HirEd - Nov 2012

contents Editors letter p3 Avouiding Interview Pitfalls p4-5 Do The Movember p6-7 Too Many Options, Too Little Time p8-9 Taking The Fear Out Of Your Career p10-11 Less Is More p12-13 HirEd Success Stories p14 The Review Room p15 Company Profiles p16 p17: PwC p18: Pinsent Masons p19: Aspen p20: Linklaters p21: Bechtel p22: BPP Law School p23: KPMG p24: Softcat p25: Accenture p26: Shell p27: Hiscox p28: Kantar Worldpanel p29: Thales p30: Endsleigh p31: Zurich p32: Siemens p33: National Grid

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Do you radiate success ...or something else?

editors letter Halloween has been and gone, November is already upon us and Christmas is just around the corner... How time has flown already! At University, your time flies faster than you think, so making sure you allocate some of it to contemplating your career will really help you crack those career nerves before it’s too late. Check out “Taking the fear out of your Career” for simple tips on how a visit to your Careers Service can really help.

We have loads of great features and resources in this month’s edition to offer you extra support in getting ahead of the game. The University of Warwick Careers & Skills department offer a fantastic array of advice, not just in person and through their library of resources, but also online through their careers blog. This month we have decided to feature a recent article posted called “Avoiding Interview Pitfalls”. It’s a fantastic summary covering the subtle ways to acing an interview.

We also talk about the simple steps you can achieve on your own through a bit of self reflection, a variety of experiences and talking to other people in the same shoes or those that have been there and done that (see Too Many Options, Too Little Time”).

We have a few graduate success stories to share of with you as well as our top picks of mobile apps and a charity worth supporting this month – “Movember”.

And last, but definitely not least, please see all our brilliant articles provided by all our Bright Futures companies. Here they will share knowledge and insight, opportunities and information on their schemes and deadlines.... don’t miss out!

Enjoy!

Jackie HirEd Editor www.brightfutures.co.uk

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*If you don’t have a society at your university then set up your own!

Contact us at society@brightfutures.co.uk and we can get you started right away!

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If you’ve been invited to attend a face to face interview, you’re clearly doing something right. Selection for graduate schemes (and internships) is multi-stage, so you’ve already survived the initial screening, psychometric tests and telephone interview. There’s now clear blue water between you and the hundreds of applicants who fall at the first hurdle.

Think about your body language, I mean really think.

Now you may be thinking this is pretty obvious. And it many ways it is. Most people are conversant with the basics: firm handshake, good eye contact, warm smile. But there are far more subtle ways that you can betray your indifference, nerves or desperation...

• Posture – sit too close and you risk crowding the interviewer, too distant and you may appear cold and detached. It sounds cliched but sit upright: try to imagine a string tied from the top of your head to the ceiling. This is a great tip that works well for presentations and interviews.

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At this stage you can afford to feel confident, but not complacent. There’s still some distance between interview and job offer and many potential tripwires lay ahead. You’re probably familiar with the more common interview ‘don’ts’ - arriving late, answering your phone - but there are more subtle (and less conscious) ways you can scupper the outcome. Try and avoid them.

• Hand gestures – I have to declare an interest here. I am an inveterate ‘hand talker’ and when animated, excited or nervous my hands assume a life of their own! Small hand gestures can help emphasise your point, but too much and it becomes a distraction. It’s an interview not an audition.

• Arms – try to keep them loose and ‘open’. If you fold your arms, it can make you appear closed and unfriendly. You need to establish and sustain a rapport with the interviewer, not frighten them off.

Think about the image you want to project.

• Fidgeting – you may find interview nerves or excitement exacerbate your natural tendency to fidget.

Twiddling a pen, fiddling with your hair, tapping your knee - all send a clear sign to the interviewer that

you’re losing the battle with nerves. It’s normal to feel anxious during an interview, but when nerves manifest in overt physical gestures it may cast doubt on your ability to ‘check yourself’ and work under pressure.

‘Do you have any questions?’

Is it ok to say ‘no’?

This crops up time and again in mock interviews and is a real source of anxiety and confusion. There’s no definitive answer; one school of thought suggests that it’s better to say ‘no’ than risk repeating yourself or asking an irrelevant question.

I think there’s some merit in this but I worry about the impression it leaves the employer. You may have aced the interview but risk ending on a flat note. Is this a wise strategy when the competition is so fierce?

Interviewing is a skill just like any other. Practice makes perfect! If you’ve got an interview coming up why not book a mock interview with your university careers department and get those mistakes out the way before the real thing.

So, how should you respond to this tricky question:

our commercial awareness post for useful tips), you’re much more likely to come across news and info • Keep it generic – this is the safe that you can weave into an option but may show a lack of intelligent and thoughtful imagination. Typical questions question. Typical question: “I have include: “What is a typical day read x about the marketing like?”, “What words would you use strategy of this company. How to describe the working culture?” might this influence the release of future products?”

