Graduate Schemes

by Ryan on 25 June 2012 11:18

I am graduating with a 2.1 from Imperial University this summer. I have heard good things about graduate schemes and how they can benefit your career.

I was just wondering if anyone else knows more about them? or is on a scheme and could tell me more about the application process?

Any advice is much appreciated!

by Stefanos on 02 July 2012 15:06

I think the applications for those who want to start in September 2012 have closed on most big companies. They receive thousands of applications, so you can apply 6-9 months before your start date.

People join graduate schemes because companies provide good training, and it is easier for them to promote guys from within the company. You may start with a lower salary but usually you get promoted quickly.

by Marcus on 03 July 2012 14:38

The above is true.
However, the big companies open their recruitment periods this September for the starting date of Sep 2013. i.e large business' accept applications a year in advance of the start date.

So if you are interested (I know I am!) in applying for schemes that start next September then you should be getting applications ready now!

by Graeme on 06 July 2012 06:05

Graduate schemes are a fantastic way, in my opinion, to start your career! You'll find that many will be for a specified period (ie 1 or 2 years) but don't let this fool you! Many of the bigger companies that offer these schemes are not simply looking to recruit you for just that period and usually will offer the chance of a permanent role at the end of the scheme. The 1 or 2 year schemes tend to have you in a position where you can get a lot of hands on experience in a variety of roles, all the while offering a network of support to help you get the skills you need to go it alone at end of the scheme...so I'd definitely recommend applying for them!

As has already been said many organisations which offer these schemes get thousands of applications each year, with some of the bigger organisations receiving tens of thousands (and I'm not trying to scare you here, so apologies if it seems that way)! With this in mind it is important that you stand out in the initial application process...the best advice I can give is to be yourself as that's what people are looking for! Show that you are more than just brains and a degree, show them how you like to enjoy yourself too! The most important thing to bear in mind though, is this...if you are asked a question, make sure you answer it...always link what you're saying in your application back to the question - I know...it's like being back in school all over again!

In answer to your query about the application process itself, most places have different processes. However many do follow a structure similar to this:

Stage 1 - Initial application. This my be a CV/Covering letter or it could be a set of competency questions.
Stage 2 - Verbal Reasoning/Numerical assessments. These tend to be online and often give you the chance to practice before doing the real thing.
Stage 3 - Telephone interview. I think this one is self-explanatory.
Stage 4 - Assessment Centre. These are normally whole day events wherein you will complete a number of different tasks in front of assessors (these assessors tend not to be HR people but the managers and bosses you may eventually be working for so try to impress but be yourself!)

To bring an end to this ramble I will give you some final pieces of advice. Get online and start looking ASAP at schemes and diarise the closing dates for applications you want to complete. The last thing you want is to be rushing to fill in an application at the 11th hour because you probably won't show your full potential! Many of the applications allow you to save the application as you go along so take a note of the question(s) they are asking and think about your answer. And finally...don't get disheartened if you don't get through to the final stage (or even the next stage) for every application...the important thing is not to give up and keep working at it - it may be monotonous at times but trust me it will all be worth it and you'll thank yourself for it one day!

I hope this has helped, and feel free to reply if you think I might be able to answer any other questions!

All the best to you and good luck in your new job when you get it!

Graeme
.
P.S - I probably should have said that I've been through a number of these graduate scheme selection processes hence the ramble, and I'm currently on a graduate scheme myself! :)

by Nad on 10 July 2012 23:30

Hello Graeme

Thank you for your post,
Out of curiosity may I ask what graduate scheme are you doing?

by Graeme on 12 July 2012 05:03

Hi Nad,

I tried posting an answer to your question earlier but it seems that it couldn't be posted (perhaps they don't like me stating who it is with as it wasn't through this site I got it! :p)

What I can say is that it is a Business Management Fastrack Leadership Graduate Programme with a leading international telecoms company!

I can also say that it definitely wasn't the first scheme I applied for (mostly because it had a later closing date than others) and it took quite a while for the whole process to be completed (around 4months in total)!

Hope this satisfies (even if only somewhat) your curiosity!

by Finn on 16 July 2012 11:44

Hi Greame,

Thanks for giving your info!

