Read Oishi's story on how she got a Vodafone internship through TARGETjobs Events!

Oishi attended many of our TARGETjobs Events, including IT's not just for the boys!, Future Female Engineers and STEMinism presents Vodafone. All helping her gain valuable insights to a variety of STEM related fields and learning insider tips for applications to major companies in these fields.


As a result of the event, Oishi secured an internship with Vodafone. We caught up with her to find out how she got on..

My internship at Vodafone

I am Oishi, Software and Electronics Engineering undergraduate student at University of Leicester, and I have just completed my second internship at Vodafone over the summer. I was working as a ‘Technology Operational Management’ intern in the team of the Vodafone’s Technology Director and senior managers. It was a great experience to work closely with such senior people at Vodafone. I worked on various weekly and monthly technology reports which involves analysing and checking data. I was responsible for production of Technology Weekly Trading Pack and the reporting pack for the Director. My role involves analyzing and managing monthly Technology Objective Dashboard and Technology Key Performance Indexes (KPIs). I was also responsible for managing the Director’s meeting governance and creating agendas, minutes and pre-reads for various meetings.

Through these accountabilities I improved various skills which includes analytical thinking, while gathering, analysing and managing information for production and review of various reports. I further improved my written and verbal communication skill while interacting with various teams within Vodafone to fetch information for regular reports. Furthermore, I improved technical knowledge of telecommunication networks and transmission techniques through courses in Vodafone Academy. These helped me to relate to the technical aspects of the reports much clearly. 

I really enjoyed working with such great people at Vodafone. The internship has been a great experience and has definitely boost my confidence a lot. I highly recommend and encourage other students to get involve with internships and build up their skills. Moreover, the internship at Vodafone became more memorable as I got the opportunity to celebrate my birthday there. Just a week before finishing the internship it was my birthday, and my team greeted me and gifted me with a bracelet. I never expected it, and I was really surprised and so pleased. I was so fortunate to be able to work with such amazing people. 

Before I could realize, the eight weeks were gone. On my last day, I had farewell lunch and following that was awaiting my final internship review, I was anxious to know my performance and was so pleased to receive great feedback from my manager. I am glad I made the most of this opportunity and will always cherish this wonderful experience and the amazing people I met. 

So, how did I get the internship?

I found out about this internship having attended IT's not just for the boys! I passed the selection process and was offered the internship for the summer. Following the first internship, I was invited back again for this summer. 

My message to other students

I definitely encourage other students especially females in STEM to take part in TARGETjobs Events and to make the most out of these opportunities. Who knows, you might end up with an amazing internship experience!

With the team at Vodafone.

We’re off! Our time as TARGETjobs editorial interns…

Hi, we’re Charlotte and Ruth, two of the editorial interns here at TARGETjobs. Today marks the end of our four month internship, so we thought we’d reflect on our time at GTI Media.

Highs

We’ve sincerely appreciated the friendly vibes at GTI. The expectation as incoming interns, as most students imagine, was that we’d be ostracized by the more mature and experienced full-timers due to our lack of life experience and the bad rep we suffer from as ‘students’. However, we couldn’t have been made to feel more at-ease. As a reasonably small company, we’ve gotten to know a lot of our co-workers – even the CEO stops for a quick chat when we’re grabbing a cuppa.

One of the best parts of being an editorial intern was the interviewing, from partners in law firms to accountancy graduates, we all got to talk to industry professionals. The variety of interviewees means every interview has been different; you could be talking about the impact of the legal aid cuts one day, and about advice for aspiring engineers the next. It’s great to see the article printed and seeing your name credited in the publication too.

As we’re both going into final year (scary!) it’s officially time to sort ourselves out and start applying for grad jobs. Our time working at TARGETjobs has definitely been instrumental in figuring out what we actually could (and want to) do with our lives.

Lows

We are based in an office and sitting down all day on a computer can take its toll (hard to believe, we know). There is also constant cake in the office and biscuit time at 3 pm means a fat bulge has appeared. No summer bod for us.

It’s great to have a CV with no gaps, but a four month internship does push the boundaries of endurance. Maybe that has something to do with being accustomed to the luxury of the student-summer, but the summer holiday bants have been sorely missed.

