Oishi came to one of our STEMinism events - IT's not just for the boys! Find out what she got out of the day and why you should attend!

Since, from the very first day, I prepared for the event by going through the website, to find out more about the event. 

I went through it in detail to find out what activities and sessions will take place and done research on the companies, which are coming for the event and the kind of roles they offers. I prepared myself in every possible ways for the big day and made a list of questions that I will be asking to the recruiters.

On the day itself, my favourite session was the ‘skills session’ and ‘insider insight’ where I got the opportunity to directly interact with the recruiters. I chatted with the recruiters about application selection process, about the skills require to succeed and many more. The recruiters gave valuable advices and suggestions, in order to stand out from a crowd.

The best piece of advice that I learned from the event was to shine and not to hide away! The inspirational talk from Alexandra Watson, the guest speaker, motivates me to feel, that I have the potential to shine and not to hide away and that can be done only by hard work.   

For other students thinking attending, I will say that the day is going to be very rewarding and this is the opportunity to network with the recruiters. I will suggest them to be prepared beforehand and to do research about the companies participating and the roles they offer. It is very prudent to take part in events like this, where one will get the chance to gain the insight of selection process and I feel I had made the most of the day.

Thinking of giving it a go? We have STEMinism presents Vodafone in February and another IT's not just for the boys! in March! Apply now!

Emily Burton the winner of the National Student Challenge 2013 talks us through her memorable day!

I heard about the TARGETjobs Events National Student Challenge and thought it would be a great way to practise numerical and psychometric testing, knowing that most major companies use these types of tests as part of their graduate recruitment - I never thought I'd be successful enough to be invited to the Grand Final!

The final was a fantastic day. The exercises were challenging but definitely a lot of fun to do – at points I almost forgot I was competing! I met a multitude of students from varying backgrounds and course subjects and it was pleasure to get to know them throughout the day. Working (and competing) with such a talented group of people, really pushed me to put my best foot forward and take the most out of such an incredible opportunity. 

The main reason I attended the Challenge was to get experience in corporate events, to meet new people and network - I never expected to win. When my name was announced I was lost for words, which rarely happens! Now it has sunk in, I am absolutely thrilled to have won and very much look forward to working for Siemens. I’m hoping to do a 10 week internship with them this summer, where I know I will learn and experience a tremendous amount.

My recommendation to anyone that is thinking of taking the challenge would be to apply and go for it - what have you got to lose. For the online testing, just practice as much as you can because you will get used to the pace of the tests and style of questions quite quickly. When it comes to the Grand Final, just be yourself and enjoy the day!  It's been one of the most invigorating days of my life and I doubt I will ever forget the experience.

Congratulations again to Emily and to all those who entered!! 

Bethan came to one of our STEMinism events and now has landed a graduate job with Vodafone 2 years early! Read below to find out how you could too!!

Bethan Reeves is a second year Maths student studying at Cardiff University. She attended IT's not just for the boys! in October and now as a result of attending the event, she has secured a graduate job for 2 years time!! Read her story here.....

“IT’s not just for the boys!” is an inspirational event geared towards female students who are currently studying STEM subjects at university. I heard about the event through the careers service at university only six days before I attended and following a speedy application process I booked my train tickets and couldn’t wait!

I soon found myself at Bloomberg HQ tucking into a free lunch and chatting to the other students and employers/recruiters. My apprehensions about being a 2^nd year Maths student in amongst coding pros and technological genii were soon diminished and I had a fantastic day. Clutching my bag of goodies, I went away buzzing with excitement about all the things I’d heard but little did I know, further amazing opportunities were right around the corner...

In the weeks following the event I received all sorts of emails and information from companies such as EMC, HSBC and ThoughtWorks as well as encouragement from Target Jobs to enter the ‘Undergraduate of the Year’ competition. Above all, just two months after attending IT’s Not Just for the Boys, I had a VIP invitation to a Vodafone assessment centre for their technology graduate scheme in my hands! All I had to do was complete some short online SHL tests and upon passing these, I had my assessment centre place secured.

