Got yourself a space at the next IT's not just for the boys! event? Read Chelsea's top five tips!

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


My top five tips for attending IT's not just for the boys!

If you've secured a place at IT's not just for the boys then you'll find these tips useful in your preparation for the day.  I've attended 3 times and managed to make some great contacts and I also bagged an internship with PGDS!

1. Do your homework
You're getting a rare opportunity to meet big companies at an all day event so read up on them, all of them. You may find a company you've never heard of before is offering your perfect job.

2. Be bold
It business dress, this doesn't restrict you to wearing black and grey. Look smart but stand out whether that’s a with a red blouse, or a blue pencil skirt.  There are a lot of black outfits at the conference and you want to stand out to employers.

3. Ask questions
Come up with questions for the companies you are interested in, and ask them.  This will make you look keen and show your engaging with the company, employers love that.

4. Network Network Network!
This is the most crucial part of the day.  This is where you make an impression, get email addresses and LinkedIn info. Make sure you approach all the employers you want to in this session as this is the part that will land you a job.

5. Keep in touch
Great, conference is done, you think it went well. Now is the time to email those employers and remind them of you. Say how great it was to meet them, thank them for the information they gave you and tell them you'll be putting you application in. This way they can look out for your name. If they have offered to look at your CV then grab the offer and send it. If they've said you can add them on LinkedIn then get adding!

Good luck at the event, you'll have a blast and it can be great for your career if you make the most of it.

Since attending the event with us, Chelsea has gone on to achieve so much more!
Winner of the TARGETjobs Computer Science Undergraduate of the Year Award 2015
Worked as an Information Risk and Security Consultant with PGDS as a result of attending our IT's not just for the boys! event.
Named "Women of the Future" by Equate Scotland in their "Leading Women of Scotland" Publication.
Chelsea is now the Head of Information Security at Education Scotland and a prominent STEM ambassador.

More information on the next IT's not just for the boys! can be found here.

Attending an event with us? Check out these top five tips on how to prepare and make the most of the day!

We spoke to Davina on her top five tips on how to prepare and make the most out of the day!

Name: Davina Bodley Scott
University: University of Exeter
Degree: IT Management for Business with industrial placement

My five tips for attending a TARGETjobs IT’s not just for boys event...

1. Research companies attending the seminar. Do your homework before you get there. Research is key. This will give you an idea of the companies that most appeal to you, allowing you to prioritise. It's also a great way to show to the recruiters that you have an insight into their company and are genuinely interested.

2. First impressions. Dress comfortably but smart and arrive promptly. Don’t be afraid to approach a representative with a handshake and smile. Good eye contact is essential showing you’re engaged in the seminar and networking event. This helps representatives remember you for the right reasons. Don’t be shy this is your chance to make contact face to face with leading recruiters.

3. Cover ground. Make an effort to speak to as many companies as possible. Circulate and don’t hang back. Don't be afraid to ask questions, "no question is a silly question". This allows you to build a picture of the company and where your place may be within it, allowing you to compare and contrast all the opportunities. Though remember, when you have spoken to a recruiter know when it’s time to move on, let others have a chance. Don’t outstay your welcome.

4. Network, network, network. Be prepared to network. It's difficult for everyone especially if it feels unnaturally pushy and out of your normal comfort zone but that is essentially why you are there.  This networking opportunity allows you to create links within top companies, which will be invaluable in your journey to find your internship and employment within a leading company. Remember to make a mental note of who you are speaking to and which firm they represent. These are invaluable contacts.

5. Take notes. Take a notepad and pen and jot down people’s names and contact details and any notes of value and particular interest. When you have left the seminar make quick notes of who you met and what you learnt as an aide memoire. This information will help your employability and give you valuable insight into how the application process works.

Now you know how to ace the day, make sure you're there! Click to find out more!