• Make it personal – relate the question to your role/ • Keep it brief – I would advise 2 or progression within the company.

3 questions at most. You don’t Typical questions include: “How want to monopolise the interview would my performance be er or appear arrogant. measured and what are the mechanisms for feedback?”, “How Know when to stop (talking) much guidance is available to help employees develop and realise If your interview is scheduled to last 30 minutes and you’re still talking their career goals?” after an hour, this isn’t a good • Use your research – this is a way to sign. You need to provide full, comprehensive answers but know really stand out from the crowd. when to stop. Respond to the By thoroughly researching the non-verbal cues from the interviewer organisation or company (check

(or panel) and if in doubt, pause for a moment and ask if they want/need any further detail. Talking a mile a minute is both irritating and counterproductive: the salient detail will simply get lost in the waffle.

There are a few simple rules you can follow to help you find the balance: • Take deep breaths and pause – don’t leap in. Collect your thoughts, formulate your response and then answer the question.

• Make it relevant – illustrate and substantiate your answers with one or two good examples. Don’t provide a verbatim account of your work/life history.

• ‘Read’ the interviewer – is s/he looking bored or engaged. If you catch the interviewer nodding off or checking their watch, you’ve probably said enough.

Written by the University of Warwick Careers & Skills. http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/careers/

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During November each year, thousands of men in the UK and around the world take on the challenge of sprouting moustaches to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer. This is quite aptly named “Movember”.

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This is what the website has to say about Movember: Once registered at movember.com each Mo Bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face. For the entire month each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache. There is to be no joining of the mo to the sideburns (that’s considered a beard), there’s to be no joining of the handlebars to the chin (that’s considered a goatee) and each Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true gentleman.

A Mo Sista is essentially a woman who loves a Mo. An individual that is dedicated to supporting the Mo Bros in her life through their moustache growing journey; whether it be a friend, colleague, family member or partner. These inspirational women are committed to raising awareness of men’s health issues and much needed funds for men’s health along the way.

Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November and through their actions and words raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their Movember journey throwing their own Movember parties or attending one of the Gala Partés held around the world to stand tall and celebrate the moustache.

u k . m o ve m b e r. c o m

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The world is an ever-so-slightly bigger place than what it was just fifteen years ago, all due to the technology boom and the ability to appear at the other side of the globe via an over-night flight.

This has significantly contributed to the vast range of career options skyrocketing. Students are facing ever more prospects and choices of what to do when they leave school or university that it can sometimes be a traumatic process just knowing where to start!

In our “Taking the Fear out of your Career” article, it outlines how the Careers Service can help you get your head together. But there are a whole barrel of things you can do to plan your future and get started on the right path beyond what the Careers Service can do to help.

1.Reflect • What makes you tick? What are you good at? What are your key strengths and weaknesses? Where do you see yourself 5-10 years into your career? What are you passionate about?

• Talk to your friends and ask them what they want to do or what they think you might be good at.

• Pop to see a Careers Consultant and brainstorm with them.

2.Gain experience and insight • Attend events with Bright Futures, your Careers Service and other societies on campus.

• Undertake work experience from work shadowing to a summer internship.

• Go to insight days to see what it’s like in company offices and what they have to offer.

• Get a part-time job

3.Experience different things • Be part of a student club or society • Get involved in some volunteering • Enter some university competitions with your department, the Careers Service or societies.

4.What is everyone else doing?

• The Careers Service and societies may host events with Alumni – students who used to go to your university. Go along and see what they do now and how they go there.

• Get in touch with the Alumni office and see if they can tell you what jobs people are typically going into.

• Speak to your friends about what they are thinking about doing and how they are finding out more.

• Find a mentor, someone with a lot of life experience that you trust and can help talk through your options with you and make suggestions.

Deciding on what you want to do beyond education is an important decision to make but also not one you need to stick with for the rest of your life. Nowadays, it is expected that you change roles every few years, either within the same company or moving on elsewhere. So if you are still unsure what to do, don’t hide from it, just try it!

See where your passions take you, and if it isn’t for you, try changing your career path to something else!

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Taking the

out of your C Going to uni isn’t all about lectures, essays and exams. It’s about finding yourself and getting on the right path to a great career and the future you want for yourself. This can be a scary process, but you aren’t in it alone!

Over 300,000 students graduate every year in the UK alone – over 60% of these gaining a 2:1 or better. So if you want to make the very most of your time at university, some time has got to be spent in those lectures and writing those essays, but part of it also needs to be spent considering your career.

The Careers Service can help you plan your next steps whilst you’re at university as well as after you graduate. No matter how much you want to procrastinate over it, whatever you do, don’t leave it until the last few weeks before graduation, it will just make you panic more. Take the fear out of your career and head to the Careers Service to help you find out more about jobs, work experience and further study, and get impartial and confidential advice.

