Job Hunting and Interview Tips
Job Hunting Try to get some experience in different areas before you make a deci sion about what you want to do. For example, try to get a couple of in ternships in the summer at the end of 1st and 2nd year. Make your CV and application skills focussed. Don’t say ‘I was president of the college chess club’ and assume the shortlisting panel will know what that implies about your skills. If a job advert lists essential criteria, make sure you clearly demonstrate how you address each one.
Martin Head Warfare Officer Submariner Royal Navy
Adrian Simpson Principal Josephine Butler College
You can’t beat word of mouth. A lot of jobs tend to get advertised inter nally so ask your friends and speak to companies first hand. Don’t just stay online hoping for one to pop up. If you’re dropping a CV into a workplace, stick it in an envelope with the recruitment manager’s name on. It will end up on their desk. Make sure you’ve put a good cover letter in with it, hand signed addressing the re cruitment manager directly. If you call up, they’ll tell you the name of that manager. In that way you’re setting a professional example before they’ve even met you. Don’t get downhearted if you don’t get the job. Instead, phone up and ask for feedback. They’ll be more than happy to help and you can im prove your technique.
Don't be too narrow in your job search sometimes something completely unexpected can turn into the ideal position for you. Treat it like anything else and have your SMART goals so that you can feel like you are achieving something (which you are but the 50 odd rejections may suggest otherwise)
Rhiannon Mehta Sports Coach
Don't let it bog you down have other things to work on that you enjoy and can push yourself to achieve if you aren't getting what you'd set your eyes on.
Jo Dedhar Translator and Minute Writer CERN
Keep an open mind and don't limit your search too much you might find something unexpected that works out really well, or could at least be a stepping stone to your ideal job. All experience is good experience so don't underestimate the importance of skills gained in part time jobs, holiday work, internships etc. even if they were in an unrelated field. Be proactive in your search: check regularly for vacancies, make an effort to establish links with employers that you want to work for and apply for as many things as possible.
Imagine yourself doing the job and talk to other people to get their experience. Reading about it an understanding the theory of how it 'should' work can be very different to the reality. You need to understand the reality. Jack Bourke Bennett Think long term, specifically looking at the skills and knowledge you need to develop to advance and improve. Looking at person Head of Physics specifications for similar jobs can give you a good taste for where you can develop. Flintshire County Make your search as broad as possible. You can apply your skills in all sorts of industries and you'll learn and get fantastic experi Council ence from areas that are far removed from your degree sub ject. Know what kind of place you want to work at once you have the job, it is a major part of your life so must be right for you Jo Benjamin as well as you for it. Look for somewhere that makes a good deal out of what they have to offer you your own professional development is im Teacher of Science portant for both you and your future employer. Work out how rare a commodity you think you are and hence Myton School how picky you can be. Make sure that you have a LinkedIn profile there are lots of recruit ers out there looking for graduates Apply early. I applied for my graduate job at Christmas, intending to start in the following September. By the time I had completed all the various interview stages (which was only January) most of the posi tions had been taken and I had to apply to a different department. Be flexible. You might not get the exact job you want, but if you can find something in the same sector you may be able to move once you have some experience.
Alex Davies Manager Linux Jump Trading
Assistant Manager Risk Advisory Deloitte
Do something ‘real world’ while at University. Have an active github ac count, get involved in open source, make some money working as con tractor, setup a business, whatever you want. But something. Network. There are jobs out there that you wont find at graduate fairs. I got my Internship at Google after giving a talk at a conference that a Googler was present at, while your network might be small, use it. Search for jobs in a normal way as well as the ‘graduate’ way, i.e. look for firms that have relatively junior roles. If you have experience in the field, you can often skip the ‘graduate job’ step. Focus on smaller teams in large firms, or medium/small firms. They may often appreciate a di rect approach if it demonstrates energy and some experience.
David Thornber Regional Manager South Central Asia Durham University
Helen Young
Do your research – audit your skills and make sure they match the type of jobs you are pursuing Be positive and persistent Have a flexible, but succinct CV
Start early to avoid missing deadlines and to make sure you have enough time to give each application proper attention. When deciding where to apply, think about which firms will suit your personality. This is often what they will be looking for at interview. Don't give up, it is a tough market but if you really want it you will get there.