Relocating

Being from NI, commuting to work in Oxfordshire every morning wasn’t really on the cards. Luckily (especially given rent prices in the area) one of my best friends lives 20 minutes from the office. It might sound like a long time to be on top your friend and her family, but in reality when you’re working 9 – 5 and have a social life, you really aren’t in the house for much other than dinner and bed. – Ruth

I’m not from the Oxford area either, so had to rent a room that I found online and it really wasn’t as bad as it sounds. The family were very welcoming, and a full-time job and making friends in the area meant I was hardly in the house. I’d moved away from home for uni, so knew I’d be able to do it again. – Charlotte

Signing off…

We’ve both learned a lot this summer, and honestly feel like much more employable adults! So we can’t recommend getting a summer internship enough – and if you’re lucky, the person you get stuck sitting beside for over 40 hours each week could be really sound.

Article written by Charlotte Wharf and Ruth Thompson, TARGETjobs Editorial Interns. Connect with Charlotte and Ruth on LinkedIn. 

See what Kate Nichols has been up to since being a runner up in the 2015 Undergraduate Awards!

My name is Kate Nichols and I am in my fourth and final year at the University of Nottingham studying Management with German. I received an email from TARGETjobs while I was on my Year Abroad in Germany, inviting me to apply for the Undergraduate of the Year Awards 2015. Applying for the Management Undergraduate of the Year Award, sponsored by Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, was an extremely exciting and memorable process.  

Initially, I had to fill out an application form which consisted of a few questions from the sponsor regarding leadership and general managerial practice and my personal experiences. Following this, I was invited to undertake three online tests. 

A few days later, I received an email from a Talent Acquisition Manager at Enterprise-Rent-A-Car to inform me that my application and online tests had been successful and I was invited for a telephone interview. I had butterflies in my stomach and I wanted to start preparing for the interview straight away! I am a huge lover of new stationery so I went into the German town where I was living and bought myself some new sticky notes, highlighters, pens and paper. I printed off information regarding the award and Enterprise-Rent-A-Car and started preparing for the interview and eventually every inch of my living room wall was covered in sticky notes! Although I felt nervous about my telephone interview, the interviewer was extremely friendly and was skilled at putting me at my ease so I was able to relax and really enjoy the interview. I could not tell if I had done well enough to get to the next stage of the process. 

Following my interview, I received an email notifying me that I had been selected to attend an assessment centre at Enterprise Holdings in Egham. This was an inspirational and highly enjoyable day. Being surrounded by what I can only describe as the friendliest and most welcoming people, it was a delight to speak to current Enterprise employees about their experience of working for Enterprise and participate in management orientated activities. I received a phone call a week later regarding the outcome of the assessment centre. I was shaking as I knew I would be in competition with other very strong candidates, however I was over the moon to be chosen as one of the 10 finalists for the award.

Attending the awards ceremony in London was extraordinary. The Winter Gardens at Canary Wharf was the perfect venue to host a ceremony for such prestigious awards. It was a pleasure to share this day with the hostess, Fiona Bruce, who enlightened us all with stories of her past and present career. It was an excellent opportunity to share experiences with fellow candidates and network with employees of high profile companies.

As a result of reaching the finals, I was offered a summer internship with Enterprise-Rent-A-Car which I have now completed. By the end of my internship, I was proud of what I had achieved in a short period of time and have met some fantastic people working for Enterprise -Rent-A -Car. I am extremely excited to have also been offered further employment. Applying for the award was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It not only allowed me to experience a graduate application process, but also it exposed me to such wonderful and invaluable experiences which has provided me with a fantastic pool of networks. 

Apply for the 2016 Undergraduate of the Year awards now.

What I learned on my summer editorial internship at GTI Media

Hi I’m Lizzie, and this summer I have spent almost four months working at GTI Media in the editorial department. Going from knowing incredibly little about the publishing world before starting, to having a pretty good insight now, I can definitely say that this internship has been a positive experience. There are a few key things that I’ve learned this summer.

1. The people you work with make all the difference.

I feel like I’ve been very lucky to be surrounded by some wonderful and hilarious people this summer. From the managers, to the other interns, to the CEO of the company – there’s a very friendly and supportive atmosphere here, and there’s always someone to help you out when you need. It takes away the fear of a new job very quickly!