“Over 300,000 students graduate every year in the UK alone – over 60% of these gaining a 2:1 or better”

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e Fear

Career Your Careers Service can help you in a wide variety of ways: • The careers library will provide reference and take-out books, along with flyers and other paper resources. They may also have electronic resources too.

• Pop into a drop-in session. Many Careers Services around the UK offer quick drop in sessions for you to get answers or advice quick. Check out your careers website to see when they are.

• Book a one-to-one session with a Careers Consultant. You can have a quick chat or a longer in depth session.

• Attend employer presentations, careers fairs, workshops and group seminars. You careers service will run hundreds of events throughout the year, the least you can do is see if any take your fancy.

• Get your CV reviewed, discuss your application form, practice interviews and psychometric tests, find part-time work experience as well as graduate jobs and take part in a mock assessment centre.

They can do this and more! So, as well as going about your day to day student routine, take a moment to consider your career and start making small steps to reduce your career fear.

Pop into the Careers Service and see what they have to offer!

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Less is More “If I apply to more jobs, I have more chance of getting at least one of them, surely?”

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At the onset of the recession, many students panicked, quite rightly, thinking that the world had gone to pot and redundancies were at a higher rate than the employment of fresh grads. This line of thinking then brought them to the conclusion that, “If I apply to more jobs, I have more chance of getting at least one of them, surely?” So the law of probability comes into play. Do you think it works?

The urge to churn out application after application like a factory conveyor belt is common. But these applications are typically binned by employers straight away. Why? Because they tend to be so generic that the employer can tell that there isn’t much passion or conviction in working for their firm and you haven’t spent the time and research required to make your application stand out.

Students aren’t just the party animals that society stereotypes, students have a huge amount of pressure on them to succeed in their degree through a combination of written, oral, practical and examination assessments. Whichever year you are in, it isn’t just a walk in the park (or to the pub). Combining this with part time work, social activities, clubs and sports teams, your life can get packed out pretty quickly. So, when it comes to writing applications and researching your dream career, it’s normally put to the end of the long list of things to do.

This is where Quality VS Quantity joins our old friend Less is More.

Employers have had a huge increase in applications since the onset of the recession, over 100% more in fact! To the average Joe you might think that’s great for an employer, but really it isn’t. It costs a lot of money and time sifting through all those applications and many of which will be those dull generic applications that have already been read by many recruiters before them and probably don’t even meet the minimum requirements or have the right skills.

So what is the point to all this?

The point is organisations need talent. Talent that meets minimum requirements and shows dedication and commitment to their firm, they are not naive to the fact that you will be applying to other firms but they expect you to put the time and effort into the application, just as you would the job itself. Therefore, when you next consider writing an application, think of it from the employer’s point of view:

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•

•

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Are you interested in the firm and the job role?

If no, don’t even begin.

Do you even meet the minimum entry requirements? If no, then look at alternative ways in.

Have you fully read the job specification and know what skills they are looking for? Do you have them, or can prove you are working towards them?

Can you show examples of how you have developed these skills to prove to the employer that you have what it takes?

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•

•

•

Have you done enough research on the company to know what it does, how it does it, why, where and with whom?

Its culture is what makes a company unique. Do you know what is currently going on in the firm?

Rather than just stating your previous job description, it is important to say how you went above and beyond your role and how you made an impact.

Have you checked spelling and grammar?

Make a copy for reference if you are called for interview so you know what you have said.

Be passionate. You can teach skills but you can’t teach attitude.

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s! e i r o t S ccess

Su

At Bright Futures we aren’t just a national not-for-profit student society, we also run a graduate recruitment consultancy which actively headhunts talent to meet employer needs as well as working directly with universities to help their graduates get onto great graduate schemes.

Here are a few of our most recent success stories...

Aleksejs secured a job at Ancoris as a Technical Support Specialist, which he started at the end of October. Ancoris specialise in cloud computing and are a market leader in their field.

Lee, one of our “Get that Graduate Job” participants that we run for the University of Essex, is starting a contract at Nationwide as a Graduate PPI Case Analyst.

Hannah, also on our “Get that Graduate Job” scheme, has bagged herself a role at UHY Chartered Accountants.

Simon managed to get a fantastic opportunity with Global FMCG Reckitt Benckiser on an internship in their pharmaceutical marketing department.

“I found the process very easy, Bright Futures rang me within 3 hours of placing my CV online and within four days found me a graduate position with a FTSE50 company. I was given valuable advice along the way which helped greatly in preparing for my interviews at such short notice. A very positive experience all round.”

Congratulations to these lucky grads now well on their way to career success!

If you are a recent graduate and want to find out if we can help you secure a graduate role then please contact us on 01242 236415 Monday - Thursday and ask to speak to Caroline.

Alternatively, you can email us at jobs@brightfutures.co.uk

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Caroline

01242 236415 (Mon - Thurs)

BBC Good Food

Google Drive

thetrainline.com

Good Food has gone all multimedia!