I headed to Vodafone global HQ in Newbury where I took part in the various elements of the assessment centre, had a guided tour and opportunities to chat to graduates already on the Discover schemes. The day had a wonderful feel to it and I was truly put at ease; it was great to meet other students and speak to the graduates. Yet again, I could never have anticipated what was still to come as two days later I received a phonecall to tell me the incredible news that I had got the job!!

I was astounded by this; a graduate job secured before I was even halfway through my degree! I’m still required to get a 2:1 but this hasn’t stopped me from picturing myself riding around Newbury on the Vodafone buses and what life on the Discover scheme will be like (and that’s before I even consider the £29,000 salary!).

All of these experiences will be with me forever and it has truly shown me that there really is no glass ceiling for us girls and no divide between males and females within technology. Out of the 9 students at the Vodafone assessment centre, only 2 of us were girls and I got the job. That’s not to say the guys didn’t get job offers but it’s really shown me that there’s nothing to be afraid of; my life has taken a turn I could never have imagined and it feels fantastic!

So girls (and guys too!), take this from me, every opportunity you are given presents itself for a reason so take your life in both hands and put yourself out there – what have you got to lose?

Update: Since writing this blog Bethan has also taken part in Vodafone's summer internship. She's now even more excited to join them this September! Could this be you next year? Apply for the March event now! 

TARGETjobs career advice roundup: the Christmas edition

Wreaths are on doors and mistletoe is hanging from the rafters: it’s Christmas time again, and we’re here to give you the final career advice roundup of the year.

First of all we have some Christmas cheer for Emily Barton from the University of Exeter: she’s the winner of the TARGETjobs National Student Challenge! After competing in the final at the Crystal Building in London, Emily was awarded £1000 and a paid internship with Siemens.

Would you like to enter a competition too? If so, take a look at the Undergraduate of the Year awards. The deadline is rushing towards us, and there are quite a number of graduate programmes and internships that you could win.

Next, we have all the career advice ready for you to browse while you relax this Christmas:

• If you’re considering a career as a barrister, you’ll need to know how much a pupil barrister can expect to earn. As well as some sound advice, we’ve also got a list of 12-month pupillage awards to help you compare chambers. 

• If you’re applying for McDonald’s, then you’ll need to be familiar with the four steps of the application process. Not only do they ask you to apply online and interview in person, there are also on the job evaluations and a personality questionnaire to consider.

• As mentioned, one of the hurdles that you’ll come across in the McDonald’s recruitment process is the on the job evaluation. If you do your research and make sure you’re friendly and conversational, you’ll be fine.

• If you’re applying to Morrisons you’ll need to be thinking about the three stages of their recruitment process: the application, assessment centre and interview. The most important thing at all of these stages is to understand Morrisons’ key values. 

• If construction is your sector, then we have some advice on how to network in to a built environment career. You’ll need to know how to expand your current network (you already have one, even if you think that you don’t!) and the major do’s and don’ts.

• If you are a woman and you’re looking at careers in architecture, construction, engineering or surveying then you’ll want to read this article by Abi, one of our own editors, on her hints and tips for women in construction.

We’ve also got an extra Christmas gift this week: our graduate schemes page has been updated with all the deadlines through to the end of January. There are plenty, so don’t miss out on an opportunity.

And to finish off we’ve got a bumper deadline bonanza for you, with all the graduate jobs deadlines from now until Christmas and the New Year, right up to January 6^th.

Have a very merry Christmas, one and all. Everyone here at TARGETjobs wishes you all the best for the New Year!

City Law for ethnic minorities has been taking place for over 10 years, and is TARGETjobs Events flagship event! Read what Louisa thought of the event in June!

Louisa is studying Law at UCL, she came to the TARGETjobs Events City Law for ethnic minorities event back in the summer. Read about her experience here!

I first applied to the event as being a first year student at that time, I wanted to gain more of an insight into the legal industry in London and I felt that City Law for ethnic minorities by TargetJobs Events was the perfect opportunity. Being specially catered to ethnic minorities, I knew that the content of the event would be organised in a way that would most benefit me. I was particularly attracted by the number of, and the names of, law firms participating in the event. Coupled with the fact that the event was well structured and publicised, it came to be too inviting not to attend. Finally, I felt that it was a great way of getting to know other students from throughout the UK – friendships and networking!