What time of year exactly did you apply for this scheme?
I am told that September is the main time for scheme recruitment, but are there opportunities all year round or later in the year?

Thanks

by Graeme on 17 July 2012 17:18

Hi Finn!

To be honest it really depends what organisation and what field you are entering as to when the grad schemes open and close. The one I'm on opened in late September and closed at the end of November! Some of the others that I applied for also closed around the end of November (which seems to be when a lot close). However there are a number which have earlier and later closing dates, and some organisations have different closing dates for different schemes.

What I would recommend to do is go on to the various websites and have a look at the grad section (most of the bigger organisations require you to apply directly to them), there you should did details of when the schemes open and close. Some also have a function that can allow them to email you when the scheme opens so you don't miss it!

It ultimately depends on the size of the organisation and when the scheme starts, that will dictate when applications open and close!

Best advise I can give is to keep a note of all the different dates so you can prioritise the applications, and also don't leave them until the day or even a couple of days before they close, as it is usually best to take note of the questions being asked so you can think if your answers!

Good luck! And feel free to rely if there is anything else you want to know!

by Mr Happy on 18 July 2012 13:10

Graduate schemes..Old git perspective

Some Issues I've noticed:
1. UCAS points..Why they are of no meaning/value and what if you went into higher education via a different root and still got a 1st and carry a lot of transferrable skills from commercial experience? Their loss.
2. Insistence on previous education...Why thats history and I could of been an idiot when I was a kid (I was as school bored the hell out of me and I was the GCSE guinea pig)
3. Only 2012 graduates only..Seen this a few times now which is a bit scary even though I graduated this year, cause I'll be reject next year lol
4. Do 10 week internship.. Work for us for free or minimum wage for 10 weeks if you fit we'll take you for 2013 graduate scheme... Not all of us can afford to relocate and live on minimum wage particularly if its in london

To be honest any company with this sort of criteria sort of puts me of working for them.

BUT saying that graduate schemes are good, so good luck for everyone applying and remember they want to see a desire to work for them (research what they doing and why that excites you particularly in reference to what you want to do and be in the future) as well as you being talented..Which we all are, we all talented just wish companies would take their blinkers off.

Moan over

by Carl on 19 July 2012 09:41

Could not agree more Mr. Happy. I don't even bother applying to the graduate schemes as I feel they are not geared towards mature students. Also UCAS points - no relevance for me whatsoever, they might as well put "if your over 30 don't bother applying."

There are great for younger graduates, but I wish the company advertisers could be more open and honest regarding what they really want. Unfortunately legislation prevents them from doing this, so many mature grads have their time wasted applying for the schemes.

End of rant - which could have been a lot longer!!!

by Warren on 22 July 2012 09:30

I think Graduate Schemes are geared towards part-time students who already have industrial experience. I don't necessarily think grades are pivotal but having experience and showing personality, character and potential on your CV surely goes a long way.

What do you think?

by Janet on 23 July 2012 00:14

I think age is considered by employers on graduate schemes, character, potential etc are secondary to their selection it seems. I'm also a mature student and i would like to believe i have some of those qualities such as experience , potential.... But i have not received a single positive reply.

by Mr Happy on 23 July 2012 14:06

Going a bit of topic from graduate schemes..
As a mature student I get lost of real positive feedback from specialist agencies when we talk but no results yet anyone else noticed this?

by little miss sunshine on 26 July 2012 12:31

Hi Mr Happy, do you mean you get lots* of positive feedback? I feel the same too although I am not a mature student so it is not because of that. Agencies and head-hunters working at agencies are paid on a commission based salary on top of their basic pay so I would have thought they'd be quite eager to help us find a job however, nowadays anyway, they just don't seem to be up to it! The best thing to do is ask for feedback and maybe chase up on calls or emails. But applying for graduate schemes and perhaps not going through agencies might be an option too

by Mr Happy on 26 July 2012 14:59

Sorry did mean lots.
Graduate schemes, no go for me as I start the process then I hit barriers.

Anyway not all bad got interview next week.

Next week I'm going through every email from agencies that put me for a job and calling them.. oh thats going to be fun.