They made all their amazing recipes mobile so it’s even easier to impress your housemates and even your parents with your new found culinary skills! Thousands of recipes as well as a nifty tool that helps you find a recipe that makes use of the ingredients in your fridge!

Create, share and keep your files all in one place with Google Drive and get 5 GB free. It’s easy to share files with your mates or colleagues, so they can view or edit, as well as enable yourself to access to your files anywhere you are, on your laptop, your mobile, on a computer in the library, or even in a hostel on holiday after forgetting about that big essay to have to submit tomorrow!

This is a great app when you need to search scheduled train times fast as well as booking your tickets on the go. You can easily save your most searched journeys, store all your ticket information as well as use your phone as an electronic ticket (depending on the operating train company) which uses a barcode to validate your “mTicket”.

Check out their good-enough-toeat apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Samsung Wave and Google Chrome on the BBC good food website. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com

http://drive.google.com/

thetrainline.com app is available on Apple, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry and Nokia. www.thetrainline.com 15

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PwC

Your career is just that. Yours. You choose it. You live it. You make it happen. To get the best from it, you need the best opportunities. That’s why opportunities are at the heart of a career with us.

company profile

The PwC deal No matter which area of the business you choose to join, and there are many to choose from.

All routes offer the same deal.

Opportunities to grow as an individual, to build lasting relationships and make an impact in a place where people, quality and value mean everything.

Come and meet us We hope that many of you will have already met us at one of our ‘Careers Evenings with PwC’ or other campus events and will be more informed about the

opportunities to join us, where you could fit in to our business, and what we look for in return. There are lots of opportunities for you to meet us and find out more about what we do, just visit our events page to see what we’re up to. www.pwc.com/uk/careers/events What you need to bring to us Your intellect, willingness to learn, ability to build relationships, put yourself in others’ shoes, while always making a positive impact with our clients and each other.

• A 2:1 or above in any degree discipline (some programmes do require specific degrees) • A UCAS tariff of at least 300 (or equivalent) Improve your employability We’ve got lots of tips and advice on how you can improve your employability skills or transfer the skills you’ve already gained against the competencies that we look for.

Download our employability brochure and watch our videos via our website. www.pwc.com/uk/employability

So why don’t you take the opportunity of a lifetime, and join an employer focused on helping you reach your full potential. www.pwc.com/uk/careers www.facebook.com/PwCCareersUK

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Pinsent Masons LLP

Improve your chances of success by attending a Pinsent Masons Insight Evening

The evening will include group talks and interactive workshops, which will provide you with detailed information about the firm, our clients, our training contract and the skills you will need to develop if you are to become a successful commercial lawyer.

Edinburgh 4 December 2012 5:30pm

London 10 December 2012 5:30pm

Glasgow 5 December 2012 5:30pm

Manchester 11 December 2012 5:30pm

Aberdeen 6 December 2012 5:30pm

Leeds 13 December 2012 5:30pm

There will also be the opportunity to network over drinks and canapĂŠs .

Birmingham 6 December 2012 5:30pm

company profile

Pinsent Masons is a leading commercial law firm with offices across the UK and internationally. Each year we recruit 80 trainee solicitors from a wide variety of university and degree backgrounds.

To find out more and register your interest in attending please visit http://www.pinsentmasons.com/searchevents Applications will open in mid-November.

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Say hello to graduate opportunities: the best careers start at Aspen Aspen

You put your career first. And we put people first. That’s why Aspen is a great place for graduates to get started. It’s also a great place to stay and find your feet in the insurance and reinsurance industry. We’ve a whole range of graduate roles for you to choose from. So if you want to join a global company and learn about specialty insurance and reinsurance, then look no further.

company profile

We have graduate opportunities in a number of areas within our business – not just underwriting roles. We’re also looking for new starters in actuarial, risk, finance, IT and internal audit. Plus you’ll be joining a company that operates across the globe.

We’ve been in business for 10 years now and over that time we’ve gained significant financial strength – so you’ll be on board with a stable company where you can really enjoy all of the graduate opportunities available to you. Plus, our people-first approach stretches to customers as well as employees.

We understand that everyone has different needs – businesses and graduates alike. So we can tailor underwriting and career opportunities that fit the bill, making sure that your success and satisfaction are long-term.

So how do you get on board?

You’ll need a minimum of 300 UCAS points, a 2:1 or above in your degree as well as strong maths skills. We’re looking for enthusiasm, new ideas, commercial acumen, drive, ambition, and people who know the value of teamwork and strong working relationships.

Once you start, you’re not just starting a great job but an exciting career within a dynamic and international organisation.

And if that’s not enough, you’ll also play a big part in shaping our future – just like we’ll help to shape yours. What’s more, you’ll be working alongside some of the world leaders in their sector, helping you to become an expert in your chosen area.

Want to know more? Take a look at our website www.aspen.co/Careers/Graduate-Programme

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Linklaters

360 Reasons to Join Linklaters

Follow our Twitter feed – #360reasons – to find out what drives our success and to discover the reasons why Linklaters could be the right place for your career.

