Our Male Undergraduate of the Year, Harrison Dent, tells us what he's been up to since winning the Award!

Why L’Oréal? Because it’s worth it!

What a summer it has been for me! While it seems only yesterday that Managing Director of L’Oréal UK & Ireland read out my name at the 2015 Undergraduate of the Year awards ceremony, so much has happened and I have come so far since that moment.

Straight from the morning of my first day with L’Oréal, I was inducted into the Giorgio Armani fragrances team and given real responsibilities and a very real workload. Day to day administrative tasks were, in fact, kept to a minimum; instead, I was given big project work, from allocating and distributing Christmas gifting elements following complex retail analysis to conducting assessments and analysis on a brand’s promotional performance to adapt and enhance their promotional strategies.

I would even spend time out of the office, analysing the market from a consumer’s perspective and feeding back my findings to the division’s Managing Director. Every task that I carried out added value in some way and that made myself, as an intern, feel valued and essential – something which is often hard to come by in larger companies.

Me at the Body Shop HQ

It has to be said, a marketing internship with Armani fragrances does not mean a marketing internship with Armani fragrances. I was carrying out tasks relating to finance, sales, logistics, commercial to name but a few; and was even given the chance to work across a few of L’Oréal’s designer fragrance brands rather than simply remaining with Armani Fragrances; from Diesel, to Ralph Lauren and even Viktor & Rolf.

As part of winning the award, I was also lucky enough to spend a few days in Paris, meeting various members of Senior Management and shadowing them in certain meetings, giving me a wider understanding of the company as a whole. Upon my return, I was given the chance to have lunch with Michel Brousset, MD of L’Oréal UK&I and discuss with him my experience with the company, his views on certain brands as well as my future career; it felt surreal to be eating fish and chips with the top dog of L’Oréal discussing what my future with the company could entail.

Towards the end of my internship, I applied for the Management Trainee scheme that would begin after I graduated. As I was already integrated into the company, the application process was extremely straightforward. After a short presentation of my work and a brief interview process, I was accepted onto the graduate scheme! It took a while to sink in that before my final year at university had begun, I had already secured a position on a graduate scheme for the following year!

I can honestly say that working for L’Oréal has given me some amazing opportunities and has provided me with a brilliant platform from which to launch a future career. The company as a whole supports its employees in any and every way possible and makes each and every person from the top to the bottom feel valued and important. Although I knew little about neither the beauty industry nor marketing in general before I joined, I can now say that I have a passion for both and cannot wait to start next year’s graduate scheme. Applying for the Male Undergraduate of the Year award is turning out to be one the best decisions I have ever made in terms of my future career!

Myself with Michel Brousset, Managing Director of L'Oréal UK!

Apply for the 2016 Undergraduate of the Year awards now.

Runner up Laura tells us what she's been up to since the UGOY awards

Name: Laura Mckechnie
University: University of Strathclyde
Course: BA (Hons) Finance and Marketing

I first heard about the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year competition from an e-mail sent to me by my careers service at my university. I had no expectations of making it through the online tests given the tough competition but nonetheless, I had nothing to lose by applying.

The online tests were something I had never experienced so I was extremely surprised when I found out that I was through to the top 36. I can remember my excitement when I set off for ACCA’s headquarters in London for their assessment day. This was by far the most challenging part of the competition. I was pushed out of my comfort zone but I remained confident in my own abilities. There was no way of telling how each candidate had performed but I left having met some very inspiring, talented young people.

To my amazement, I found out that I had reached the final 10! Before the final in Canary Wharf, I was invited back to ACCA’s headquarters to meet and network with some representatives. It really hit me when these busy professionals had taken the time to come and speak to me and the other finalists about our career aspirations. It was at this point that I also noticed I was one of only two females to make the final cut. This filled me with even more pride.

The final in Canary Wharf was something else. The highlight for me was sitting next to the CEO of ACCA, Helen Brand, throughout the award ceremony. It was a surreal experience that I will never forget. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank TARGETjobs and ACCA for their input and organisation of the event.

If you have read this blog and are thinking of applying this year, my advice would be to go for it! Even if you are having doubts, just think – what’s the worst that can happen?