Oliver Muir Customer Support Engineer Metaswitch Networks
Laura Davies Associate Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe)
Sign up with a few recruitment agencies. They'll do a lot of work for you and often they’ll bypass the annoying application forms. Don't just focus on graduate schemes as there are a lot of great jobs that aren't schemes. Consider what size of company you want to work as it can have a big effect on the work culture.
Lots of job websites let you set up email alerts for keywords which let you know when there are new jobs. If you are looking for a job in a specific company or university group you can also download tools which check job webpages automatically for changes every day. Apply for bursaries, travel grants and enter competitions as much as possible. There are lots of opportunities to do this in college. Experi ence in writing funding applications is really valuable. Write a cover letter even if they don't ask for one. Try to mention all the points in the job advert and link them to the parts in your applica tion with the details.
Caitlin Pearson Project Officer Yorkshire Dales River Trust
David Burn Research Associate Diamond Light Source
Contact the organisation before you apply to get a bet ter idea of what they are looking for and to show en thusiasm. Avoid cliches. Draw out the qualities that make you unique, don't labour general points like IT literacy or having A levels!
Research the company beyond what they do – think of them in context of their competitors, what makes them different – research will assist you in making quality applications and preparation for the assessment process. Be realistic. Fast forward to the moment you are offered a job by the company you are thinking of applying to – would you really want to work in that location? Are you excited by the details of their programme or opportunities on offer? Make fewer, more targeted applications rather than go for scattergun, copy and pasted. Recruiters can tell the difference and you’ll make
Malachi Soord Software Engineer GetYourGuide
Lieha Parry Talent Acquisition Coordinator Dyson
Apply directly to companies which are of interest. Be weary of recruiters, a lot of the time they are just trying to fill positions. Look around on platforms related to your field. For example in tech nology Hacker News is quite a good resource and each month they host who's hiring/who's recruiting threads.
Interviews Be yourself employers don't want robots, they want people with actual personalities! Ask questions this makes it seem as though you really are interested. Helen Young Also, if you don't understand a question that you have been asked, don't be afraid to ask them to clarify rather than trying to muddle together an Assistant Manager answer. They don't expect you to know everything! Don't just talk about your degree I did a history degree, but have a Risk Advisory career in accounting. While my degree was relevant for a couple of questions, most of the conversation related to other things. I found that Deloitte employers were much more interested in real life examples than your degree (although it is important and you still need the grades)!
Alex Davies Manager Linux Jump Trading
You will be bad at your first few interviews. Apply to jobs you don’t really want to get experience before the job you really want. For Technical interviews, interview at the big tech firms (Google, Face book, etc.) even if you don’t want to work for them. Their interview pro cess is rigorous, and you will learn something from it. Always ask the interviewer educated questions at the end (pretend you have not prepared these in advance).
Think about what it would take to do the job well, and what evidence you have that you can do it. Explain clearly and succinctly what makes you the best candidate. Do your research, and show them that you've done it. That doesn't only mean memorising the objectives, performance figure but show ing that you've thought about what you would have to do to improve things. If you're appointed, you'll have to do it! Don't be afraid to ask them to clarify a question. You need to avoid being vague, and make sure you answer the question.
Andy Lane Manager Deloitte
Make sure you have done your research both on the company and the industry you are applying for. Dress smartly and presentable for the interview. Be natural, answer the questions honestly and you will come over better.
Caitlin Pearson Project Officer Yorkshire Dales River Trust
Jack Bourke Bennett Head of Physics Flintshire County Council
For most jobs how you in teract with people is as im portant as your knowledge. Make sure you come across as an open, amiable person. Make points clearly and concisely, avoid rambling. A bit of humour can help!