Enter the competition on our website for an invitation to an exclusive commercial awareness panel event and the chance to win a trip to Hong Kong including a visit to the Linklaters office and to the offices of the Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre - one of the causes supported by this year’s ‘Link Up. Change a Life’ campaign.

To be in the running, all you need to do is answer five simple questions – and ask one of your own. All entrants will receive an invitation to join the live online audience for an exclusive commercial awareness panel event on 4 December 2012.

The winner of the grand prize A trip to Hong Kong - will be announced on the night.

Selected winners will be invited to attend Linklaters’ London office for the event (with reasonable expenses reimbursed), where chosen members of the audience will pose their questions directly to the panel.

Follow us on Twitter for more reasons and all the latest updates: twitter.com/LinklatersGrads

company profile

Linklaters is a leading global law firm – advising some of the world’s highest profile companies, financial institutions and government organisations.

There are at least #360reasons for you to start your career with us and we’re giving you one more.

http://www.linklatersgraduates.co.uk/competition-360-reasons

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Bechtel

The Time to Choose.

This is the time of year to choose which companies are right for you and start those applications.

Will you choose to Shape Tomorrow Together?

company profile

Don’t leave it until the summer term to start looking for jobs as there might be nothing left!

Look and apply early. Companies often take the approach that they should make hiring decisions early in the academic year in order to get the best graduates out there.

Even if there is nothing that takes your fancy early in the year, at least you will know that you haven’t missed any opportunities and you can continue looking.

Contact companies if you would like more information on their specific vacancies. You’ve probably heard it before, but there’s no such thing as a stupid question and by

taking an interest and asking for more detail than the posted job description, you are showing a prospective employer that you are engaged in the job seeking process and taking an early opportunity to introduce yourself. You are demonstrating that you know what you want when it comes to your career.

Apply selectively. The same job title might be very different at different organisations. As well as your skills and qualifications, think about the various types, sizes, and geographic spread of organisations. Organisations have cultures that vary hugely so think about what is important to you.

At Bechtel, we set high targets, give people responsibility from day one, and we are driven to get results. We work together and help each other to get the job done, always working ethically and safely.

Companies’ mission statements, vision and value statements, charters, covenants and credos are where you will find some clues about culture.

Double, triple, quadruple check your CV, covering letter, application form etc... This is where you make your first impression, and first impressions do count! See your careers centre for specific advice.

Finally... don’t forget to take a look at OUR vacancies at www.bechtel.com/university!

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BPP Law School

LPC. Three letters to get you an interview.

MA. Two letters to get you the job.

Today’s leading law firms demand a high level of commercial and business acumen from their trainees, so we’ve developed a new Legal Practice Course (LPC) to help you gain real strength in your knowledge and capabilities.

From September 2013 we’re offering the LPC that integrates business into the programme, giving you a Masters degree in both law and business at no extra cost.

Courses start in September 2013 and are available full-time and part-time.

Choose from any one of our legal city centre locations in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester.

To make things even more convenient you can access the LPC wherever you are online – log on to lectures and online classroom sessions for consolidation, revision and catch-up. The programme is taught by qualified legal practitioners, while the business modules are delivered

by BPP Business School. Tuition by experts in respective fields

company profile

New and exclusive to BPP Law School, the MA (LPC with Business)

allows for you to develop an advanced understanding of the business and strategic environment in which clients and law firms operate and the skills to use this knowledge within legal practice.

Arm yourself with practical skills and commercial knowledge the best law firms look for and a qualification that will ensure you stand out from the crowd when making applications.

OUR LPC MEANS BUSINESS www.bpp.com 22

KPMG

What’s your problem guys?

company profile

As the next generation of business leaders, we really want to know your take on the whole glass ceiling thing. The fact is, there still just aren’t enough women on the boards of major FTSEs to suggest this battle has been won. But is this down to male discrimination, or just that woman don’t want to be there?

What’s going on? What do you think?

Can we change this?

And, most importantly, boys and girls, do you want to?

Join the gender in business debate at www.kpmg.co.uk/graduates

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Softcat

Save your CV from the shredder

Recruiters can tell in seconds if they’re looking at a round-robin CV and cover letter, and your application will likely go straight in the shredder. Here are two key pieces of advice for writing your CV and cover letter, which could save your application from certain death…

Cover letter Write every cover letter from scratch. It might be a pain but it will force you to mold your skills and ambitions to fit the role you’re applying for. This demonstrates to the employer that you are appropriate for the role, and that you have taken the

time to tailor your skill set to the criteria they set out. This is also your opportunity to demonstrate your interest in their company – so do your research!

CV Make sure your personal statement outlines your abilities, your aims and your overall character, and keep it concise.