2. New skills, insights, and knowledge.

A new job wouldn’t be a new job without a steep learning curve. There was an awful lot to take in at first and get used to, but it only takes a little while to start adapting to it and become more confident with what’s required of you. My writing style has definitely improved and I now have a number of new skills surrounding editing, research and writing that I didn’t have before. Visiting the printers’ to see our magazines being made was great too; I had no idea how everything was put together before that! It’s been an eye-opening insight into both the publishing world and all of the other career fields that I’ve spent my summer researching and writing on!

3. Working around my commute.

My commute has been a particularly long one (4–5 hours a day) but it was doable, I just had to adjust. In the beginning I was making plans almost every evening after work and all weekend – and I started to burn out very quickly. In the past I’ve worked full time in retail so have been running around all day, and I knew that was tiring – but no one tells you how tiring sitting down all day is; it was a big surprise for me! Working full time plus a long commute is exhausting, so you need to learn to leave some free time empty to recover and rest.

4. Whether or not I like an office environment.

This may sound obvious, but it’s actually a very important thing to find out. Offices suit some people really well; for others, it’s just not going to make them happy or comfortable in the long run. Luckily for me, I enjoyed sharing a desk with the other lovely interns, and it was a pleasant working environment; I would definitely consider an office job again.

5. Whether or not I want to continue working in the publishing field.

Again, this is might sound obvious, but it’s a hugely important decision that could affect my entire working career. Neither myself nor the other editorial interns had worked in a publishing company before, and so this really was our first real insight into the industry and the different career options available in the field. We’ve been very fortunate at GTI to have had such a long internship as well to get a really well-rounded and in-depth view of the company and industry, both in very busy and quieter months. I’m glad to say that I’ve had a very positive experience here, and will seriously consider pursuing a career in this industry.

If you’re thinking about applying for an internship, make sure you read TARGETjobs’ tips on being a star intern.

Another article I have found particularly useful during my time here has been the 'Writing: graduate area of work' article. 

Article written by Lizzie Akass, TARGETjobs Editorial Intern. Connect with Lizzie on LinkedIn. 

Interested in attending our City Law for Ethnic Minorities event? Read Damini's experience!

In June 2015 I attended the TARGETjobs City Law for Ethnic Minorities event, and had the opportunity to network with trainees, associates, partners and graduate recruitment teams from Reed Smith, Baker & McKenzie, Wragge Lawrence Graham and Co, RPC and Cooley. It was a great experience and I would recommend any aspiring lawyer to apply.

What is it?

City Law for Ethnic Minorities is a two day event hosted in London by TARGETjobs Events. It has been running for 12 years providing an invaluable experience opportunity for motivated law students. The two days provide a real insight and exposure to city law firms in London that would be otherwise difficult to reach for those from disadvantage and/or ethnic minority backgrounds. The organised skills sessions allow you to learn what firms are looking for from applicants, and how to make your application stand out.

Why did I apply to attend City Law for Ethnic Minorities?

I have always been interested in City law and as a second year law student studying at the University of Bradford, the geographic disadvantage means there are limited opportunities to gain this depth of insight.  After hearing about this event, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to gain experience in City law whilst also learning about the diversity of it and the importance of this diversity.

How did I find the application process and the interview?

The application process is not too hard, but don't be fooled, it is competitive. The application requests your CV so make sure it is up to date and no longer than two pages. Also a 200 word answer as to why you want to apply and what makes you a strong candidate is required. This is your chance to portray your personality, but don't get caught in the web of trying to list all your strengths into the limited space of 200 words, just be yourself. To be quite honest, I started my answer with "Good morning, my name is Damini Sharma…"

The telephone interview is short but to the point. There aren't many questions but the interviewer tries to make you feel as comfortable as possible. Make sure you have done some background research on the firms attending and the event itself so if any questions arise, you know how to answer them. Also, don't be afraid to re-arrange the interview if the timing isn't amazing.  I remember I was working at the time but the TARGETjobs Events staff were really helpful and we were able to arrange it to a time that suited the both of us. In fact, it served as a great opener when it came to the actual interview.

What was the best part of the event?

