recruitment literature.
Some questions are presumptuous. They make the assumption that the recruiter already wants to employ you. It’s a little bit like asking a complete stranger what side of your bed they would like to sleep on before you even know they fancy you. Not recommended.
Some questions just miss a trick. It is possible to show the recruiter that you are an intelligent person who has done some researching and thinking. For example, ‘I know that forensic accountancy involves looking at the financial aspects of legal or criminal situations, but I would like to get an idea of the typical cases that a recent graduate might end up working on. Would you be able to give me a couple of examples?’ Or what about, ‘I know that you ask for candidates to demonstrate drive, focus and a commitment to deliver results. Could you give me an idea of what that means in practice and what sort of examples you look for in candidate applications?’
So, it’s not just a case of avoiding stupid questions. If you really want to make the most of the event, you need to be ready to ask some intelligent questions.
This is just a taster of the kind of advice you can expect to get at the pre-event Careers Coaching Session at this year’s Graduate Select. This session promises to be a great final step in your preparation for the event, so don’t miss out! The session starts at 12pm (limited places, so get there 10-15 minutes before…), with the Hall open at 1pm.
Be part of it
Difficult times demand a bit more thought… October 8, 2008
Posted by gradselectteam in Uncategorized.Tags: careers, consultancy, employment, finance, graduate, IT, jobs, recruitment, the careers group
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Graduate Select is fast approaching and so we thought this week we’d give you a bit of last minute expert advice on how to prepare for the event. Below is an article written by one of our University of London Careers Advisers on general preparation techniques…
In telephone interviews for a financial services employer early in 2008 one of the questions asked was, ‘Tell me about a recent financial news story that has interested you.’ A large number of candidates mentioned the sub-prime mortgage situation that had been in the news for several weeks. Apart from the fact that this was such an obvious (and therefore boring) answer, it was also a bit of mystery that none of these candidates had thought through the potential implications of what they were reading. Within a few weeks the employer had drastically scaled back their graduate recruitment intake. Many candidates who had struggled through most of the rigorous selection procedure were just dumped.
Anyone who was capable of performing some basic research on the nature of that company should have been capable of predicting that this was a strong possibility. The complete failure of these intelligent candidates to think through the potential consequences of the information they were receiving, or even to perform a basic SWOT analysis may explain why the financial sector has got itself into such a mess.
Now more than ever it is important to undertake thorough research on any employers you are considering. This doesn’t just mean finding out a few facts about their history and clients that you can regurgitate at an interview. Look in detail at their company reports to get an idea of how the business as a whole is structured. Don’t just cram on business news a few days before applying. Keep constantly up to date with developments in the sector and the business world as a whole. Read every news report as if you were the chief executive; think about the potential implications for the organisation.
That might just stop you applying to a company that is about to go down the pan.
Be part of it
Calling all IT grads….. October 3, 2008
Posted by gradselectteam in Uncategorized.Tags: best, careers, consultancy, employment, event, fair, finance, graduate, IT, jobs, recruitment, the careers group
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This year we have had a huge number of applications for Graduate Select: Finance, Consulatncy & IT from students and grads interested in careers in IT. With this in mind, see below for a couple of articles on the current IT graduate recruitment market….
What’s wrong with IT grads in the UK?
IT remains a competitive area – recruiters look for ‘all-rounders’, as technical excellence alone is no longer enough. The ability to demonstrate soft skills such as communication is massively important when applying for a job in this sector. The article below from eFinancialCareers shows how it’s important for UK IT graduates to impress…
The UK IT skills crisis
Finally, a crisis that spells good news for grads – according to the IT sector skills council E-Skills UK, the industry needs about 140,000 entrants each year. Last year, there were 16,440 computer science graduates, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, leaving a shortfall of 120,000 per annum!
Be part of it
www.gradselect.co.uk