My IT's not just for the boys! Experience - the application process

Name: Emma Wilkinson
University: Loughborough University
Degree: Computing and Management BSc

I found out about IT’s not just for the boys! through my University at Loughborough. I have always been fascinated by technology and how it impacts on business, however I did not want a role in development. This was the perfect opportunity to find out what some of the largest companies offer other than development roles.

The first step of the application processes was to fill in an application form, it was more straight forward than placement and graduate forms, so don’t worry! Details required consist of; contact details, which university you are at, grades in English and Maths at GCSE, UCAS points and the class of degree you are predicted to obtain. You are also asked to attach your CV to support your application along with a paragraph of around 200 words describing why you would like to attend the event. If you have a passion for technology then this is easy, remember to include key points like work experience you have had in technology and why you want to learn more. Make sure you show that you can offer something different from the other girls applying.

Within a couple of days of sending off your application you will receive an email, if you have been successful, inviting you to book at telephone interview online. The word interview can sound a little scary, however it was more like a friendly chat. Make sure you have prepared for the interview, look up which companies are going to be attending the event. You may be asked to say which company you are most interested in seeing and why. Try to be innovative with your answer, find something out about the company other than their graduate scheme. For example, I was looking forward to meeting Barclays and I know they have introduced ‘Digital Eagles’ into their branches in the last year, this fascinated me as it was related to my final year project at university.

Within a week of the telephone interview you will receive an email, if you have been successful, inviting you to the event. Simple!

Good Luck!
Emma Wilkinson

Now you know what to expect, what are you waiting for? Click here to find out about how you could attend!

Top five tips for attending IT's not just for the boys!

Katie Higgs attended IT's not just for the boys! and here are her top tips for anyone planning to attend!

I attended the IT’s not just for the boys event where it was held at the beautiful premises of Bloomberg’s HQ in Finsbury Square.
I would thoroughly recommend this event to any other female who has an interest and a passion in technology.
I gained lots of invaluable advice from all the companies, recruiters and past graduates, so here are my top five tips to make the most of this exciting experience.

1) Networking - make the absolute most of the people that you will meet at this event.
Whether it is the recruiters, the guest speakers, the past graduates or the other students, you need to make sure you take the opportunity to ask a lot of questions, to get a feel of all the companies and to not be afraid to be yourself.
This is your chance to make the best impression with all these people, some of whom have been in the same position as you, may offer invaluable advice and be able to answer any questions you may have about graduate schemes.


2) Preparation prior to the event - planning and researching the companies attending the event is essential.
Knowing about what the companies specialise in, what they look for in their employees and what opportunities they have to offer will go a long way before the event.
This ensures that you are prepared when talking to the companies and allows you to ask any specific questions that you may have discovered during your research. It also shows the recruiters that you have a keen interest in their company and tells you what the recruiters will be looking for on the day.

3) Make the most of the activities on the day - any activities or challenges that are set will allow you to shine, so use the challenges to show off your skills.
On my assessment day we did a team challenge working in small groups to come up with a solution which we then presented to a panel of recruiters. Here you need to be aware that the recruiters will be assessing you on your skills and contribution to the challenge.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert what is important is how you use your attributes to your advantage to make sure you portray skills that the companies are looking for.
Make sure you use this session to ask the recruiters any questions that you have about their company or graduate schemes.

4) Mental preparation - make sure you get plenty of sleep so you are relaxed and raring to go on the day.
Ensure that your travel is organised in advance so you don’t have any troubles on the day and therefore avoid making any bad first impressions by turning up late or in a mess.

5) Have fun - don’t forget to enjoy yourself whilst making the most of the day.
You will come home exhausted but absolutely exhilarated at the same time from all the useful information and advice that you will have come away with.


Will you be joining us?

Rebecca Hanson came to two TARGETjobs Events! Having now graduated, we catch up with her to find out what she gained from the experiences

Rebecca Hanson came to both IT's not just for the boys! and Future Female Engineers events last year. We catch up with her since graduating to find out why she decided to come to both events and what she gained from the experience...