Reread it and check if it marries with the company ethos. This serves two purposes; it forces you to consider carefully if the company is right for you, and it helps you to pick out and highlight the ways in which you are right for them.

company profile

What’s your usual approach when it comes to applying for jobs? Do you rattle off fifty applications in a day using a template cover letter and the same CV? If so, it’s great that you’re being productive, but – we promise – it’s better to spend three hours writing one application than one hour writing three.

Look at the ‘Work experience’ and ‘Key skills’ sections on your CV and see if there is anything you can pick out which relates to the new role you’re applying for. If so, highlight them. Is there anything unnecessary? Get rid.

At this stage, all an employer wants to know is the relevance of your skills and proof that you can apply them effectively.

Careers in London, Manchester and Marlow Softcat is a fast-growing company with a zeal for customer service and a commitment to employee satisfaction. If you’re interested in IT sales, you can find out about our graduate programmes and upcoming assessment days on our Facebook page, or on Twitter.

Alternatively call 01628 403 408, email: careers@softcat.com or visit our website to apply.

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Accenture

Think you’ve got what it takes to be an Analyst at Accenture? Enter the Transformation Challenge 2012 for the chance to win a brand new Apple Mac suite.

At Accenture, we work with organisations in all industry sectors; helping our clients to transform their businesses. Now is your chance to do the same.

company profile

THE COMPETITION The Transformation Challenge 2012 is your turn to experience first–hand what it’s like to embrace some of Accenture’s transformative spirit.

We’d like you to find something that you’d like to change.

Then tell us what it is and how you’d improve it.

You’ll need to choose a sector; find something that needs improving; and then set about creating a workable solution that will simply make it better.

Sound ok so far?

Well, here are a few guidelines: You must choose to change something from within one of the following four industries: Travel, Communications, Media & Entertainment, and Consumer Goods & Services.

What you choose is up to you.

Even if you decide to change something small, it should have a big impact.

Your entry must be in the form of a video, no more than two minutes long. The video can be simple, we’re looking at the quality of the idea not the film. Successful entries will appear on

Facebook and if people like what they see they’ll give you a ‘thumbs up’.

A prize will be awarded in each category to the entrant whose video receives the most votes.

If you’re one of the four category winners you’ll be on your way to the grand final in London where you’ll get to showcase your ideas and share your views with some of our most experienced professionals.

The overall winner will walk away with a brand new Apple Mac suite.

The Transformation Challenge is a great opportunity to connect with us early as you pursue the career you want. The competition is now open; visit: www.accenture.com/transformationchallenge to enter.

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Shell

We help meet the world’s demand for energy in economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways

Our strategy to generate profitable growth remains to drive forward with our investment programme, to deliver sustainable growth and provide competitive returns to shareholders, while helping to meet global energy demand in a responsible way.

In Upstream we focus on exploring for new oil and gas reserves and developing major projects where our technology and know-how adds value to the resource holders.

In Downstream our emphasis remains on sustained cash generation from our existing assets and selective investments in growth markets.

Our core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people form the basis of the Shell General Business Principles.

Whether you’re doing a Bachelor’s, Master’s, a PhD or you’ve already graduated – our graduate programme is your chance to help power people’s lives whilst pursuing your passion and fulfilling your potential.

For Shell, investing in people is as important as investing in new business opportunities and technologies. So throughout your career with us, you have unrivalled scope for development through personalised training opportunities based on these principles:

company profile

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Our headquarters are in The Hague, the Netherlands, and our Chief Executive Officer is Peter Voser.

• We assess - develop – reassess • We know the strongest leaders know their own strengths • We expect individuals to be individually driven.

• We recognise that you learn best when you’re challenged • We expect individuals to be individually driven • Your training programme is as unique as you are • Your training will be underpinned by a continuous, structured support network including line managers, mentors, senior team members and technical discipline leads.

For more information, visit: www.shell.com/careers

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New year, new opportunities. For the crucial first move‌ Hiscox

Hiscox, a FTSE250 company, leads the pack when it comes to the world of specialist insurance. We are experts in protection of a wide range of personal and commercial risks, which are often too complex or too much trouble for other insurance companies to consider. There is nothing grey about our business, and our graduate scheme is no exception.

company profile

Our international two year graduate programme is designed to give you immediate hands-on exposure, gaining on the job training from highly-respected professionals. Whilst working in your allocated team you will undertake at least three secondments across the Group and overseas (to either the US, Europe or Bermuda) to enhance your commercial awareness, combined with professional study and a comprehensive training programme.

We open for applications to our 12 UK based 2013 graduate on a tiered basis.

Trainee Operations positions: Project Managers and Business Analysts.

The below roles open on 10 September 2012 and close 23 November 2012: Trainee Actuary, Pricing Analyst and Risk Modelling roles

If you want to join an ambitious company where brains make a difference, go to: www.hiscox.com/graduates for further information.

Concurrently the following roles open on 1 October 2012 and close 28 December 2012: Trainee Underwriter positions, Business Development Executive,

www.hiscox.com/graduates www.hiscox.com/careers

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Kantar Worldpanel

Why work for just one big brand when you could work for them all?