My top tips for this year's applicants would be:

1) Prepare – carry out research and practice online tests (I found SHL.com very useful)
2) Get involved – don’t stand back and let everyone talk over you but don’t be over powering either
3) Enjoy and learn from the experience – you will most likely encounter challenges, some harder than others, but try and learn from them as this will help you in the future

Feel free to contact me on LinkedIn!

Pre-register for the 2016 Undergraduate of the Year Awards now. 

Our UGOY Low Carbon runner up, Luthfilaudri, tells us about his experience of the awards!

The first time I heard about TARGETjobs' Undergraduate of the Year Award was when I was in my second year. I received an email from my university about the Low Carbon Undergraduate of the Year Award. At the time, I did not bother applying for the award and filling out a lengthy application form. I was thinking that the chance for me to win the award is really small since there is only one winner for each category. I thought that it would be better to apply for other summer internships which have bigger chance of getting accepted. 

In my final year, I received  the same email from university inviting me to apply for Low Carbon Undergraduate of the Year Award. But that time was a bit different as the uni told us that we had won the Low Carbon Award in 2014. That encouraged me to apply for the award, despite the stress I was bearing from doing my final year project. I filled out the application form and wrote the essays required for submission. After that, I clicked the submission button and I immediately received an email that led me to a series of online tests. And hey, who would have known that a couple weeks later I was emailed by EDF energy that a phone interview will be conducted to shortlist several candidates to be invited to an assessment centre. 

The day of telephone interview with an EDF employee eventually came. I was quite nervous at that time although it was not my first time conducting a phone interview. As soon as the conversation started, I felt a sense of relief because the interviewer was really friendly. This phone interview was the toughest interview I had ever done as the interviewer expected concise answers from a set of tricky questions. After the interview ended, all I could do was to pray and hope that I would get to the next round, the assessment centre. But surprisingly, I received an email from TARGETjobs saying that I managed to be in the top 10 finalists for Low Carbon Award. EDF decided not to do an assessment centre. They used the application form and the interview as the basis of their assessment. 

So briefly speaking, I was invited to Canary Wharf in London for the grand finale event. The event was a really great opportunity to network with many talented students from across the UK as well as many employees from highly reputable companies. Not to mention, the food they served was heavenly tasty (that was my first time eating a fancy three course meal). Time did fly and the moment of the winners announcement came. I already had a feeling that my best friend at uni, Rahul, would have won the award. I knew him as a well rounded person, who does not only excel academically but also in social aspect since he was once the president of Chemical Engineering society at uni. And my guess was right, Rahul managed to get the Low Carbon Undergraduate of the Year Award! I was really happy for him.

Although I did not win, I did not go home empty handed. I brought with me a spirit to be a much better individual. I also boosted my confidence level that everything could actually be achieved even if it seems far away from our reach. This has been proven by myself being able to get a postgraduate course and secure a prestigious government scholarship! So my message to all of you who wish to apply for this award is just apply because you will never know what you will get in the end. Do not see a failure as a failure, instead see it as an opportunity to learn and rebuild yourself to come back stronger than ever.

Me with the Uni of Manchester Finalists (top left).

Pre-register for the 2016 Undergraduate of the Year Awards now. 

Our UGOY Engineering winner, Jessica, tells us her experience of the awards!

Applying

Starting my 2nd year at Cardiff University studying Integrated Engineering I had to decide whether I should do a year in industry and what the benefits would be. I was looking at what was to offer when I came across the TARGETjobs competition for ‘Engineering Undergrad of the Year Award’. Looking at the previous year’s winner, the prize looked amazing. Not only would the winner get a year placement with Eon, they would also win a trip for two to one of Eon's European projects, an invitation to the awards ceremony and a trophy. I’m interested in the energy sector so knowing Eon sponsored part of this interested me. This title seemed pretty immense but I thought I’d give it try.

Process 

The process was quite straight forward. This process ranged from answering questions related to the energy sector to psychometric and logic test and submitting your CV. Don’t get put off by this it was all in small chunks which made it easier. I suggest doing them as soon as you can but there is still time to do them last minute if you forget! If you’ve made the effort to apply you’d be silly not to go the last leg. 