To increase my chances of being invited for the event, I did thorough research and read about the experiences of past participants of the event. I did this to get a better understanding of what the event offered, and what I could do to best portray my enthusiasm of wanting to participant in this year’s City Law for Ethnic Minorities through my cover letter. Also, I ensured that my CV was up to date, to give me the best chance of being successful.

My telephone interview was incredibly friendly and made me feel at ease throughout the entire duration of the interview. The lady was clear and asked me about why I wanted to attend the event and a few things regarding my CV. The phone call did not last very long, and was well informed about when I would be hearing from them.

A few key things that I would advise would be to make sure that you are in a quiet place – preferably in your own room, that you have your CV and cover letter which you submitted next to you for reference and definitely, be ready and wait for the phone call to come in.

Finally, the event gave me the perfect exposure to city law firms around London, and I picked up a few skills and tips through the workshops that the law firms organised. I made a lot of new friends and was definitely glad that I had the chance to attend it!

 

Applications are now open for the 2014 event! 

Apply here!

Daphne came third in the 2013 National Student Challenge! Read about her day!

About Me

I’m a second year English and European Law student at Queen Mary, University of London. It’s essentially a normal three-year law degree with an extra year abroad, which I’ll be spending in Paris. My choice of discipline of course gives away my interest in a career in law, but I’m very open to learning about other professions. The National Student Challenge was great in that respect as it enabled me to gain exposure and chat to employers in other fields, which is invaluable in itself. After the Challenge, employers often get in touch with students they particularly liked – it’s a great foot in the door!

The Online Element

I came across the Challenge when looking to practice some of the online tests many employers now make students take. They tend to leave us hanging with regards to results so I was curious to see how mine compared to those of my peers. Overall, I thought it was a lot of fun and very exciting to track my progress on the league table. The advice I would give to people taking the tests is to practice loads before the real thing to avoid feeling like a deer in the headlights. They're supposed to be based purely on ability but it does take a few tries to get your head around the format.

The Grand Final

I was astonished I'd made it to the Grand Final – it was a lovely surprise! The group exercises were not at all what I was expecting – there were some very creative ones like organising a star–studded event and building a paper ramp to slide a ping pong ball down (my favourite). It was quite difficult because we might be working in a team towards a common goal for one exercise, then have to argue against each other in the next. Similar to my surprise at reaching the Grand Final, I did not in any way expect to reach the top 3. It feels great now, though it did take a while to sink in. My large £250 cheque (or my 'two fiddy' as I like to call it) is now proudly hanging on my wall.

How the Experience Will Help Me in the Long Run

Prizes aside, this was a great experience and fantastic preparation for assessment centres. University careers services do run mock sessions but they’re no substitute for the feeling of genuine competition I got from participating in the NSC. Such days are all about teamwork and bringing out the best in the other members of the group, each of whom will bring their own skills and unique way of contributing to the table. Every team is different so it’s important to get loads of practice to get comfortable with assessment centres. A tip I would give is to be careful about how others perceive you. Although it can be tempting to go in there with an 'in it to win it attitude', the others will see this and it will create a difficult atmosphere for co-operation. Much of the positive feedback other winners got related to the fact that they'd made the rest of their group feel at ease and tried to involve everyone in the day's activities.

If this sounds like something you are interested in, why not apply for our Undergraduate of the Year Awards 2014! 12 awards, from 12 employers, for 12 students - do you have what it takes? APPLY NOW!

In need of some girl power? Read Gwenno's experience from attending IT's not just for the boys! in October!

‘IT’s not just for the boys!’ is an event catered for women, looking to learn more about careers in technology and to hopefully entice them to become part of what is currently a very male dominated sector. Being in my third year, I had previously heard some mention about ‘IT’s not just for the boys!’, however I had always been too late, too busy or just too plain lazy to apply. This year, I saw the event discussed on Facebook during the summer holidays so I had absolutely no excuse not to apply!

