Meet the 2015 Languages Undergraduate of the Year Award winner!

Name: Aysel Kucuksu
University: Queen Mary University of London
Course: LLB English and European Law

Aysel won the Languages Undergraduate of the Year Award 2015 with EU Careers and still now can't believe she won!! 

I was on my year abroad in Denmark when I first saw an email from the Law department at Queen Mary, University of London outlining the various categories one could compete in as part of the ‘Undergraduate of the Year’ competition. Although the title itself was intimidating, I really wanted to challenge myself. Besides, the Languages Award seemed to accommodate for my love for languages without making a degree in it a prerequisite for an application, so I knew I could not miss this opportunity. The prospect of networking with fellow language enthusiasts and EU professionals as early as the Assessment Day stage also had its say in prompting me to apply; not to mention the opportunity to visit Brussels, the ultimate destination for lawyers and linguists alike.

Embarking onto the application process had its tough moments, however. The elaborate six stages I had to go through, varying from interviews, through essay writing, to psychometric tests (definitely as terrifying as they sound), were really designed to seep out the best candidates. So much so that by the time I reached the Assessment Day stage, I knew just how tough a competition the people I met during it would be. They were smart, ambitious, and coming from a plethora of educational backgrounds, and they also made for a great conversation. The Assessment day was probably the best stage of the application process precisely because I got to interact with these incredible individuals, some of whom I now call my friends.

The highlight of the competition was unquestionably the East Wintergarden dinner at Canary Wharf, however entering this outstanding venue, I was incredibly flattered by the effort that was put into the event and impressed by TARGETjob's remarkable attention to detail. Having Fiona Bruce as our host for the evening was the cherry on top of the cake. After a few lovely conversations, several delicious courses, and a couple of Fiona’s stories, it was time to announce the winners. Hearing each winner’s bio's before the time for the Languages Award came, I felt both extremely delighted and privileged to join their ranks once my name was announced.

Today, almost a month after the event in Canary Wharf, I still have not managed to shake off the excitement from it. With my trip to Brussels yet to happen, I am in constant conversation with a number of EU professionals, who are going above and beyond their duties to accommodate for my interests when it comes to visiting the city and its institutions. A month on and I cannot help but think about how lucky I am for getting this recognition simply for immersing myself into doing something I love.

Congratulations Aysel and to all the other finalists!

Pre-registration for the 2016 Awards is now open here! undergraduateoftheyear.com/register

Georgia gives her top five tips for attending an IT’s not just for the boys! event.

Name: Georgia Barker

University: Lancaster University

Degree: MSci IT for Creative Industries

I attended IT’s not just for the boys’ event and it was by far one of the most worthwhile and valuable experiences I’ve had. Through this event I secured a telephone interview for a summer internship and I now have a clear idea of the company and graduate job I am hoping to acquire.

In order to make the most of the day here are my five top tips:

1. Take a pen! – There is so much valuable information that you will learn on the day and you will want to take note of them. Event partners are more than happy to give out email addresses and sometimes phone numbers so make sure you have a way of noting them down!

2. Do some research – It will make you stand out to the event partners if you know what you are talking about! Do some light research on each event partner that you are interested in and it may be helpful to research the speakers on the day also! Being positively noticed will make you more appealing to the event partners, and may help secure further discussions with the employers.

3. Be friendly – This event isn’t just about meeting possible employers but is also about meeting other talented and creative women. Make friends! Any connection is a good connection that could help drive your future. The forums for the events are great ways to advertise positions and ask each other questions so make the most of it!

4. Be confident – Employees like people who are confident within themselves, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be an amazing public speaker, or that you have to boldly introduce yourself to everyone, but I am more meaning that you should take pride in yourself. Dress smartly, as this gives of a good first impression, and speak calmly and clearly.

5. Have fun – Finally, just enjoy yourself! This is a great networking event and provides some great opportunities but just make sure you have fun! A smile is a girl’s best accessory!

Find out about our next IT's not for the boys! event HERE!

Meet the Computer Science Undergraduate of the Year Award winner for 2015!

Name: Chelsea Sievewright
University: University of Abertay Dundee
Course: Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures

Chelsea is the 2015 winner of the Computer Science Undergraduate of the Year Award with CGI! Chelsea has attended other events with us so we knew how great she was and she now hope to inspire other girls into a career in technology!


Having been to the IT’s not just for the boys! a few times, I was aware of the various events that TARGETJobs held. However, with my fourth year being so busy I didn't consider applying for the Computer Science Undergraduate of the Year Award at all.  But then I received an email from Katy at TARGETJobs Events a few days before the deadline urging me to apply. I thought, although the application will take me a while, I might as well go for it because I have nothing to lose! So I did, and to be honest, I can’t believe I'm now writing the winners blog! 

The initial application was similar to most jobs applications, which I had become accustomed to in my search for a graduate job. The online tests had put me off applying because they do take a while but I made sure I had no distractions and took the time to complete them. I thought I’d be rejected after this point, but actually, my results ended up being in the top 5 and CGI put me through to the assessment centre! I think all my previous practice really paid off when it mattered. 

I flew down to Reading for the assessment centre and expected it to be really hard and daunting, after all, I was competing in a UK wide competition. But in reality it was the opposite of what I expected, I enjoyed my assessment centre, it was fun and really relaxed. 