Back to graduate schemes/graduate jobs, I see very few niche sectors advertised. I find it funny you see the press saying students don't have skills employers want. I see few openings and often the entry level "suitable for graduates" stated in advert, then asks for commercial experience some do state placement is accepted.

Something that has worked for me:
-Dedicated accounts on recruitment websites for each role your interested in i.e I have 3 Monster Accounts etc and then specialist like IT-Jobs Board. I also have dedicated e-mail accounts for roles (used G-mail easy to use)
-A dedicated CV for each role to uploaded.
-Criteria for email to be sent should be really defined
-Job your looking for has to be pretty specific, this is for recruiters
-Keep excel spread sheet for each role applied for as the company might be using several agencies

This has resulted in the recruiters calling me and sending me roles they like to put me forward for. Minimum 1 call a day for a new role, sometimes you'll get calls about the same role and thats why I advised keep a spreadsheet. The upcoming interview came from recruiter contacting me.
Secondly you can monitor which role seem to have the most activity and which CV's maybe not working aswell or market is weak.

I shouldn't be putting this in here as it means more competition lol

by mrs Evans on 30 July 2012 09:41

Agree that grad schemes are for "young" students only. I even got interviews only to be asked several times how I would fit in with their intakes of young school levels and then later told I didn't get on the scheme because I wouldn't fit in. Ageism? Yes, but how do you prove it and do I really want to be chasing after a company that will not appreciate my experience?

by Elaine on 30 July 2012 13:46

Another problem I have had is the fact I dont have a drivers licence and with several of the grad schemes I have tried to apply for this prevents me from doing so. As annoying as it is I can understand that some schemes may call for drivers due to location or perhaps as part of the role but they should specify this in their job descriptions. This would save me time and effort in filling out forms only to be rejected as I dont fit what they're looking for.

by Mr Happy on 01 August 2012 14:04

Mrs Evan, there is hope for us oldies. I've just got a second interview even though I thought I'd blown the 1st. Its not a graduate scheme and the specification of experience required was hardcore. I got the feeling from them that they wanted to see what I did know and whether I was willing to learn without hand holding.

Elaine, certain roles they will expect driving license without putting in the description:
Consultant of varying types, Business Analyst or anything where they state involvement with client. The reason will be that you will most likely be on a home based contract, this enables them to claim your expenses as a deductible from the HMRC such as petrol, breakfast, lunch etc

Finally I would like to say this job hunting malarky is luck, particularly if you went into HE via an alternative route. I have been lucky that a business has decided to take a risk and interview someone that does not exactly meet the exact experience requirements. This is the 1st set of interviews out of 60 applications.

by Sunshinegirl on 02 August 2012 11:49

I agree with the comments made by Mr Happy. The whole job hunting lark is down to pure luck regardless of whether you're a graduate or not. It was much simpler in the past before so much of the process became outsourced to consultants.
I too am a mature student; Since leaving school I worked in financial services in the City but found myself redundant during the 'credit crunch'. I received a lot of pressure from the Jobcentre to go for roles which didn't match my skillset, I found employers were unwilling to take me on because they recognised I 'would be bored' or they decided I wouldn't work for the money being offered.
In the end I couldn't return to the City. This was because 'I had been out of the market for too long and I wasn't be up to date with current thinking'!
I now have a First class Business management degree and still I can't get work and I can't sign on because according to the DWP I 'made myself unemployed'. I tried applying for graduate schemes at the beginning of the academic year and found the requirements of 300 UCAS points and less than 3 years work experience totally depressing so I decided to concentrate on my degree instead. I wrote letters to a number of the larger organisations to express my concerns over how proscriptive their recruitment procedures are and that they do discriminate against 'mature' graduates.
I have found employers based outside of London are more open minded to the idea of a mature graduate so I am looking to sell my home and relocate once I have a job sorted.
The government are keen for people to re-train and to work for longer but employers seem incapable of opening their minds to the idea of mature graduates. I have re-trained in order to start a new career and in doing so I am willing to work for a much lower salary than I had previously (I was a higher rate tax payer so I will be taking a huge drop but having lived on student finance I think I've proved I'm willing to do it!)
Although I can't prove it, I think there is still a lot of neopotism in recruitment particularly in the City. During my time there, most of the graduates we employed didn't come across as being the cream of the crop but they did usually have a well-connected father.
I am left wondering whether I have made a huge mistake in going to University.

by Ele on 05 August 2012 08:17

If you want help with your cv and practice for recruitment days you should contact your university careers service. They usually work with graduates from their university and have a lot of good advice. They are also usually open over the summer and are very quiet so now is a good time to seek their help. good luck with your applications!

by Jamal on 06 August 2012 09:36

I agree with Ele. people underestimate careers centres at universities and job boards like this one.Both of them are simply here to provide you with job options, that can't be a bad thing!