The application process was much easier then I imagined, and to be quite honest I rather enjoyed it! I found myself researching into the companies sponsoring the events, learning about their policies regarding female employees, and reading some shocking facts about how little females are currently employed in IT related roles despite the fact that it is one of the biggest employment sectors in the country. Following a very pleasant phone interview (which definitely gave me some much needed telephone interview practice) I was invited to the event!

The day of the event rolled up, and I had to get up at stupid o’clock to travel to London. And, believe me when I say, I hate London! But, it was all the name of girl power so, with positive thoughts placed firmly in the front of my mind, and the Spice Girls on my iPod, off I went! I found the Bloomberg building around 40 minutes early, but managed to find some free WiFi at a local cafe to keep me occupied! At least I avoided the stress of running around the streets of London with no idea where I was going!

I felt strangely empowered arriving at the event. I never thought I’d see the day when coding and court shoes would go hand in hand! All these women with similar passions gathered under one roof, and so many fellow female Computer Science students (which are a very rare breed indeed)! I loved being given the opportunity to talk to like-minded people - and talking was a really important part of the day! Everyone is in the exact same boat, so roll up your sleeves, be yourself and start making friends!

I personally had two favourite parts to the day - firstly, the guest speaker Kathryn Parsons was truly inspirational, and just a generally cool person! I’d love to go out for a few cocktails with her and learn her secrets to success! Secondly, the Question and Answer part of the day was just so fantastically interesting! Hearing these women, who had all made it to the very top of their game telling you how they did it! I definitely heard a few gems that I’ll never forget! It was definitely worth that trudge to London!!

I’m under no illusion, I’m not the best programmer in the world, or even in my year, and there will always be someone better than me, but the event gave me confidence in the skills and abilities that I do have, and it taught me how to make myself stand out and how to find out what the companies are looking for.

Following the event, I proceeded to apply for a couple of graduate schemes. Before the event I wouldn’t have considered applying to them before as they seemed a bit big and scary to little old me from North Wales! But, last week I was fortunate enough to be offered a place on the graduate scheme that had appealed to me the most, and it’s all thanks to the experience I gained in the event.

So, if you want a great day out, the chance to mingle with like-minded women and the possibility to kick start your career - what are you waiting for?! In the very wise words of Beyonce ‘Who rules the world? Girls!’

TARGETjobs career advice roundup

Happy Saturday career-seekers: this is the TARGETjobs weekly career advice roundup. We've got all the tips and hints you’ll need to make the most of your job opportunities.

But let’s start with an apology: I’m sorry we missed the career roundup last week, but the good news is that this roundup is absolutely packed with useful articles.

First up, are you thinking of a career in education technology? If so, then RM Education could be the company for you. You’ll need to know how to answer their question on your communication skills. 

Next, we’ve got some advice on the construction sector:

• Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience, but if you go in with a professional attitude and arm yourself with advice on how to tackle construction, civil engineering and quantity surveying interview questions, you’ll be fine.

• Are you looking for a work placement in quantity surveying? Well, Tom Cawley has just finished a year’s placement and did so well that he was offered a graduate job when he finishes his degree. He’s got some great tips on how to get – and impress during – a placement year. 

Are you thinking of applying for a graduate job with Mercer? If so, you need to know these five things about the application process.

If you get past the Mercer application process, your next challenge will be the graduate assessment centre. Luckily for you, we have all the details on the assessment process here. 

We’d also like to tell you about two huge opportunities for any aspiring solicitors out there:

• Aspiring trainee solicitors can improve their chances of getting a training contract or vacation scheme by attending a TARGETjobs Law How to Get Hired workshop at Durham, Warwick, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Southampton Universities in early 2014. Leading law firms including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, White & Case, Osborne Clark and Dentons will give workshops to help students improve their applications and interview skills.

• Clifford Chance is offering a different way for students to secure a vacation scheme place: an essay competition. Deadlines close for the ‘Intelligent Aid’ competition on 31 January and the firm hopes to attract students who might not otherwise have considered applying for work experience with the magic circle firm.

