Mark Devine tells us about life after becoming the 2014 Mathematics, Economics and Finance Undergraduate of the Year!

If I was to rewind to an afternoon in November 2013, I was sitting in the lounge of my student house when I received an email from Queen’s University Careers Department. It notified me of the 2014 TARGETjobs Events Undergraduate of the Year Awards and rather than spend another hour sitting through episodes of Pointless and Deal or No Deal, I thought I’d apply. Being from Ireland, a country whose people are not altogether well known for their wildly confident and self-assured personalities, I did so purely on a speculative basis. If was being totally honest with myself, I didn’t think I was in the running to win but it was a fantastic experience to meet some of the best and brightest graduates in the UK nonetheless!

After going through a gruelling assessment process, I was lucky enough to be successful in winning the award in my category and I am currently a week away from moving to London for the summer to work for Gazprom Marketing and Trading. I’ve worked for Morgan Stanley before in Glasgow so I have some idea of what to expect but having never stepped foot in London before the assessment centre for the Award, I am pretty nervous about moving there to live for the summer. Here’s hoping I don’t end up getting lost or trampled on my commute...


Given the fact that less than 3 months ago I was living in the library, studying for finals, it is hard to believe that I’m currently writing this blog from a plush hotel room in Singapore! I am about 14,006 Kilometres (8,702.92 miles) away from my hometown of sunny Belfast (as per Google’s estimations!) and I have spent the last week working out of the Gazprom Marketing and Trading office in Singapore. A man whose complexion is not altogether cut out for the blistering 36 degree heat, I have sought the refuge of the underground train service each of the days I have spent commuting to the office. The first day I spent here, I tried to walk the total distance, an unfathomable stretch of about 700 metres, but arrived in the office disorientated, dehydrated and absolutely burnt to a crisp. If my Gran were here, she’d be telling me God gave me legs for a reason but at the risk of raising my core body temperature to around 1000°C I think I’ll be sticking to public transport until the end of the week.

Ailments aside, my experience here has been fantastic. I’ve never been to Asia before and was worried about the language barrier but frankly people here speak better English than I do - so not such a problem as yet! I’ve spent a few nights out and about at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and try and cram in as much of the local cuisine as possible, it’s pretty amazing how cheap it is to eat well here so it’s been fantastic for someone (greedy) like me.

 This week I’ll be coming to the end of my internship with GM&T this week and do so with a heavy heart! Throughout the assessment process I met some absolutely fantastic friends, some of whom rolled onto the summer intern programme at Gazprom Marketing and Trading. I hadn’t had any exposure to commodities before taking up my post within GM&T so it has been a fairly steep learning curve but I’ve had an amazing experience. I would strongly recommend to any students who have an interest in meeting fantastic people and challenging themselves to apply for the Undergraduate of the Year Awards. I really didn’t think I would go as far as I did and am so thankful that I took the time to apply! I think I’ll be staying in London for the foreseeable future so now just to worry about heading out into the world of work...

Mark Devine, Queen's University Belfast

Mathematics, Economics and Finance Undergraduate of the Year, winner

Think you could be the next winner for 2015? Why not apply here: undergraduateoftheyear.com/maths

Jamie Cooper-Higgins discusses winning the Scotland Undergraduate of the Year Award 2014 and how maximising his experience at university has paid off…

I heard about the Undergraduate of the Year Awards through both the StrathclydeCareers Service and also TARGETjobs Events who run the awards. I decided to enter because it was simply too great an opportunity to pass up.

I could spend the time completing the application process for a shot at the next stage and ultimately winning, or I could not try and regret never knowing… It was worth the effort then and in retrospect definitely worth the effort now!

There are 12 different categories in the Undergraduate of the Year Awards which all follow a similar, but not identical, application process. I applied for the Scotland Undergraduate of the Year Award 2014 and first of all had to complete an online application, then a comprehensive set of SHL psychometric tests designed by the event sponsor The Corporate Executive Board Company (CEB).