Going back to the Graduate Schemes conversation, my friend told me that they open there application process in September in order to get the best, or best prepared, graduates to apply. So make sure you are clued up people!

by Mr Happy on 07 August 2012 13:37

Sunshinegirl its funny I feel I have to move london/south east even when I say that I'm an 1hr and 1hr half commute away I get the silence on the phone as they try to compute what I've said. Sad but I sort of agree about some of the city jobs.

I have decided to apply for everything I'm interested in and if the are not interested its their loss.
I admit it is hard to keep positive as I don't really understand the job market anymore
I agree use all the resources the university have, the library is my office as It gets me out of the house

The best advice I have ever got on my CV was from an agency as they pointed out areas that might confuse HR.

I now reckon that now every university degree must include a foreign language, because out of frustration if I could I would be looking to go abroad.

by Stephen on 08 August 2012 12:31

I would like to start by saying I myself was a mature student (early 30's) and I graduated in 2011. I have a graduate scheme with a large multinational times 100 company which starts in September, and I was also offered a position on graduate programmes with 2 other organisations, leaving me scope to choose the one I wanted.

I was never particularly academic in secondary school, I don't have any A levels having left school at 16 and getting a trade as a mechanic, then from mechanics going on to do a string of menial jobs before making the decision to retrain academically by going to college then onto university.

Some tips I can give on the way I went about applying for graduate positions;

1. Ignore most positions that just require you to send a C.V. and covering letter from various job sites through agencies.
There may be some agencies that are an acceptation to the rule, though in my experience I have barely even got an acknowledgement from agencies that they have gotten my c.v. let alone through to an interview with the organisation.

When you send your c.v. to an agency all they are doing is matching you against the minimum criteria of their brief, or in a worst case scenario their won't even be job and the agency is just trying to build up a list of client names they can take to an organisation to show that they have a lot of people on their books when trying to win contracts. ( A quick Google of how bad agencies can be should open your eyes a bit).

2. Always apply directly to organisations.
Use websites such as this one or your university careers boards, i.e. places where perspective employers advertise directly. when you apply directly you will usually have to go through the organisations online application process, this is where the real work of applying for an organisation begins.

This is where you need to start doing a lot of home work, before you even start filling out the application form, you need to find out the organisation's mission statement, its core values, organisational structure, what areas of the market they operate etc.

The reason for this is down to the application form, within the application form will be a series of competencies questions, these questions are to show how you encapsulate the core values of the organisation, if you don't know about the organisation you are going to fall at the first hurdle.

3. When applying any past experience no matter how small can make you stand out from the crowd.

For example the simplest solution to a problem is often the best one, an interview once told me that people often give long convoluted answers to questions such as " Can you give an example of a time you saw a problem and what was your solution" as employers are looking for people who can solve problems in a simple realistic manner, i.e. if stationary is going missing you don't install cctv and armed guards, instead lock it in a cupboard and have a system to sign it out.

Employers are looking for examples from your life experience of how you deal with situations and problems.

4. be prepared to relocate geographically.

Every graduate programme I applied for stipulates that within the first 2-3 year period that you have to be geographically mobile, this is due to most programmes being on a rotational basis with you service x amount of time in one aspect of the organisation before moving onto another sight or aspect, in order to give you a holistic view of the organisations and to let you find what aspect of the business you show the most affinity with.

In conclusion if I can do it anyone can, it's not down to luck but hard work and research, and always get feedback from HR.

by Tyler on 05 September 2012 13:25

Thanks for the tips Stephen, they are very useful.

Have people found some good schemes? There are a lot of them appearing on the site, I was just wondering if anyone had some specific recommendations?

Thanks,

Tyler