We also have an exciting internal announcement: TARGETjobs has just joined forces with Inside Buzz to bring you the most complete view of a company.  Soon Inside Buzz reviews will be available on our employer hubs, alongside our employer profiles and company insights. If you’re jobhunting, why go elsewhere? We’ve got it all here on TARGETjobs. 

As usual, we have all of our upcoming jobs deadlines here for you too. 

Have an excellent weekend.

TARGETjobs career advice roundup

Hello job hunters and internship-hounds: this is the TARGETjobs weekly career advice roundup. We’ve got all of our freshest advice here to help you as you climb the career ladder.

To start off, we have a set of articles about navigating some of the trickier application form questions.

Applying for a job at Siemens is going to be highly competitive. Make yourself stand out from the crowd by telling the recruiters why the role interests you with style. 

Do you want to start your career with a graduate scheme at BP? Here’s how to answer BP’s application form question about their core company values. 

Are you thinking about applying to EDF Energy? If so, then you need to consider how to tackle the motivation question on their online application form.

This week we’re also taking a look at the bigger picture with our article on small business employers. If you’re a graduate looking for a high degree of professional responsibility and an employer that values you, you should consider small business: here’s why. 

On the other hand, if big business is your thing then take a look at our article on postgraduate courses in retail. Further study can help you to get a foot in the door, and give you the advantage when you’re applying for roles in management, e-commerce and design. 

To finish up, we have all of our graduate jobs deadlines here for you to browse. There are plenty of jobs in plenty of sectors, so make sure you don’t miss an opportunity. 

I hope you all have an excellent weekend.

TARGETjobs career advice roundup

Hello and welcome to this week’s graduate career advice round up blog. This week we are focusing on career advice based on writing last-minute job applications - it is graduate scheme deadline time after all - and around work experience. If you are in your second year, or even first year, it is time to get serious about how you are going to spend your summer.

Let’s get going with job application advice:

Make sure you don’t send in rushed applications with this last-minute guide to writing graduate job applications.

Need to make sure you are ticking all the right boxes in a bid to make yourself employable? Use our application planner as a handy checklist to make sure you’re on the right track to getting a graduate job. 

And lastly, is the further interest section on your CV proving a little tricky? Read our suggestions on what to put in this part of your graduate CV.

With all this information make sure you know which jobs are closing next week. The last thing you want to do is miss the deadline after all your prep work!

Moving on to work experience:

Did you know that many banking and investment graduate recruiters view their spring insight programmes and summer internships as talent pipelines to fill the majority of places on their graduate schemes? Here is how to make it work for you. 

The New Year marks the deadline period for vacation schemes with law firms. Make sure you are getting all your prep work done now and make the most of your Christmas period by getting your applications in with plenty of time to spare. 

And for those not interested in investment banking or law, here is some general application advice for work experience placements and internships.

If you have already graduated and are struggling to get a job, find out where to look for graduate internships or placements. 

But if postgraduate study is where you see yourself going, then we have something that may interest you. Next week, on Wednesday 27 November, our first postgraduate fair of the season is taking place in London. This is an excellent chance to talk to uni representatives, financial institutions and agencies, and attend useful seminars.Did we mention there is also a free lunch and travel reimbursements?

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck : )

TARGETjobs Career Advice Roundup

Hello job and internship hunters. This is the TARGETjobs weekly career advice round up. 

We are doing things a little differently this week and focusing exclusively on one sector: law.

So what have we got to tell you?

If you are applying to CMS McKenna, you will be happy to know that we have some useful hints and tips on how best to answer the application form questions 

Is Simmons & Simmons your law firm of choice? Here is how to answer the competency questions on Simmons & Simmons’ training contract application form

Applying for summer vacation schemes in plenty of time for the January deadlines? Here’s how best to answer the competency questions on Simmons & Simmons’ vac scheme application form. 

And make sure you know what makes Simmons & Simmons tick when writing your application and at interviews. Being able to justify why you’re applying to a firm is an obligatory part of the recruitment process.

We also have the do’s and don’ts of applying to Macfarlanes. Whether you are applying for a training contract or a vacation scheme placement, here are some common themes you need to consider. 