We were then shortlisted, and I was invited to an assessment centre with Information Technology group CGI, at their UK offices in Reading. There I was assessed on all the soft skills they were looking for in a graduate. Along with the other finalists in my category I was then invited to attend the award ceremony but had no idea I had won until it was announced.

Although academic performance was a factor in winning, it definitely wasn’t the only one. The awards recognise drive and ambition in candidates, shown through extra-curricular activities and life experiences. I’ve tried to maximise my experience while at university through part-time work, marketing internships, military service with the RAF – and last summer as a Saltire Scholar I interned with Barclays Wealth & Investment Management in New York for two months. I’ve not had any of these opportunities handed on a plate to me, and I’ve had to work for them, but I’m very grateful towards organisations like the Saltire Foundation for working so hard to offer these amazing opportunities.

Attending the Grand Final in Canary Wharf, London, was absolutely fantastic! Sir Trevor McDonald hosted the awards and it really was an honour to accept the award from such a distinguished public figure. His speech about the trajectory of his own career and the merits of hard work and determination really resonated with everyone in the room. The whole episode will definitely stick with me forever.

The event was very well organised – The food and drink was really impressive and I’m very grateful I was able to share it with all of the fellow finalists and CGI staff on our table; it really was a fantastic day.

The whole experience has undoubtedly been worth it and I’m glad I went for it. The benefit of being able to put the accolade on my CV is great and time will tell what kind of doors that opens. On a personal level it was great to be recognised for the work I’ve put in over the last few years to make it happen.

Jamie Cooper-Higgins, Marketing, University of Strathclyde

Scotland Undergraduate of the Year winner 2014

Do you think this could be you for 2015? Apply to the awards here: undergraduateoftheyear.com

Derek Bekoe only entered the Undergraduate of the Year Awards 2014 to see how far he could go…

Being announced as the winner of the IT and Computer Science Undergraduate of the Year Award by Sir Trevor McDonald at Canary Wharf was a memorable experience for me. I applied just to see how far I could go and it feels great to have won.

  

The application process was a smooth one with a few different stages. The first stage was an application form asking for some basic information and the completion of online tests. The final stage was an assessment centre held in London. The day was enjoyable with presentations, group exercises and an interview. Ten students were invited to the final, of which I won.

The prize was a guaranteed place on the Marks & Spencer software engineering graduate scheme and a technology hamper. The hamper was delivered a couple of weeks after the awards ceremony. Amongst lots of other really interesting technology, it contained an Xbox One with Kinect, Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablet, Apple TV and Pebble smart watch. I use the Pebble watch every day and it has brought about some interesting conversations about wearable technology. I've made some great contacts with software engineering staff at Marks & Spencer and look forward to finding out more about the graduate scheme.

Since the awards, I have completed the Bristol PLuS Outstanding Award at my university which recognises students demonstrating high leadership, commercial awareness and problem solving skills. I am also currently completing my internship in Technology at J.P. Morgan.

I'd like to thank TARGETjobs Events and Marks & Spencer for the award; the experience was great!

Think this could be you for 2015? Apply to the Awards here:undergraduateoftheyear.com/computer

Winner of the 2014 Law Undergraduate of the Year Award urges you to apply for 2015!!

Unfortunately, I was unable to undertake the prize of a vacation scheme with Mayer Brown but only as a result of already having many schemes in place for the summer.

Vacation scheme are a fantastic experience and I have learned a great deal through mine. For example, whilst sitting in the banking department at one firm I gained insight into the role of a law firm when acting for both lending financial institutions as well as a wide variety of borrowers, including companies and private equity houses. As a vacation scheme student I was able to perform typical trainee tasks such as creating an index for the Bible to the transaction, drafting board minutes and even sending emails to clients requesting documents and signatures.

While you’re expected to do some work on a vacation scheme, the majority of your time is taken up by your supervisor teaching you the fundamentals of the practice area, attending various practice area presentations and, of course, attending the many social events organised by the firm.