We have access to the buying and usage habits of 30,000 households in the UK (and some of the biggest consumer panels overseas) we’re the people who provide valuable knowledge to major retailers, manufacturers and city clients.

They already know how valuable our knowledge can be – because we’ve helped hundreds of them to better understand their shoppers’ needs and grow their business.

company profile

Less may be more when it comes to targeting your graduate applications, but at Kantar Worldpanel we know that the same can’t be said for when it comes to thinking about what your ideal graduate job is going to give you.

We’re recruiting our next intake of Graduates for March & Autumn 2013 (with a selection event in February 2013). So, if you want to find out more about working with big name clients click on this link. Visit to find out more about our world and apply.

www.highlydefinedcareers.com/home/

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Thales

Opportunities at Thales and how to perfect your application We love investigating the impossibly intractable. We love deciphering the dazzlingly difficult.

And we love unravelling the unrelentingly unknowable. Why? Quite simply, because creating the most ingenious technological systems and innovations is in our business DNA.

company profile

From Software Engineers to Finance, Design Engineers to Business Management, we have a range of opportunities on offer for the brightest graduate talent.

To find out more and apply, visit www.ukgrads.thalesgroup.com To help perfect your application to us, check out our top ten hints & tips below: 1. Before completing an application or attending an interview, research the company in detail. Ensure you know why you are applying to Thales and your chosen role.

2. Complete all sections of your application and keep to the word count.

www.ukgrads.thalesgroup.com 29

3. Plan and organise your time.

Make sure you prioritise when completing time-limited exercises; allow plenty of time to get to your interview/ assessment centre.

4. Think about the skills we are looking for. Look at our competencies and get a feel for the company culture by looking at our core values and the company website.

5. Research competency interviews/questions. These are different to traditional CV based interviews.

6. Present yourself in a professional manner at all times.

7. Ask questions, this shows you are keen and means you will have a better idea about our business and whether we’re a good fit for you.

8. Familiarise yourself with the role and section of the business you have applied to.

9. If you are going to a technical interview, revise all modules of your degree course.

10.Be confident! We want to make you feel as comfortable as possible. The assessors are not looking to fail you. If we are inviting you to attend an assessment centre or interview it is because we have seen something that we have liked!

Are you an expert in the making?

Endsleigh

Are you eager to learn?

At Endsleigh we are Experts in the Making and recognise like-minded people when we see them. People who want to be the best that they can be at everything they do, and still understand that there’s always more to learn.

rewarding process to complete.

Find out more from one of our current graduates:

What makes the training and development for you?

• We get roughly two days a month dedicated purely to graduate training to learn about the working environment and to get a knowledge base across the whole business.

Arjun - Assistant Commercial Broker What makes Endsleigh a great place to make your career?

• Endsleigh’s history really drew me in, along with its affinity with students and the NUS. It also has great training opportunities, a personal mentor from senior management and outside your business area, plus a real focus on developing you as an individual which was a winning combination in my eyes.

Another major factor is the Endsleigh ‘work hard, play hard’ ethic, and a head office site with brilliant facilities. I’m definitely enjoying a bit of tennis or football on my lunches as well! Finally, if you want a graduate job but don’t want to relocate to ‘the city’, they’re in a great location.

What makes up your department?

• I’m an Assistant Commercial Broker in the Broker MFU and my day-to-day role consists of fielding enquiries in the Commercial New Business team. I have been learning the insurance products we sell before I move on to a niche market. Whilst the learning curve has been intense and challenging, it’s a

I’ll also get experience in our Woodstock site down in Maidstone, where I will be involved in a project for four weeks, given real responsibility and invited to feedback on aspects of the company. (All this after just two months in the job!)

We’re also encouraged to give feedback and can ask for training we think would be relevant on top of and sometimes in place of the current programme. All this alongside 1-2-1 monthly meetings with my line manager to discuss performance and monthly meetings with my mentor. It’s evident that training and developing the graduate intake is a priority.

How would you describe the culture at Endsleigh?

• Endsleigh sum it up the best themselves; work hard, play hard.

anything, stand out from the crowd. There will be hundreds of graduates applying with you, all with the relevant academic results, so tell Endsleigh what you bring to the table that others can’t. Finally, make sure you’re prepared to take full advantage of everything that’s on offer. The people here are great at helping you settle in quickly and comfortably.

Our Graduate Scheme continues to evolve and develop as we do. You’d expect no less from an organisation that sees itself on an ongoing journey towards building our expertise for the future.

company profile

We were formed over 40 years ago by experts and since then we’ve made it our ambition to support all of our colleagues to be ‘Experts in the Making’. If you share our appetite and ambition, you’ll find our Graduate Scheme offers more than enough scope to identify opportunities and equip you with the tools to grasp them.

In 2013 you will join us on a permanent basis, you will spend your graduate year discovering more about your department within a real job and have potential to have real impact on the business.