The best part of the event for me was the amount of networking opportunities available. Not just with the professionals but also with peers. Getting to know other students stories and sharing your own is a large part of learning how to improve your career prospects and gain exposure to new opportunities you were not previously aware of. It is important to remember that though it is a competitive field, not everyone is your competition and teamwork plays an important role in almost all careers to an extent.

Networking with the firms professionals was also a large part of this event. Learning about the ethos and values of a firm are best done by visiting a firm and talking to the employees.

What did I get out of it?

I learnt so much in these two days it was unbelievable.  Not just about the firms but also about the city and what it would take to live there.  It is so incredibly different to my hometown in the sense of the amount of people, the sites, the traffic and… the price of food. As a person who has never been to the heart of London, this was a very new experience for me.  Even with accommodation and a portion of my expenses reimbursed, I understood that London would be an expensive place to live.

As for the event itself, there were so many aspects addressed which you don't normally gain an insight into, for example, the skills sessions.  On the internet you can find so many articles and blogs on applications, but not many on the assessment days.  The skills sessions provided practice of group and individual presentations, case study exercises and teamwork sessions. These are all activities which could potentially be a part of the assessment day when applying to a Law firm.

What am I going to do now?

As a second year law student, it is an opportune time for me to apply for training contracts. Using the knowledge and connections I have gained from the event, I can now apply with more confidence as I now know what firms are looking for in my application and how to make my application stand out.

My advice to you.

1. Apply. This is a great opportunity to network with some amazing professionals and students and to consider whether you think that City Law is right for you.  It can also make your CV and applications stand out and give you a better competitive stance. There are only 85 positions allocated from hundreds of applications. 

2. LinkedIn is your best friend.  If you're not already on LinkedIn, get on it.  Many legal professionals now use LinkedIn as a network base. With so much networking at this event, the best way to keep in contact with everyone you meet is through LinkedIn. You can also showcase your strengths and achievements.

3. When we arrived, in the Introduction talk, Katy said "To make the most of this opportunity be prepared to participate, as the more you put in, the more you will gain from attending." This is so true and I would like to pass this advice onto you. Not just for this event, but for any event you attend. Don't be afraid to approach people, ask questions or get involved.

If you have any further questions about my personal experiences of the event, don’t hesitate to connect and mail me on LinkedIn.

An intern’s guide to writing CVs and impressing at interviews

Hi I’m Lizzie, a current editorial intern at GTI Media (the parent company of TARGETjobs). As an intern, I am very familiar with the process of applying for work experience; I’ve been through it! Here are some key pieces of advice that I’ve learned on writing a good CV and covering letter, and how to impress at an internship interview. 

Writing your CV and covering letter

My key pieces of advice for applying for internships are to thoroughly research the companies that you want to apply for before you write your applications, and to tailor each CV and covering letter to what the individual job advertisement asks for. If an employer puts a list of skills or attributes they want candidates to have, go through the list and explain how you have them/give examples for each on your covering letter. If they ask for your earliest starting date, put one! If they put a name on the job description, address your application to that person – if there is no name, either see if you can Google who to address or phone up the company and ask.

Here are some resources that I found useful when applying for internships. 

• An essential guide on how to write your CV

• An example internship CV template

• How to fill in an online application form

• How to write a covering letter

Presenting yourself well at interview

You should take internship interviews just as seriously as you would interviews for permanent roles; securing an internship could make a huge impact on your future career! Dress smartly, show up about 10–15 minutes early, give a good handshake, smile, make eye contact and be polite – don’t let being nervous make you come across as uninterested or rude! Preparing answers to common interview questions beforehand can also make a big difference to how well you come across during the interview.

Although you should have researched the company when you applied, you’ll need to do it again to refresh your memory the day before your interview, and to see if there are any updates. Also, if you have to travel quite a long way to get to your interview, plan your route in advance and make sure you know where you’re going when you arrive.

Once you are invited for your interview, don't forget to check out advice on how to shine in your work experience interview. 

Article written by Lizzie Akass, TARGETjobs Editorial Intern. Connect with Lizzie on LinkedIn.