Assessment Centre

I got a call from both TARGETjobs and an Eon representative; I was invited to come to the assessment centre along with 20 others for the day. Assessment days are always a bit daunting but this one was actually quite fun (as fun as they can be!), all the assessors there really just wanted to get the best out of you to see your full potential. I thought the assessment day went relatively well but now it was just a waiting game to hear back from them.

Awards Ceremony 

The phone call I had been waiting for! I had been shortlisted to come to the awards ceremony. I was ecstatic. It was such an honour to get to the top 10, getting to this point was an achievement in itself. The competition was tough, I knew this the second I met all these energetic intellectuals at the assessment centre.

The awards ceremony was held in East Wintergardens in London, it was such a vibrant day, I got the chance to meet the other candidates from across the different awards and the Eon representatives. It was a really good place to network. TARGETjobs pulled all the stops out with this, from the delicious food to Fiona Bruce!  Of course one of the most interesting things was meeting her; she gave a great talk to kick off the ceremony. As she read through the winners I started to get a little nervous, the ‘Engineering Undergraduate of the Year’ was one of the last to be called out. Then it was the time all of us at the table had been waiting for. When she called my name out I froze, I couldn’t believe it. Certainly a moment I will never forget.

Working for Eon

I have now started my placement. It wasn’t what I expected as I didn’t know what to expect! With regards to developing and gaining new skills this is a fantastic place to do so. I feel part of a team here. I’ve been here four weeks and loved every minute of it. On top of this I still have a trip planned, to go to Germany to see one of Eon's projects.

Moving on/Advice

A female winning the ‘Engineering Undergraduate of the Year Award’ is a milestone in relation to us as a society moving forward in promoting STEM subjects to females and equal opportunities, I want to say a big thank you to TARGETjobs and Eon for supporting this, hopefully this will encourage girls to follow their dreams in subjects that are prevalently taken by boys. It is so important to have a mixed gender workforce!

Only advice I would give is to just go for it, do it for the placement, do it for the holiday, do it for the experience, the awards ceremony and for you. Through any part of the process you will only gain valuable skills to help you further in life. Apply now what have you got to lose!

Apply for the 2016 Undergraduate of the Year awards now. http://undergraduateoftheyear.com/  

We caught up with Sarah Leggett - an Undergraduate of the Year Award winner from 2013!

Sarah Leggett M.Eng Hons
Construction Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year winner 2013

A little about me

Travel experiences and a love of Art ignited my interest in Engineering and building design. Graduating as a Master of Engineering with Honours from The University of Sheffield, I have a driven desire to continue to achieve at the highest level. Aside from my university studies, as a Grade 8 singer (ABRSM) I enjoyed performing in the University's Singers' Society. Prior to university, I achieved my Gold and Silver Art Award, Trinity College London ‘09-’10 and taught at a French primary school Jun‘09.

Construction Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year 2013

After winning the Laing O’Rourke award I embraced the opportunity of an internship in Western Australia on Remote Infrastructure Projects and acted as an integral member of the Digital Engineering Team on the Wheatstone LNG Project: Civil Works ISBL and OSBL. Additionally I attained an insight into the complex logistical challenges associated with remote mining and resources infrastructure; Rio Tinto’s Cape Lambert Port B Project; a materials handling facility in Karratha; and BHP Billiton Iron Ore Railway Line at Port Headland.

Overall through my summer placement with Laing O’Rourke, I felt that I achieved a huge personnel development, that I grew in confidence in my own ability and that I contributed value to my employer. I made some great friends with whom I have remained in contact. As a result of working alongside such inspiring and talented individuals I was better equipped to embark on my final year individual project at University.  My summer placement at the Laing O’Rourke Perth Office reinforced my passion for engineering and project delivery. This event marks a milestone in my personal and professional development as it opened my eyes to a range of opportunities and sparked an interest to pursue a career in the construction side of engineering. I greatly appreciated the mentoring I received from Mike Idoine, Lead BIM Engineer, and Caroline Crook, Senior Project Engineer. I would like to thank Tim Kelly, Project Director and the Wheatstone Team for such a rewarding overseas work experience.