I graduated with a 2:1 BSc in Physics from the University of Warwick. I’m due to start on the Manufacturing Engineering graduate scheme at Jaguar Land Rover in September; however, it was only seven months prior that I had little idea of what I was going to do post-university. The great thing about studying a science is that while a future career may not always be directly applicable to your studies, you gain so many transferable skills that employers absolutely love, such as a strong numerical ability and a good attention to detail.

I initially heard of IT’s just not for the boys! through a departmental email, and couldn’t resist the chance to attend Bloomberg’s HQ. The event was a valuable opportunity to communicate directly with employers, many of whom I hadn’t previously considered applying for. The highlight of the event was being able to hear from two fantastic speakers – the happiness expert, Alexandra Watson, and Kathryn Parsons, co-founder of Decoded. The confidence and inspiration that they managed to instil in me that day remained with me throughout all my application processes.

However, the event also made me realise that a career in IT wasn’t for me – and that was okay. Knowing what I didn’t want to do in the future was just as valuable as knowing what I did. It was this thought I had in mind when I gratefully accepted an invitation to another event from TARGETjobs, Future Female Engineers, hosted at the Heritage Motor Centre. Again, this provided the opportunity to hear from key speakers, most notably Roma Agrawal, an award-winning structural engineer of the Shard.

The events had many similarities. Both allowed me to interact with representatives from major employers in a more relaxed setting than at a careers fair, for example. Furthermore, I met so many other women from universities across the country, all with their own stories and employer dilemmas – it was good to hear that I was in the same boat as others in not knowing what to do!

However, there were also differences between the two. IT’s not just for the boys was aimed at building confidence in women to apply for some of the larger IT companies such as Cisco, whereas Future Female Engineers provided more insight into the companies themselves via intimate group questions. Either way, the events provided me with invaluable advice, contacts and ideas that I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere else.

There were many companies who contacted me after both of the events inviting me to apply to their graduate schemes, such as EMC, National Grid and EDF Energy – I had my pick! However, the Jaguar Land Rover representatives present at Future Female Engineers were clearly so passionate about their careers that I decided to apply for their Manufacturing Engineering graduate scheme soon after. After completing some initial verbal, numerical and diagrammatic reasoning tests, and a further situational judgement test, I was then invited to attend an assessment centre. This was by far the toughest aspect of the application process, as it involved a gruelling combination of interviews, in-tray and role-play exercises. My interviewer particularly took delight in hearing about Future Female Engineers and how it had inspired me to apply to the company, and it was one of the strongest aspects of the day. I was then further rewarded with a call the next morning informing me that I was successful!

I don’t know if I would have had such a clear sense of direction had I not attended IT’s not just for the boys! and Future Female Engineers. The events provided me with invaluable experience and opportunities, and I would strongly advise anyone considering the events to apply!

Katherine came to both IT's not just for the boys! and Future Female Engineers - find out how she bagged herself a job with Vodafone!

Katherine Baines is currently in her final year at Queen Mary University studying Electronic Engineering. Having attended both IT's not just for the boys! and Future Female Engineers, she now has an offer from Vodafone for a place on their Discover graduate scheme for September! 

Studying electronic engineering as a girl can often leave me feeling rather outnumbered - but that has never stopped me aiming high and when the chance of attending Future Female Engineers arose I grabbed it with both hands. I had previously attended IT’s not just for the boys! which was a superb day leaving me further inspired about the endless career possibilities that lay ahead for me as well as meeting other girls in my position.

Arriving at the venue, I was feeling slightly apprehensive and nervous however as soon as I got there everyone was warm and they were all in the same position, so everybody relaxed a little. It was a great day, not only can you meet like-minded females but also there is valuable time to network with recruiters, employees and also recent graduates who are working in the graduate jobs and schemes at the companies which attended. They are all there to help you, give tips and pointers and of course try to persuade you to join them.