An intern’s guide to finding work experience and internships

Hi I’m Lizzie, a current editorial intern at GTI Media (the parent company of TARGETjobs). I know that finding the right work experience, internship or placement when you're a student can be tricky, so here are a few tips and tricks that I’ve learned from my own application process for anyone needing a little help!

Use your university’s careers and employability service

My university was my main resource to find work experience opportunities. It’s how I found a work shadowing day at GTI Media, which led to me getting a summer internship in its editorial department. Your university’s careers and employability centre should advertise placement, internship, work experience and work shadowing opportunities – so keep up to date with what’s advertised on their website and in their e-mails. Also, keep going to the careers advice centre’s talks and presentations; I went to a few presentations by our careers advice team and found them really helpful. The people I spoke to continued to e-mail me with ideas and advice afterwards, and even offered to conduct a practice interview with me when I told them I got an internship interview at GTI Media. Unfortunately I couldn’t take this opportunity due to a lack of time with essay deadlines, but in hindsight I think it would have been really helpful as it was very different to interviews for my previous jobs.

Use what’s available online

You need to do thorough research on job descriptions, companies, and vacancies. There is an entire section of the TARGETjobs website giving advice on internships and advertising available opportunities and openings. There are also plenty of companies and organisations that use social media to advertise openings in specific fields. Alternatively, if you have any particular companies in mind see if they advertise any work experience or placement opportunities themselves, or if you’ll need to contact them directly to find out if they do.

Choosing where to apply

Stay open minded when making this decision, as any experience you get in your field will give you valuable skills and experience, give you a great insight into a potential career, help you make networking contacts, and be good to put on your CV. Internships and placements are brilliant if you have a clearer idea of what area of work you’d like to go into, but if you’re unsure then short term work experience and work shadowing days are perfect. They’re a great way to get insight into fields that you’re thinking about, plus whilst you’re there you can speak to people in various sectors to learn about different roles that you could potentially look into in the future.

For a break down of all the experience opportunities available to you, look no further than TARGETjobs! 

Article written by Lizzie Akass, TARGETjobs Editorial Intern. Connect with Lizzie on LinkedIn. 

How my work shadowing day helped me get an internship at TARGETjobs

Hi, I'm Lizzie and I am currently an editorial intern at GTI Media (the parent company of TARGETjobs). I got the opportunity to apply for the internship after completing a work shadowing day at the company. Here's a few tips from me for anyone looking to do a work shadowing day or get an internship, based on my own experiences!

Finding the work shadowing opportunity

The work shadowing day at GTI Media, which was advertised through my university’s careers and employability website, really interested me as it was offering experience in a role and career field that I was interested in, with a company name that I knew through TARGETjobs e-mails. The fact that it was only for one day during Easter, as opposed to two weeks like some companies offered, also appealed to me as it was far more practical in terms of balancing my time with the essays I had to write in those few Easter weeks.

After completing the online application form, I got a place on the work shadowing day. I then had a meeting with a member of the careers guidance team at university which consisted of a short interview followed by run through of details, correct conduct and what to do next.

What my work shadowing day consisted of

It was well-structured with a number of exercises for us to do, and designed to give an insight into a variety of different tasks completed by the editorial team. We were even asked to give feedback on some layouts for a new website, which was great as it showed that the editors genuinely wanted our input and valued our opinions. Everyone was so accommodating and willing to answer our little group’s questions and talk us through how publishing differed at GTI to other companies they had worked at. This gave us a much broader insight into the publishing field than I was expecting. At the end of the day we were invited to apply for the summer internship by e-mailing our CVs and covering letters, and I was offered an interview the following day so it was a very quick process.

Reflecting on the work shadowing day

Even if I had applied for the internship beforehand, I still think the work shadowing day would have made a huge difference to my chances of getting an interview at GTI Media. It allowed my interviewer-to-be (and now manager), and other editors in the department a chance to get to know me in person and see for themselves how I worked with other people and took on the tasks that were given to me. It also gave me a new understanding of the company, and day-to-day tasks of an editor, and the insight I needed to decide whether this was a role I wanted to get further experience in. It was an all-round positive experience, and I definitely recommend students to seriously consider work shadowing days and short-term work experience as valuable opportunities which can potentially lead to longer placements.

