Attending one of our law events? Read Charlotte's blog to find out her tips for the day!

Name: Charlotte Evans

University: Queen Mary, University of London

Course: Law

Events attended: A Day in the City

Why did you apply?

I was made aware of the event through my university Law department and thought I would apply given my interest in a career as a City lawyer. After reading about the event online, it stood out due to the fact that you were able to visit and speak to members of two different law firms in one day. I also wanted to have the opportunity to take part in the various structured exercises that would be similar to those expected of you at interviews as I had no previous experience of this.

What were your goals for the day? How did you set out to achieve them?

My main goal was to get a feel for what working in a big city firm was really like and decide whether I would be suited to such a career path. I decided the best way to do this would be to speak to as many people as possible and find out why they enjoyed their job and what advice they would have for me coming into the profession now.

I also wanted to get stuck into things like negotiation exercises. I hadn’t had a lot of opportunity to do things like that before so I made sure I had read up on both firms to get an idea of what practice areas they specialised in and what they would want to offer their clients. I also did a bit of reading up on how the City operates and how to think about issues from both a clients and firms’ perspective to come to the best solution.   

Tips for the day?

1. Research – it might not be an interview but I found that having some knowledge about both firms really helped when asking questions.

2. Don’t just talk to people about work – it sounds strange but I actually made some really valuable contacts through conversations completely unrelated to the event.

3. Join in –everyone else is in the same boat as you and are just as nervous. Just may sure you keep up and you’ll be fine.

What did you learn?

Don’t try to be clever, just be honest about why you’re there and be yourself. You’ll be surprised at how much more valuable the event will be!

The event this year is due to take place next week! Applications for for our City law for ethnic minorities in June are now open!

Attending a TARGETjobs Event? Chances are there will be a networking opportunity! We spoke to Project Manager Becca who gave us her top tips!

Name: Becca Ritchie-Timms

Job title: Project Manager,TARGETjobs Events team

I work with the TARGETjobs Events team to deliver a wide variety of events which always include networking sessions. So here are my five top tips to working the room:

1.      Read the room

People stand in circles. A wider circle is open to anyone to join. A closed circle usually denotes a private conversation. Closed circles are not common at our events so if you are not sure, hover outside a circle: if they are open they will widen to invite you in.

2.      Join a group

Conversations rarely cease at networking sessions so don’t be afraid of offending by joining mid-flow. Introduce yourself when there is a pause in conversation. How you do this is up to you; there are various styles. I would suggest for the purpose of TARGETjobs Events, that you stick to your name.

3.      Engage

Ask questions: if you are interested in other people, they will be interested in you. Let the conversation flow naturally and be yourself.

4.      Know when to leave a group

Leaving without feeling rude can be the most difficult part of networking. To get the most out of a networking session, make sure that you move around the room. Decide whether there is more to be gained by remaining in your current group. If not, wait until the current person speaking has finished. Thank the group and tell them that it has been a pleasure to meet them. You can either move straight on to another group or, if you feel uneasy, make an excuse eg to get a drink. Then wait a moment before moving onto another group.

Warning, if someone leaves your group to ‘get a drink’ it is possible that they want to move on to another group. Try not to follow someone around the room to achieve your own goals. You could be in danger of being a pest and no one wants that. Think of the responses they have given you in your conversation and if you believe there is a contact to be made, try approaching them again later on in the session.

5.      Exchanging contact details

Striking up a good conversation can bring you great value but only if you follow up with your new contacts later. You will know when you have struck gold with a contact. Ask them if you can exchange contact details. You can do this toward the end of your conversation, or if you are confident that you will have time and opportunity, go back to them at the end of the networking session. Choose a method that works best for you: this could be finding them on a site like LinkedIn or exchanging business cards. Make sure that you follow up with a simple ‘hello’ stating where you’ve met a couple of days afterwards.  

targetjobsevents.co.uk

Do you pay enough attention to detail? It's the little things that count! Great application advice here!

As an editor, it’s my job to sweat the small stuff – let’s face it, if I didn’t I’d probably be out of a job.  But getting the little things right is also crucial when you’re applying for a place on a graduate scheme, at a TARGETjobs event or as an intern. Paying attention to detail can mean the difference between being called for an interview and your application being put on the rejected pile. You may be a star candidate, but a spilling error, poor grammar or other mistake in your covering letter will immediately make you shine a little less brightly in the eyes of the recruiter (yes, that was deliberate).

At TARGETjobs we spend a lot of time talking to recruiters, who tell us of their frustration when an otherwise great CV, covering letter or application form is let down by a candidate:

• using the wrong company or event name. You say you’ve always wanted to work for Goldman Sachs, which is great, but you’re applying to Barclays. Or you tell us why you think you’d really benefit from attending the Women in Investment Management event but it’s the Engineer Your Future form you’re filling out. This kind of mistake tends to slip in when you’re applying to several employers and copying and pasting.

• getting the facts wrong about a firm. You say you’re looking forward to meeting the recruiters at their environmentally friendly offices at Canary Wharf, but they’re based in Birmingham. An otherwise promising applicant for our editorial intern role was rejected because he told us, ‘I am applying to you because I'm really keen to gain further experience in TV and programming production.’  We do many great things at TARGETjobs, but we do not work in television.

• addressing the wrong person. I’m sure Steven Phillips is delighted that you want to join the firm he represents, but it’s Steve Phipps who’ll be reading your application.

• forgetting to leave the correct contact details, or misspelling your email address. When you’re rushing to get an application done, sloppy errors can even sneak into the basics.

• not following the recruiter’s instructions about how to upload your information, even when they’re given clearly.

• formatting headings and dates inconsistently on the CV. Choose one format and stick to it

You’ve probably heard it a million times before, but once you’ve completed the application, read through everything carefully. Then read it though again. Then, ideally, before you press ‘send’, get feedback from someone you trust.

Paying attention to detail shouldn’t stop at the application stage. It must continue at the interview, assessment centre or event. Take a last look in the mirror and ask yourself:

• Are my shoes polished, not scruffy?
• Do my socks match? Are my tights run free?

• Is my skirt no shorter than just above the knee?

• Is my body language friendly? Think about how you’ll greet people, and how to look interested when you’re listening to others speak.

You’ll feel much more confident walking into an event if you know you’ve taken care of the details. You can then focus on the important stuff.

Getting the little things right can be the basis for a top career. If you’re in any doubt, consider this anecdote from Vic Gundotra, Google's senior vice president of engineering. One Sunday morning he took a call from Steve Jobs, with whom he was working on mobile apps. Jobs had been looking at the Google logo on the iPhone. He was calling to let Gundotra know that he didn’t think the second ‘O’ in Google had quite the right yellow gradient and had arranged to get it fixed immediately. Gundotra says, ‘When I think about leadership, passion and attention to detail, I think back to the call. It was a lesson I'll never forget. CEOs should care about details. Even shades of yellow. On a Sunday.’

by Jacky Barrett

http://targetjobsevents.co.uk