After attending Future Female Engineers at the Heritage Motor Museum, I began once again to send in application after application. One day I received an e-mail from Vodafone, who also attended the event, to ask if I would like to be considered for their Discover Technology Programme assessment centre. All I would have to do in order to attend was pass a number of tests as all the companies received my details and CV from TARGETjobs after the event,  removing a great deal of stress in applying!

Luckily I passed the tests, and a number of days later I found myself at their headquarters in Newbury for the assessment centre day. As this was still only mid-December, it was quite early on in the game so this was my first experience of an assessment centre so I really didn’t know what to expect! I was given a presentation topic a few days before to prepare, but apart from that I had no idea what the day would entail.

As soon as I arrived I was put at ease as everyone was so friendly; I was given a buddy, a current graduate on the scheme who I could ask any questions to throughout the day. I then went through a range of interviews individually and within a group and gave my presentation too, which was rather nerve-racking but fun! All in all I enjoyed the day and felt that even if I didn’t get a job offer that I had had a great experience which I had learnt a lot from.

However, within less than 48 hours I received a phone call from them, assuming that it would be to say that unfortunately I hadn’t quite made the cut this time, but to my surprise they were offering me a place on their graduate programme. I couldn’t quite believe it, that I had just been offered a job for after finishing at Queen Mary, University of London that I hadn’t intentionally applied for but just seemed perfect for me! I instantly accepted, and was later sent a contract stating that I would join them in September as long as I gained a 2.1. This lifted a weight off of my mind and was the best Christmas present I could have asked for! Although I still have to achieve a 2.1 or above, it now means I can focus on my studies, giving me extra inspiration to achieve this excellent future waiting for me!

So I wanted to say that you should take every opportunity that you find available to you out there, and something as simple as attending an event may in fact change your entire future.

To find out more about both Future Female Engineers and IT's not just for the boys! visit the TARGETjobs Events website here!

Attending a TARGETjobs Event? Chances are there will be a networking opportunity! We spoke to Project Manager Becca who gave us her top tips!

Name: Becca Ritchie-Timms

Job title: Project Manager,TARGETjobs Events team

I work with the TARGETjobs Events team to deliver a wide variety of events which always include networking sessions. So here are my five top tips to working the room:

1.      Read the room

People stand in circles. A wider circle is open to anyone to join. A closed circle usually denotes a private conversation. Closed circles are not common at our events so if you are not sure, hover outside a circle: if they are open they will widen to invite you in.

2.      Join a group

Conversations rarely cease at networking sessions so don’t be afraid of offending by joining mid-flow. Introduce yourself when there is a pause in conversation. How you do this is up to you; there are various styles. I would suggest for the purpose of TARGETjobs Events, that you stick to your name.

3.      Engage

Ask questions: if you are interested in other people, they will be interested in you. Let the conversation flow naturally and be yourself.

4.      Know when to leave a group

Leaving without feeling rude can be the most difficult part of networking. To get the most out of a networking session, make sure that you move around the room. Decide whether there is more to be gained by remaining in your current group. If not, wait until the current person speaking has finished. Thank the group and tell them that it has been a pleasure to meet them. You can either move straight on to another group or, if you feel uneasy, make an excuse eg to get a drink. Then wait a moment before moving onto another group.

Warning, if someone leaves your group to ‘get a drink’ it is possible that they want to move on to another group. Try not to follow someone around the room to achieve your own goals. You could be in danger of being a pest and no one wants that. Think of the responses they have given you in your conversation and if you believe there is a contact to be made, try approaching them again later on in the session.

5.      Exchanging contact details

Striking up a good conversation can bring you great value but only if you follow up with your new contacts later. You will know when you have struck gold with a contact. Ask them if you can exchange contact details. You can do this toward the end of your conversation, or if you are confident that you will have time and opportunity, go back to them at the end of the networking session. Choose a method that works best for you: this could be finding them on a site like LinkedIn or exchanging business cards. Make sure that you follow up with a simple ‘hello’ stating where you’ve met a couple of days afterwards.  

targetjobsevents.co.uk