To find out about the career-building benefits of our Graduate Scheme, alongside the more immediate reward of a market-rate salary, permanent contract and a healthy benefits package that includes £1-a-year gym subscription (Cheltenham only) then visit our fantastic website: www.endsleighcareers.co.uk/graduates

What advice would you give to an undergraduate looking for a place to make their career?

• The job market is tough, especially so for graduate schemes. My best advice for your interviews and assessment centres is to prepare well, be proactive, be yourself, know what you’re applying for and as important as

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Zurich

You probably already know we’re a world-leading financial services organisation. What you might not know is that when you join us, you’ll quickly become an important member of a 60,000 team that cares for customers in over 170 countries. The opportunities available here are huge.

company profile

There’s so much more to a career with Zurich Think Zurich, and there’s a good chance you think car insurance, contents insurance, building insurance. And whilst those areas are a big focus for us, the truth is there’s a lot more to our business than you might be aware of.

We apply our expertise to challenges that are as diverse as they are complex – we insure the entire M25, for example, and the Gherkin, and the Roman Baths, and a £1m art work made entirely from cardboard.

We offer life insurance, and we provide pension plans for a huge

range of blue-chip companies, from Royal Mail to eBay. Such diverse challenges demand constant innovation. And that’s something that defines us as a business.

We’re always looking to make things simpler, easier and more effective for our customers, whether they’re big corporations or home owners.

So what does all of that mean for you? Well, it means work that’s genuinely interesting and truly rewarding. It means wide-reaching opportunities (our schemes cover Actuarial, Change Management, Finance & Accounting, General

If you want to know more, visit the graduate pages of http://www.zurich.co.uk/graduates/

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Management and IT). And it means the chance to stretch your skills and push your potential in a business with unlimited possibilities.

Before you know it, you could find yourself progressing to a leadership role, running your own projects, getting involved in our charity initiatives and achieving professional qualifications such as ACII, ACCA, CIMA, ACA, Certificate in Financial Planning, underwriting autonomy and many more depending on which career area you specialise in.

Siemens

How do I shape the future of a diverse organization? Dare to ask.

Whether you’re looking to develop a career in Engineering, or Business, we offer early responsibility, mentoring and continuous professional development; you’ll be working for a company that’s committed to innovation and facing challenges head on. Located in towns and cities all over the UK, Siemens offer a diverse range of graduate opportunities where you’ll be given the freedom to make your mark and use fresh ideas to keep us at the forefront of innovative technology.

Our Engineering careers are as diverse as the industry itself.

From wind power to metal & water technologies, the most challenging careers are on offer.

There are roles in Renewable & Fossil Power Generation right through to Product Lifecycle Management. We have some great training initiatives too, helping our graduates reach Chartered Engineer status.

company profile

At Siemens, our graduates help to solve the world’s toughest challenges. From keeping hospitals at the cutting edge of technology, to providing greener energy solutions for the way we live, work and travel – we’re providing the solutions for a sustainable future. Our graduates question everything and are encouraged to look for new ways of working, in the spirit of our proud heritage of innovation.

and Operations Management, or Sales. We recruit into a number of business areas such as Financial Services, Traffic Control Management, and Healthcare to name just a few.

Whatever area you’re interested in, we’ll offer you variety, challenging work, development and first hand experience.

As a Business graduate, you’ll play a crucial role in helping the Siemens business run smoothly, whether you want to develop your career in HR, Finance, Project

If you want to know more, visit the graduate pages of www.siemens.co.uk/careers

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National Grid

Wanted: Smart Students and Connected Graduates National Grid is one of the world’s largest investor-owned energy companies and we play a vital role in connecting energy generation and delivering gas and electricity to many millions of people across Great Britain and North-Eastern US.

company profile

The power we deliver touches the lives of almost everyone.

Very few businesses operate on such a scale and can offer ambitious individuals the chance to gain an overview of this vital industry.

At National Grid we’re passionate about our “entry level talent programmes” and its little wonder that they are recognised for excellence and innovation – after all, we’ve been running some for well over 20 years - so they are among the best you’ll find anywhere.

Each programme offers you a fantastic opportunity to develop

your specialism combined with crucial behavioural development that will drive your career quickly to ensure you have the skills and capability to help shape the future of the energy market.

Development Programme • Engineer Training Programme (fully funded earn while you learn degree programme)

We have a programme for everyone, whether you are finishing your GCSEs, A2 levels, at University or have graduated.

For 2013 we will have 270 Vacancies.

• 12 month Year in Industry Programme (prior to going to University) • 12-14 week Summer Internship programme • 12 month Industrial Placement Programme • 18 month Graduate

www.nationalgridcareers.com/Development-Opportunities

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to name just a few……….

Apply on-line through www.nationalgridcareers.com/ Development-Opportunities Join us and be at the heart of one of the greatest engineering challenges facing society; the creation of new sustainable energy solutions for the future.