Make sure you big up your digital savvy in your application and follow Bird & Bird on Twitter. Read this and more tips on applying for vacation schemes at Bird & Bird. 

Read our top tips on applying to Allen & Overy – we’ve tailored them both for training contracts and vacation schemes applicants.

Training contracts

Vac Schemes

Fret not! We are still ending the blog with next week’s graduate job deadlines. So whether you are interested in law or not, this is a must read for everyone! 

Have a good weekend. 

TARGETjobs career advice round up blog

Hello and welcome to this week’s career advice round up blog. This is the place you can find all the latest career advice published or updated on our site.

Today we are focusing on two employers: Tesco and Swiss Re. If you are applying or thinking of applying to these employers this is a MUST READ.

And even if you are not applying to Swiss Re – find out what it does. You may find yourself interested and even applying. 

Now that you are fully up to speed on what Swiss Re does discover how best to fill in their graduate application form

Moving on to Tesco

-       Find out how to impress on your graduate application form…

-       …and how to stand out in your interview - the approaches and strategies you can adopt.

If Swiss Re and Tesco are not for you, find next week’s graduate job deadlines for other graduate recruiters here.Hurry! Time is running out to apply to the all important graduate schemes.

And, lastly, some internal announcements:

If you are attending our Asia and Middle East Graduate Careers Event we look forward to meeting with you – hope you find the event useful.

Over 1,000 students have already taken the plunge – test yourself against the nation with the National Student Challenge. This is your chance to practise typical online tests used by graduate recruiters to select employees, win cash prizes of up to £1,000 and the winner wins an internships with Siemens.

Talking of challenges – think you are the best undergraduate student in your discipline? Prove it! The Undergraduate of the Year Awards are back – yet another chance to practise online tests and assessment centres and the potential of winning internships with top employers – some of which may lead to a full-time role after graduation.

See what last year’s finalists and winners have to say about the awards plus tips on how to succeed.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. 

Get into engineering. Laing O'Rourke's Anna Louise Wylie shares her journey.

Anna Louise Wylie attended Future Female Engineers with event partners Laing O'Rourke to talk to female undergraduates and share her experiences of working in this sector. Read below to find out more about how she got into it and what working at Laing O'Rourke is like. 

Anna Louise Wylie, Assistant Digital Engineer
at Laing O'Rourke

Introduction 
I am Anna Louise Wylie, and I am currently working as an Assistant Digital Engineer at Laing O’Rourke.
This role is part of Pricing and Digital Engineering, and I work within the post-win team (mainly covering projects where a contract has been awarded, rather than bids).
The team consists of around 15 people across the UK who provide BIM support, training and on site facilitation.
I am also on the Graduate Development scheme at Laing O’Rourke, part of a 50 strong cohort. We are working towards training and development goals, and towards our respective professional qualifications.

My journey 
I completed a Masters in Environmental Engineering at Southampton University. This is where I first heard of Laing O’Rourke, and subsequently applied to their undergraduate programme. After passing my assessment, I completed two summers of work with the company during my studies, and learnt as much in those eight weeks as I did in a year at University.
I had always been interested in BIM, and attend whatever lectures and events I could to learn more. I included it as an aspiration in my application to be a site engineer with Laing O’Rourke, and was very surprised when my contact came through with the title ‘assistant digital engineer’. They had also picked up on my interest in sustainability, STEM and leadership, as well as industry experience. Following a quick conversation with the team leader, I was relocated to Manchester and began in September as one of the first direct entries to the team.

A day in the life 
The role of Digital Engineers within Laing O’Rourke is varied, and depends on the projects they are involved in. Typically, about half the time is spent in the office, working to manage models, information and collaborative platforms. We also conduct in-house training with relevant disciplines. While on site we give hands on advice on how to improve works through the uptake and application of BIM, answering questions and helping solve issues, as well as assisting with hardware and software management.
As a woman within this company you are well respected, and given the chance to prove yourself just the same as any other employee. Construction can be a tough; however, it is highly rewarding and certainly moving in the right direction in terms of what it offers to women.