Tips to impress:

If you have a work shadowing day coming up, here are some useful tips to make sure you make the most of the day. 

• Check the dress code – this differs at every company so it’s important to ask what’s appropriate. GTI Media has a fairly relaxed dress code meaning I was able to wear smart jeans and a t-shirt, but if I’d been in another company I might have had to wear something more formal.

• Show up at least 15 minutes early – this includes planning your route well in advance and checking the day before that your planned route is still useable (eg replacement buses meaning you’ll miss a connecting train).

• Prepare some questions to ask specific to the role – I needed to think through exactly what I wanted to know about the publishing field, company, and role/duties of an editor.

• Bring a notepad and pen – taking notes is always useful as you might forget a lot of what you’re told on the day (there will almost definitely be a lot of information!), and it’s also never a bad thing to look prepared.

• Keep your energy up – between the commute, being nervous, and completing the tasks you’re given, you will get tired. Have a good night’s sleep the night before, and maybe get a little caffeine over lunch if it helps!

• Take part and be enthusiastic – they won’t expect you to get everything right, so the way that you approach any tasks given, both practically and emotionally, are very important too. The exercises our group were given were an excellent opportunity to show that we were able to work in a team and individually, and could rise to new challenges and explain the reasoning behind our decisions.

• Don’t be scared – it’s natural to be nervous, but I found the work environment at GTI Media so friendly that it quickly became clear that this was a positive learning experience and a chance to make a good impression, and not a day to be scared or too shy. If you can’t get over your nerves (it happens!) fake it ‘till you make it: smile, give a good handshake, and pretend you’re confident until you’re comfortable enough to actually feel confident.

For more information on internships and how to get them, check out the internship section on TARGETjobs. 

Article written by Lizzie Akass, TARGETjobs Editorial Intern. Connect with Lizzie on LinkedIn. 

The power of an internship

Why are internships so important? You may be asking yourself this very question. Whether you’re a budding student or you’re embarking on your new career, landing an internship can better your chances of employment.

Here are my top reasons why internships are worthwhile:

1. You gain industry experience
2. You gain networking connections
3. You build on your knowledge and skillset
4. You differentiate yourself, making yourself more employable

Not everyone gets the chance to gain experience before graduating from university. If you’re a student, or a recent graduate, now is the best time to start interning. By starting work experience early, you not only build up your CV, but you also give yourself the opportunity to find out what the industry is like and whether it is right for you.

When considering work experience, do not expect everything to be exciting or interesting. A working internship requires humility because there may be times that you will be asked to perform menial tasks such as photocopying or running errands. However, even menial tasks can be a chance to learn and make a good impression on your employer. If you're asked to sit in on a meeting, write up a memo or even add your input, you will get a better picture of what the industry is all about.

There can be some downsides to interning. Money is always a key factor and some internships require you to travel. It can sometimes be an expensive decision. Check what’s on offer carefully, does the internship cover travel expenses? Some internships are well paid, but if you’re voluntary in the charity sector, for example the pay on offer varies.

You may be able to juggle your internship and part-time work to make it more manageable, some internships are very well paid, in such cases this won’t be an issue!

So why not start searching for that internship that could start off your career? Start today with TARGETjobs. 

By Roxanne Chand

TARGETjobs career advice weekly roundup

Welcome to the weekly graduate recruitment roundup. This is where you find the roundup of all the latest graduate career advice we have written this past week. 

Let's start off this week's roundup with the internship and graduate job deadlines.

Check out our roundup of upcoming deadlines for internships and placements, lasting from 12 week's to 12 months. There are placements available in engineering, IT and marketing, but you'll have to be quick as they all have deadlines coming up over the next week.

Don't miss out on these great graduate opportunities available from targetjobs.co.uk. There are vacancies with imminent closing dates within a range of sectors, including graduate schemes in IT and technology, retail and engineering. Popular employers with application deadlines coming up include the John Lewis Partnership and Royal Bank of Scotland Group. So if you think any of these jobs might be for you, don't wait around - be sure to apply this week!

Now on to the career advice section:

Finance

Would you like to start off you finance career working for a bank like Credit Suisse? Well, I am going to tell you how you can. Credit Suisse requests a covering letter to accompany its application form. This additional layer is intended to weed out the motivated candidates from the unmotivated; the well-researched from the uninformed; and those who genuinely want to join the team from those who just want a job. Read here how to write an impressive cover letter for Credit Suisse and what they expect to see.