Everything from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave is part Adrian Simpson of the interview. The receptionist, the person who takes you on a tour, the person who takes you for lunch may all be asked for their view of you Principal as part of the team. Josephine Butler Try to avoid telling the people at the company about their own company. College Interviews are two way processes – use the experience to decide if you want to work there. Ask lots of questions to lots of people. You’ll almost certainly be asked if you have any questions during the main interview, so try to ask genuine questions to which you really want to know the answers. This means that you need to be really well prepared and know as much about the company and the position as possible.
Jo Benjamin Teacher of Science Myton School
Remember the interview is a chance for you to see whether you want to work there. Ask questions and try to get a feel for how happy staff are. Find out specifics that affect your practice What is the expectation of marking frequency? What is in place on a school level to support your management of behaviour? What CPD do they offer? Strike a balance between "playing the game" with the buzz words and hot topics of the time and showing your take on it and what you offer that makes you special.
Arrive on time. Be prepared research about the company you are applying for and the position you are applying for. Just be yourself.
Malachi Soord Software Engineer GetYourGuide
Thoroughly research the firm you are interviewing with so that you can be specific about why you want to work for them particularly. Have a list of firms with similar attributes ready, you will often be asked where else you have applied and you will need to give an an swer that does not contradict why you want to work for them. Think before you speak, it is better to pause before answering than provide an answer that doesn't make sense.
Jo Dedhar Translator and Minute Writer CERN
Laura Davies Associate Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe)
Try to relax it will make it much easier to develop a good rapport with the interviewers. Be honest and open; the interviewers just want to get to know you and will appreciate you being honest instead of saying what you think they want to hear. Most questions won't have right or wrong answers anyway. Don't be disheartened if an interview doesn't go well just chalk it up to experience.
Oliver Muir Customer Support Engineer Metaswitch Networks
Be prepared to treat a first assessment centre as a practice. They're unusual situations and few people naturally know how to act and aren't put off by the situation. Remember that an interview works both ways. It is a very good opportunity to decide if you’d enjoy working at that company so don’t let it pass you by. Look up the company on glassdoor.co.uk to see what kind of questions they ask in interviews.
Rhiannon Mehta Sports Coach
If possible, sit on an interview panel it is eye opening to what is impactful effec tive and off putting. Take note. Get filmed doing an interview and watch it back (probably a mock interview be cause most real ones won't let you do that). It may be cringe worthy and turn your stomach but you really pick up on points about yourself. Let your passion and interest show through, tell your little geeky exciting mo ments.
Don’t talk about what you want to get out of the company in the interview. The employer knows exactly what you want out of it, money! Instead talk about what you can give to the company. It takes a bit more thought, but you may just solve a problem for them. Know where you’re applying. What happens if the interviewer says ‘Who’s the CEO of this company?’ Make sure you know! If they don’t stop you speaking on a topic, keep talking. They have a list of things they want to hear from you, keep talking until you get them all. If they ask you to stop, it often means they’ve got everything they need for that section. It’s all about providing evidence to your character traits.
David Burn Research Associate Diamond Light Source
Martin Head Warfare Officer Submariner Royal Navy
You may be asked to do a presentation in an interview. This is a good chance to try and get across how many different techniques/ bits of equipment/ meth ods you are familiar with. Also make sure you stick to the time. In big panel interviews don't be put off if some of the panellists seem more interested in the paperwork for the next candidate. They often take it in turns and only a few of them will be asking questions. Those are the ones who will have most input into the decision so focus on impressing them. For the interview, don't wear a new suit with the "machine washable" tag still on it. (I didn't get that job)
Do research on skills and experiences and prepare STARs to help frame your responses – this will help make best use of the time that you have in an interview session and give you quick recall on situations that may have happened some time ago. Think of an interview as a two way conversation – you have a right to ask questions too and recruiters expect good candidates to want to find out more about the opportunities, company, cul ture so you should think of questions to ask. Be careful not to over prepare! Sometimes people’s ability to engage naturally, build rapport and show real passion can be masked when preparation results in semi scripted responses.
David Thornber Regional Manager South Central Asia Durham University
Lieha Parry Talent Acquisition Coordinator Dyson
Plan, prepare, have confidence in your abilities. Do your research – make sure you know about the organisation you are interviewing for. Go into the interview knowing why you want the job, be bold and passionate.
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