What about the Future Female Engineers event? 
The opportunities like the Future Female Engineers event are fantastic, as they provide a network of contacts, role models and lessons learnt. It isn’t easy to find support or experience of engineering, but these events can provide opportunities for discussion, learning and guidance. There are great opportunities within the industry for women to progress and these events ensure anyone who is considering a career in engineering has the best understanding to pursue it.

If you are feeling inspired, why not take a look at our Future Female Engineers event TARGETjobsevents.co.uk/future-female-engineers or the Undergraduate of the Year Award undergraduateoftheyear.com

TARGETjobs career advice round up

Hello and welcome to this week’s TARGETjobs career advice round up blog. The one place where you can find all of the career advice articles we have published and updated throughout the week.

As usual, I’ll start with some internal announcements:

Have you voted for your employer of choice yet? This is your chance to shape the 2014 edition of the Guardian UK 300 and influence how recruiters are regarded in the industry. There are also some great prizes at stake for those who take part, as we are doing a fortnightly prize draw. Prizes include: iPad minis, meals out, shopping sprees and much more.

Last week Hannah Murphy from the University of Reading won a shopping voucher from Asos. Next week it could be you. Take part in the trendence UK Graduate Barometer now for your chance to win and have your say.

Our Engineer your Future event is taking place on Monday... want to see what other events we have coming up this month, why not visit our TARGETjobs Events site?

And, if you are considering postgraduate study, don’t forget that on Wednesday 27 November we will be in London with our first postgraduate fair of the season. This is a great chance to meet representatives from universities across the UK, get individual advice, discuss funding and much more.

On to career advice now,

If you are applying to property firm Knight Frank this term, check out these tips on how to get your CV noticed.

Nationwide your employer of choice? Find out how to answer their tricky application form question.

And discover how to make your CVand cover letter shine in their application form

Talking about the banking sector, here is how to ace your online application forms for insurance and retail banking graduate jobs

And we conclude the blog with next week’s graduate job deadlines – lots of investment banking and IT schemes coming to an end. 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. 

Ford will be at Engineer you future on Monday! Read about a typical day here....

I joined Ford Motor Company two  years ago as a Graduate Software Integration Engineer and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I work with prototype vehicles and perform engine calibration software release as a part of my job.

A typical day for me would start with catching up on emails from my colleagues & suppliers around the globe. I would then be dealing with software testing work planned for future releases also supporting specific requests from Calibration team whilst they are out on testing in different parts of the world. I will be getting new software plug-ins from suppliers and my job will be to deliver a fully functional engine software for the calibration team to work on.

Ford Motor Company has a comprehensive employee development programme which allows me to work in different teams and get an idea on how the wider organisation operates. Also I am given every opportunity to follow my interests and develop my career, even my personal life. In my current position as an Systems Engineer, I have been fully accountable and responsible for  developing a state of art engine from day one. I have been given the opportunity to develop a brand new engine, this is a challenge quite lately, but one I enjoy immeasurably.

It’s a pleasure to work for such an established auto-manufacturer with an impressive history and a bright looking future. Being able to see the product out on the roads every day, everywhere you go is a real thrill and knowing that you were involved gives a real sense of job satisfaction.

Anjana Prasad

Amy was a finalist in last year's National Schools' Challenge - Read about her experience!

Full name: Amy Herbertson

Age: 17

School attended: Watford Grammar School for Girls

About Amy

Since project managing my school’s Young Enterprise team I have been really interested in the financial sector, and recently decided that I would like to pursue a finance-related career in accountancy. I entered the competition because my economics teacher told us about it and suggested that we all give it a go. When I took the assessments I never expected to do well, or to reach the grand final, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. The tests, especially the in-tray exercise, were time pressured which made the whole experience quite exciting. I am glad that I decided to enter the competition and would encourage everyone, whether in lower or upper sixth, to enter.

The grand-final!