To increase your chances at the next stage of the process find out how to tackle the Credit Suisse graduate interviews and questions. Have a read of our article which describes what they look for in a potential candidate and how to beat those interview nerves by researching the company. Preparation is essential with every interview. 

The deadline for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group’s Technology and Change Audit Graduate Programme has been extended until 30 June. This gives you a few additional days to decide what you’re going to include in your online application to persuade the bank to invite you for an interview. Have a read of our article 'RBS's Technology and Change Audit Graduate Programme: how to show you've a good grasp of technology risk'.

Law

Don’t miss that 31 July training contract application deadline! If you’re applying for a training contract that begins in 2016, you need to get your application completed. We’ve provided help on answering those tricky commercial awareness questions, presenting your experience and what you need to research about the firms. See the links below to get tailored help for RPC, Shearman & Sterling and Mayer Brown, or check out TARGETjobsLaw.co.uk for more information on how to get from application to interview and beyond. 

Calling future solicitors! As some of you will be all too aware, 31 July is the training contracts deadline for the vast majority of commercial law firms. We've had a look at the following firms’ application forms and offer our tailored advice on how you can best answer their questions: 

• Osborne Clarke
• Simmons & Simmons
• Jones Day
• Baker & McKenzie 

Retail

Interested in a managerial position at McDonald's? Have a read of our article 'Interview tips for McDonald's trainee manager job'.

Get the inside buzz

Get the inside buzz on what it’s really is like to work for top employers from those in the know. Recent graduate employees give their view on culture, training, salary and benefits and their overall satisfaction

• What employers say: their company information, jobs, internships and more
• What we say: our own top tips on how to get hired written by our expert careers editors
• What employees say: get the feel for working life from those in the know.

That's all from me this week, I wish you all the best of luck in your applications!

Have a great weekend.

TARGETjobs career advice weekly roundup

Hello and welcome to this week’s graduate recruitment news roundup. Here we summarise what we have been covering on our site this week.  

As always I will start with next week's internship and graduate job deadlines:

Summer and graduate internships and placements to apply for now, with application deadlines coming up next week - apply here.

There are graduate job deadlines coming up fast in a range of career areas here on targetjobs.co.uk, from financial services and insurance to engineering, IT and sales. Click here to apply now!

As I mentioned last week we have a job opportunity available here at TARGETjobs, the deadline is on the 27 June 2014. 

Here is a reminder of the role in question

Job opportunity

Now, do you like what we do? Do you also have a passion for events? Then apply to be an Event Promotions Executive and join our team here at TARGETjobs!

As an Event Promotions Executive, you will

• Develop your communication skills
• Gain hiring and management experience
• Be responsible for planning and executing your own event attendance
• Demonstrate you can exceed targets
• Learn from a hands-on marketing team
• Get you own company car!

If this sounds interesting to you then why not apply now! We currently have four opportunities available so don't miss out on working for a fun, inspiring and prestigious company.

On to our latest career advice articles..

With so many graduates now on the market, employers will look for evidence of skills and work experience which will make you stand out from the crowd. Have a read of our article 'Top 10 skills that'll get you a job when you graduate'  we have also created a video which you may be interested in watching, the video highlights the skills you need and how to showcase those skills.

Internships are a crucial stepping-stone to graduate schemes. Have a read of our article to get application tips, find out about industrial placements and browse through the opportunities we have a available.

Whether you fancy yourself the next Robert Fisk reporting on world - changing issues or you're more of a Tyler Shields poised to photograph the stars, everyone has to start somewhere. It's best to be thinking about it while you're at university, so kick-start your fledgling media career by taking a peek at some of TARGETjobs media, journalism and publishing guides to getting a foot in the door. Have a read of our articles on this topic below: 

'Entry - level routes into journalism and writing for the web'

'Entry-level routes into photography'

'Entry-level routes into editorial'

Clifford Chance won the 2014 Graduate Employer of the Year Award at the TARGETjobs National Graduate Recruitment awards in April. In our article 'Four tips for getting a training contract of vac scheme with Clifford Chance' we explain why the firm were recognised at the Awards and how keeping this information in mind can help you get a training contract with this global giant of a law firm.