So then I got to the final….I couldn't believe it! From my small University in Dundee, I actually made it to a National final, in London. Amazing! I was super chuffed and so was my University. They wrote a news article about my place in the Final 10 and from this I received a request from the BBC to do a Radio Interview for BBC Radio Scotland. Without even winning I really got a huge amount of publicity which is great as a student. 

The final in Canary Wharf was unbelievable. The venue was grand, the food was exceptional and hearing Fiona Bruce reminisce on her student days was incredible. But then the nerves kicked in when the winners were to be announced, Computer Science was the first award and I knew I would have been so gutted if I didn't win, but I did not expect my name to be called out and my bio read out by Fiona Bruce!! I'm still in shock, walking up to the stage to get my award was so surreal and the amount of support I received from my University, friends, family, people I don’t even know and employers, past, present and future was just amazing and I want to thank them all for their support. 

I have worked so hard over the last four years at University that I feel I deserve it, but also it is an amazing achievement for women in tech. Hopefully by me winning this award, younger females will be inspired to choose a career in computing and will not be put off by the stereotype which surrounds computer science!



Congratulations Chelsea and to all the other finalists!
Pre-registration for the 2016 Awards is now open here! undergraduateoftheyear.com/register

We meet the first ever winner of the The Future CFO of the Year Award!

Name: Aataullah Naser
University: University of Manchester
Course: Masters of Mathematics

Aataullah is the first ever winner of the The Future CFO of the Year Award with ACCA! He wasn't really that bothered about it to begin with and never dreamed he'd get as far as he did!


Initially, when it came to the application I was not fussed as much as you would expect. Not due to apathy but because of revision! I wrote out my application form, nonetheless as best as I could, whilst juggling revision for exams. Continuing my revision, I could only hope for the best.

Then, one afternoon as I was getting home from the library, I received a call from TARGETJobs about completing the online tests and the lovely lady on the line (who I would like to thank very much!), told me looking at my application she believed I was a real contender to win the Future CFO of the Year Award. This really helped motivate me to get as far as I could in the competition. I gave my utter best during each online test, and a short few weeks later I received an email from ACCA Global inviting me to an assessment centre. I was excited to have got so far already!

The assessment centre at ACCA Global was a brilliant experience that had helped me develop in many ways. Some of the tasks were truly difficult, but I believe completing them helped me develop skills such as communicating, problem solving, and presenting, in ways that I have never been able to throughout my degree. I met many amazing people at the assessment centre who each in my opinion were worthy of the award. As a result, I had doubts of becoming a finalist after witnessing how well each short-listed candidate did.

When it came to finding out I was a finalist I was truly astounded, I felt that everyone did so well at the assessment centre and it would be impossible to get this far! Nonetheless, I was excited for being a step closer to potentially winning an Undergraduate of the Year Award! I was excited to visit Canary Wharf and the venue for the awards was just superb. I had a great time speaking to my fellow finalists and the people at ACCA Global. At the time, despite if I won or not I already felt having come this far was an excellent achievement and everything I had experienced would help me in the future, especially when it came to applying for jobs.

As Fiona was calling out the finalists and winners, I was unsure of what to think about my category. As it grew closer and closer, I was becoming more nervous but my mind was completely blank! Once my name was called out I was in complete shock, never expecting that I would win! It was a fantastic feeling and being presented by Helen Brand, Chief Executive at ACCA Global and Fiona Bruce was the cherry on top!

Winning such a prestigious award has been a brilliant experience, looking back in January, I had no idea I would get so far but if I never tried the chance of me winning would not even exist. I encourage everyone in the same shoes as I was to apply, you never know just how far you may get!




Congratulations Aataullah and to all the other finalists!
Apply for the 2016 Awards here! undergraduateoftheyear.com/register

What I gained from attending Women in investment banking and why you should apply

Siew tells us about her experience of attending Women in investment banking! 

Name: Siew Sanz Ng

University: University of Oxford 

Course: Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Being a PPE undergraduate, my insights into the global finance industry were rather limited. What helped strengthen my knowledge base and connected me to different experts in the industry were Women in Investment banking. Apart from busting intimidating jargons, the event helped me to understand the differences between areas such as merger & acquisition, asset financing, sales & trading, asset wealth management etc., which area falls into the public or private side and how these different areas interact with one another. The event also equipped me with the tools and resources to find out more about each area specifically.

More importantly, I was interacting with key financial experts, allowing me to gain personal insights into the industry – what attracted them and what exasperated them. This helped me to better understand how my skills and personality will fit into the sector and eventually helped me to make the right decision on which division to apply. Furthermore, speaking to them definitely boosted my confidence in the interviewing process because I was able to draw on the insights on individuals who knew the industry inside out.

Hence, this is why you should apply for Women in Investment Banking. Not only will you get the opportunity to deepen your formal and informal understanding about the industry, you get to build sustainable relationships with both the experts and other attendees of the event. I still keep in touch with them and received support from them throughout my internship application process. If I had not attended this event, I would not have found out about the Deutsche Regional Internship Opportunity and would not have eventually received an internship offer from Deutsche Bank.  

Our next event is on 6 November 2015. Apply now!

http://targetjobsevents.co.uk/women-in-investment-banking