Last news roundup 2012

Good afternoon. Are you all warm and comfortable? Then I’ll begin. We’ve braved sub-zero temperatures to keep you up-to-date with what’s going on in the world of graduate recruitment. This is the last news roundup of the year, and almost a year since we started the blog. If you’ve found it useful, please let us know.

Top of the list this week is engineering; we ran the ‘Engineer Your Future’ event at the end of November, and it was so successful we thought we’d give you an insight into the kind of minds involved. It may surprise you to learn that not all employers of engineering graduates are engineering companies themselves:

·         First up we asked eight of the most influential women in engineering there what future technologies they are most excited about. If you’re ever asked in an interview ‘How do you see our company developing in the future?’ these little nuggets would be really useful.

·         In addition Microsoft’s university staffing consultant, Katie Holbrook, explained why her company likes hiring engineers. ‘They have the aptitude to learn technology. The have strong maths, problem-solving and analytical skills.’

But there are things going on in the other sectors too:

·         If you want to get hired by PA consulting then you’re going to have to prove you can come up with new ideas. Their CEO, Alan Middleton, looks for ‘talented people who value a culture based upon respect, collaboration and new ideas’.

·         With many retail banks and insurers closing applications over the next few weeks, we’ve got three quick tips on how to put together the best application you can. You need to know what you’re doing, know what you need in order to do it, and know why you’re doing it.

There’s some interesting general news too:

·         Firstly, the winner of the National Student Challenge has been announced. Aston University undergrad Katharina Gammel beat 4,000 other entrants, and 60 finalists, to a cheque for £1,000, and an internship with Siemens.

·         Then there’s our classic graduate jobs deadline roundup. There are vacancies closing in consulting, engineering, finance, IT, retail and property.

·         If you appreciate our deadline roundups, then there is another one coming out on 21 December which will cover the whole holiday period. You will be able to see it here. There are sled-loads of deadlines closing on New Year’s Eve, so if you need a break from the relatives, this could be a great excuse.

 Lastly we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. See how we have been getting into the Christmas spirit here at TARGETjobs HQ. 

To get graduate careers news as it happens, check out the news feed. Alternatively, check out the round-up this time next week!

TARGETjobs offers the largest choice of graduate jobs, placements and internships. Independent reviews on top graduate employers and career planning tools and expert guidance. Become a TARGETjobs blogger by getting in touch with jackie.balchin2@targetjobs.co.uk.