My role and what I do 

My current role involves working with the Laing O’Rourke Group Technical Services as a Graduate Engineer. With hard work and preparation, I aspire to embrace all opportunities which come my way. I am currently getting involved with improving the way in which knowledge is managed within the Group Technical Services Team, in order that the lessons learnt from each project can be shared within the business more effectively.  One of my roles on the Graduate Development Programme is to achieve personal development and chartership with the ICE, whilst offering support to my colleagues within the Graduate Development Programme 2014 Cohort.

Working with the team

When describing what working with the team at Laing O’Rourke means to me, it is the welcoming atmosphere in the workplace and on-site, together with the encouragement and support from colleagues, which is what initially comes to mind. The excitement of working within the Laing O’Rourke team means that you are part of a greater vehicle for change within the construction industry. It is the sense of belonging to your team, and that your contribution great or small is valued by those around you which makes working for Laing O’Rourke rewarding.

To exemplify this, I would like to think back to how I felt after my two month placement in Perth. In all, I felt an integral member of the Wheatstone Team. From visits to remote Laing O’Rourke sites in the Pilbara, I felt the sense of being part of a community despite being geographically isolated. The team spirit and drive to achieve collective goals which I experienced with Laing O’Rourke Australia, I noticed to be reflected in the UK business through visiting the Explore Manufacturing Facility with the IStructE and at various Laing O’Rourke Sites and Offices during assessment centres for the Graduate Programme.

It is the exciting opportunity to be part of a collaborative, ambitious team, where all aspects of the business are driven to improve the face of construction, which is the reason for which I wanted to be part of the Laing O’Rourke team after graduation.

A day in the life

Currently every day offers a new challenge. As the Group Technical Services work for all aspects of the business, with involvement during tenders, while a project is live at site or post construction, there are continually new challenges and opportunities to investigate more efficient and effective methods of work and best practice.

Sarah is the 4th Construction, Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year Award winner to join Laing O'Rourke. Following in the footsteps of Krzysztof Sieledczyk in 2010, Maria Canellas in 2011, and Oliver Brookes in 2013. You can read about Brittany Harris, the 2014 winner on her blog here.

Could you be the 2015 Construction, Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year Award winner?

The competition closes on the 4 Feb, click here to enter now!

TARGETjobs career advice weekly roundup

Good afternoon everybody, and welcome to the latest career advice roundup! 

We've got all the newest advice articles from our TARGETjobs editorial team here for you to browse, but if nothing grabs your attention then do take a look through our website. 

We've got a whole load more where these came from. http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice 

General news

Before we move on to the advice, we’d like to thank everybody who participated in the trendence survey this year, we collected over 27,000 responses and your answers have been used to put together this year’s Guardian UK 300! 

Click here for The Guardian UK 300 barometer 2014 findings.

If you want to read The Guardian UK 300 then please look out for the physical publication coming out in September 2014!

In other news, we would like to thank everyone who came along to How to get hired Live 2014. We are proud to say that it was a success!  Here is the video below.

Have a read of our news story ‘Students soak up secrets of job huntsuccess at How to get hired Live’. 

Also last but certainly not least Meet the undergraduates of the year 2014 – Congratulations to all who won and thank you to all those that participated! We wish you the best of luck in the future.

Career advice

Moving on to career advice, calling all aspiring solicitors, most commercial law firms expect training contract applications in by 31 July.  We list the firms that use this deadline to make sure you don’t miss the boat. Click here.

Career tactics for women: from internship to job to promotion - whether you're trying to turn your internship into a graduate job offer or climb the career ladder in a permanent job, have a read of our article to find out how to increase your chances of success.

Are you struggling to write a winning CV? Why not download our CV and Covering letter examples here to give you a better chance of being successful in your job hunt.

Are you interested in working in investment banking? Have a read of our article 'How to network your way into an investment banking job'. The infamous 'British reserve' means that networking is one of the most underused skills when it comes to graduate job hunting. Put those social skills to the test and network your way to a job!

Good luck in your job applications!

Have a great weekend.

Roxanne