Did you know that there are only three ways to get a placement or work experience with Laing O’Rourke? Get sponsored through university by the company, apply to the Institution of Civil Engineers’ QUEST scheme – or win the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year competition. If you're interested in hearing more why not read our article 'How to WIN a summer placement with Laing O'Rourke'.

Are you interested in a career in forensic accounting? Well I have some great news for you, 20 new graduate positions will be available in September 2014 on EY’s new specialised trainee scheme – fraud investigations and disputes. It’s exciting news for those with an interest in forensic accounting. Read more on the topic here and find out how to apply.

That's all from me this week! 

Best of luck with any applications that you make this week.

Have a great weekend.

Roxanne

Interning for EC Harris: current third year student from Sheffield University, Nicole Louis, talks about her summer internship experience

It wasn’t until the end of my second year at university that I was met with the sudden feeling of anxiety and fear, as my degree intensified. Today, we are constantly told that securing that all important work experience is essential, in addition to obtaining a 2.1, especially for any geography graduate not wishing to become a full-time explorer. It also enables you to assess whether your desired career path is right for you, just in time before the graduate programmes open.

                    

While I’m a firm believer that geography has provided me with a strong transferable skill set, I knew that work experience was essential to pursuing a career in surveying. After reading horror stories in the form of intern experience blogs, it is safe to say that I was nervous that an internship would wholly entail fetching coffee, and monotonous filing. However, I was lucky enough to secure a 1 month internship in London at the consultancy firm EC Harris. So just days after finishing my 2nd year exams, I delved into the world of construction.

I knew the industry was known for being sociable, so I took every opportunity to meet as many people as possible. While this immediately made the first day less daunting, the word also seemed to spread fast that a young intern was here, willing to take on any work. Albeit overwhelming on the first day with a growing list of tasks to complete, the more people I met brought with it greater responsibility, and not to mention people to enjoy the free bar with. I was pleasantly surprised with the amazing people I got to work with, who instead of ordering me to fetch coffee, invited me, and instead of reducing me to filing, gave me real work to complete.  I would say to anyone that making connections is crucial not only for learning, but making the whole experience enjoyable both in and after work.  One way that you can increase the number of people you meet is to request to rotate around different teams or departments in the firm. In my month at EC Harris I spent time working with project managers, cost consultants and CDM coordinators. Perhaps the most crucial element of this rotation was that it allowed me to explore the different roles available in the industry.

I was fortunate enough to have been treated like an employee, and also to go on exciting site visits which included the East Village and St James’s Square. But on the very rare occasion (perhaps once) where I met the infamous photocopier mentioned in every intern’s story, I approached it as a learning opportunity by reading through what I was copying and asking questions afterwards. Any task which may initially appear mundane is an opportunity to learn, and is part of the exciting bigger picture. But you have to ask questions to find out.

I am no stranger however to the fear that you’ve asked too many, or stupid questions. One day after spending 20 minutes checking that my calculator was working, and spending even longer assessing whether my colleague was busy, I approached them to ask why these figures made no sense. As I walked over I was establishing what face I would make after being humiliated, only to find out there was actually a typo. Anyway, the point that I am making is unless you’re finding out what their cats name is, asking questions that you’ve at least spent time trying to answer yourself first is not a bad thing!

As the time for applying for graduate schemes draws nearer I can reflect on my experience with fond memories. I’ve understood the day to day tasks a surveyor completes, but also the importance of soft skills such as commercial awareness and interpersonal skills required for the culture of the industry. With knowledge of this I can spend my last year of university enhancing these skills through various societies, clubs and projects.

I would say to anyone to make the most of your internship by writing down everything you did, and the skills that you developed.  One final piece of advice is to just be confident, talk to as many people as you can, and keep in contact with them via LinkedIn; this has definitely proven to be helpful for myself.

I am now eager and excited to apply for graduate programmes in the industry.  My internship has certainly convinced me that the world of work can be just as enjoyable as university

Want to find out more info on EC Harris? Visit their page on our site. And for more information on applying for internships read our advice.