Thinking back to the grand final, it all feels very surreal. The final was held at Deloitte in London, and the place was beautiful! The other competitors I met were all lovely, and the professionals I had the opportunity to network with were easy to get along with. There were six different activities, each with the aim of testing a different part of my business acumen, ranging from straw tower building to how best to recycle everyday products such as a keyboard, a mouse and a USB key into new viable products. In the latter exercise I remember my team being very creative and suggesting a wheelchair race in central London as an advertising stunt. The final was very tense, as it felt as though I was constantly being judged, but fun nonetheless.

A word of warning to challengers:

Don’t think that because you’re at a competition you can’t have fun and make friends with the other competitors - if you do make friends it will make you much more relaxed and so perform better.

Future plans……

In the future I hope to become a Chartered Accountant working for one of the Big Four. It was the exercises at the grand final and the networking session with current trainees at Deloitte that showed a career in accountancy does not have to be boring: if you work for the right place and with the right people it can be a fun and rewarding career. As a result, I have taken on many work experience placements, most notably the ‘Summer School Programme’ at BDO which means that I have been offered a place on their School Leaver Programme. I am also looking into fly-start degrees (those where you work towards a degree and an ACA with one of the big four simultaneously) which are offered by PwC, KPMG and EY. Although very intense, these seem like an excellent way to start off a financial career, and I look forward to applying soon. Had I not attended the grand final I doubt I would have been aware of how interesting a career in accountancy can be.

Fancy giving it a go and being the best to win £500! ENTER HERE!

TARGETjobs Careers Advice Round up

Hello and welcome to this week’s careers advice round up blog. This is the summary of all the top advice that has been published or updated this week on the TARGETjobs site.

Let’s start, as usual, with a few internal announcements:

If you are looking to return home to Asia or the Middle East for work after studying in the UK, make sure you check out our Asia & Middle East Graduate Careers Event on Saturday 9 November from 11.00 am – 3.00 pm. You will be able to meet recruiters from your country, attend insightful seminars, discuss further study opportunities and much more. 

Interested? Apply here today.

The TARGETjobs National Student Challenge is also back, with only 30 days left to apply! This is your chance to not only practise online tests similar to those used by graduate recruiters, but to also benchmark yourself against fellow students around the country. And if that wasn’t enough to tempt you, there are cash prizes worth up to £1,000 and the winner wins an internship with Siemens. What are you waiting for? Take thechallenge today.

On to sector specific news:

If you are applying to BNP Paribas Real Estate here are some tips on how best to write your graduate CV and covering letter.  

Talking of covering letters, here is some essential advice for all graduate vacancies.

Bringing back an oldie, if you are applying for a construction, civil engineering or quantity surveying job, here are four ways to get your foot in the door. 

And as law fair season is upon us, here are six ways for you to impress firms at law fairs. 

Lastly, as always, we conclude the post with next week’sgraduate job deadlines. 

TARGETjobs weekly career advice roundup

Hello and welcome to this week’s graduate career advice roundup. Here you will find the latest career advice we have posted or updated on our website. It’s been a pretty exciting week at TARGETjobs HQ as we have just added an eleventh award to our Undergraduate of the Year awards: The Scotland Undergraduate of the Year.

If you are studying in Scotland and are in your final year, this is for you. It’s officially launching next week – so make sure you keep an eye out on the Undergraduate of the Year website and our social media feeds for the big announcement.

The National Student Challenge has also gone LIVE!  Practise using the type of assessment techniques that graduate recruiters use to select employees and benchmark yourself against thousands of students. And, if make it to the top of the leader board, you could win up to £1,000 and a paid internship with Siemens.

Moving on to sector-specific news:

If you are applying to Roland Berger’s graduate scheme here is what you will find on the application form and some useful tips on how to be successful 

Applying for property graduate schemes? Make sure you send your completed applications off soon! Some deadlines close end of October

Talking of applying - make sure you take some practice psychometrics test before you do the real thing. This gives you a better chance of succeeding. 

Are you using the same CV over and over again? This is where you may be going wrong. Read our handy guide on writing CVs for different types of graduate jobs 

Still deciding which employers you would like to work for? Check out where they rank on the Guardian UK 300 – this may help sway your decision.

And, as always, we round up the blog with next week’s graduate job deadlines. Get them before they go! 

Hope you all have a good weekend.