I would definitely recommend anyone considering a career as a solicitor to undertake a vacation scheme. Not only are they enjoyable but they also give you a very good insight into the firm, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether or not you wish to work at the firm that you wouldn’t be able to make if you applied directly through a training contract application. You also have the opportunity to experience a variety of practice areas. For example through my roles I have also worked Restructuring and Insolvency; while the Banking lawyers help set up the loan agreement, the Restructuring lawyers are on hand when something goes wrong, namely the borrower’s inability to pay back the debt under the terms of the facility agreement. I never appreciated just how many things a lawyer has to consider on any particular matter, both legally and commercially, until I undertook these schemes!

Finally, if you’re considering a career in law then I would strongly recommend that you apply for the Law Undergraduate of the Year Award! Mayer Brown is a first rate international law firm and undertaking a scheme there will not only be a very enjoyable and informative experience but it will also significantly increase your chances of obtaining a training contract at the firm. This is because you have three weeks to impress the firm instead of just a few hours at an assessment day! Winning the Award in itself is a highly regarded achievement and even being shortlisted in the top ten will look fantastic on your CV!

I never imagined I had a chance of winning this Award but here I am so I strongly urge you all to apply, you have nothing to lose! Good luck with your application.

Alexander Hughes, Law, University of Southampton

Law Undergraduate of the Year Award 2014, Winner

Do you think this could be you for 2015? Apply to the Awards here: undergraduateoftheyear.com/law

Although Kris didn't win the Engineering Undergraduate of the Year Award 2014, he tells us about his experience and new opportunities that have come his way!

The first I heard about the award was at the start of January when I received a call asking if I would be interested in applying. The call came as a shock, E.ON wanted me to apply For the Engineering Undergraduate of the Year Award? I pondered over whether to apply or not for the next week before deciding there was nothing to lose in doing so. Looking back I am so glad that I did!

The first stage was relatively straightforward and involved completing an online form along with some focused questions surrounding the energy industry. I would strongly suggest taking the time to research before doing them as it was hugely helpful in preparing answers. This was followed by a set of online tests similar to ones I have completed when applying for internships.

A couple of weeks later an email arrived informing me I had been selected to go through to the next stage and that E.ON would be in touch about whether I had made it through to the assessment centre. I was ecstatic to have even made it through to this stage. The wait for E.ON to get back to me was close to 2 months and I had almost resigned myself to the fact I hadn’t got through.

Half way through March, out of the blue, I received a call informing me I had been selected to attend an assessment centre for the award. It was such a surprise and things were only going to get better!

The assessment centre was held at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station near Nottingham. E.ON were great hosts and while the day was challenging, it was a great chance to learn more about the company as well as meet some of the management as well. I would strongly advise again that time is taken to learn about E.ON and what they do before the assessment day as it was a key feature of the day. After two long drawn out weeks I got the call informing me I had made it to the final. I haven’t smiled so much for a long time!

The awards ceremony came round very quickly. It was a 4am start travelling down from Scotland but it is definitely the most awake and excited I have been for a long time, almost as exciting as Christmas Day! Canary Wharf was very impressive and we were met with a champagne reception and the chance to meet other finalists from the other awards. It was also a great chance to meet the other finalists for my category and some of the managers from E.ON as well. The main awards ceremony was presented by Sir Trevor McDonald which was inspirational. One by one each award was read out along with the list of finalists. I was delighted that Sir Trevor McDonald had read out my name! Sadly though it was not to be and I didn't walk away with the award.

I may not have won the award but I found the experience very rewarding and allowed me to further develop myself. E.ON offered me a placement as a result of the assessment centre so there are other opportunities that could present themselves to you after taking part in the awards. I'm now spending 6 months working for Rolls-Royce and never thought I would be in the position where I would be offered two different placements by large prestigious companies such as E.ON and Rolls-Royce.

Thinking of applying? Stop thinking and get over to the website to start your application. You have nothing to lose and you could be sitting there next year listening to your name being read out as one of the finalists! Good luck!