Divya was a finalist at the 2014 Undergraduate of the Year Awards! She only applied for the practice and she now has an internship with EON!

I had just finished my winter exams and to be honest, all I could think about was relaxing with my friends and leaving my brain to rest for a couple of days. The deadline for the Undergraduate of the Year Awards was imminent and after debating with myself whether I should bother entering the competition, should I? Should I not? I took the plunge and started applying. At the end of the day, the worst thing that could happen was to be immediately rejected and even then it would be a good practice.

So I started the application, mentally exhausted from exams and not knowing what to expect. The thought of becoming Undergraduate of the Year sounded so unattainable and prestigious, I merely saw this as a practice run. The application process involved answering 3 questions about your thoughts on energy and a number of online tests. I have to say that the online test section was long but also quite entertaining, so don’t give up!

After submitting my application, I was informed I had passed the first stage of the process and would be attending an assessment centre at E.ON's Engineering Academy close to Nottingham soon after that. Both excitement and nervousness took over me, on one hand I was jumping up and down for reaching this far and to have the chance to have a “real-life” interview at one of the leading energy companies in the world, but also the thought of attending the assessment centre with all the other candidates was nerve wrecking. I kept reminding myself that this was an INCREDIBLE opportunity, a real life interview, so the more practise the better.

The assessment consisted of 3 tasks including a self-presentation, a role play and an evaluation task. I was nervous for my presentation but my interviewers made it as relaxed as possible.  The day was tough but I was really lucky to spend it with the other candidates which weren't as scary as I'd imagined. There was no competitive tension whatsoever but instead there were a lot of good vibes and lots of cooling tower selfies.

After that, everything was a win-win, I'd gained experience from a 7 hour assessment centre with some of the brightest students in the country and I would be receiving feedback from my interviewers. So even if I didn't continue to the final, that alone was already a great achievement.

My surprise exploded when I got the very much awaited telephone call informing me that I had made it to the final 10 candidates and received my invitation to a lunch event at Canary Wharf with Sir Trevor McDonald! The day was incredible, the location, the atmosphere, the food. It was a moment to remember in every way. I met some of the other E.ON managers and shared a great lunch with them (as well as many pictures!) After our three course meal, the winner was announced. Unfortunately I didn’t win the competition, but what was to come made up for any disappointment.

I left that day with a big smile on my face and a huge sense of accomplishment. All of this was happening because I took a couple of hours back in January to complete the application, it would have been so easy to ignore, but I didn’t and there I was in the middle of Canary Wharf with an amazing experience behind my back.

The most important thing I'll take with me from this event is to believe in myself, you are the only one standing on the way of your dreams so just take a couple minutes and apply, because this competition can give you a lot of great surprises.

Through this competition I am now going to start an internship with E.ON, in the performance team which is exactly what I wanted to do! This competition has brought me a step closer to my professional dreams in the energy industry, something I couldn't have even imagined when I shyly applied thinking I wouldn't even pass the first stage.

So if you are reading this, if not you, then who is going to be the next Engineering Undergraduate Of The Year?

Divya Hariramani, Engineering Undergraduate of the Year Award Finalist

Mechanical Engineering, University of Nottingham

As Divya says, what have you got to lose! Applications are open now for the Engineering Undergraduate of the Year!

We catch up with Courtney Gill on her amazing summer with Rolls-Royce!

When we last heard from Courtney, she'd just finished her first two weeks with Rolls-Royce (read more about that here). Since then she's travelled the world with the company, we caught up with her to find out more...

The summer with Rolls-Royce has truly been unbelievable. I just returned home from my business trip in Jakarta, Indonesia where I was able to see an entirely new culture. I attended a dinner with the British Ambassador at the new embassy celebrating a British-Indonesian aviation partnership, experienced Jakarta traffic at its peak, met some incredibly lovely Indonesians and enjoyed the various locals of the country.  I have one week left with Rolls-Royce when I return to London and am very much looking forward to getting back to the office.

Rolls-Royce CSR day at special needs school – what a wonderful place! 

Explaining all of the wonderful opportunities I have received this summer would take far too long, but what I can say is how impressed I am with the quality of the internship provided by Rolls-Royce. They went over and above to welcome me to the team and to offer learning opportunities at every turn. Whether it was hosting a group from Parliament at the Farnborough Air Show or spending the day with the Indonesian Ambassador to London, it is safe to say that I never had a boring week at work. Some of the summer highlights also included meeting the Rolls-Royce CEO, getting a private tour of Parliament, going to a business meeting in Brussels, giving a presentation in Warwick, going on team runs through St. James Park and meeting various individuals from the FCO.

Day in Derby with Indonesian Ambassador to London, Transport Attaché and Minister Counsellor 

This experience has opened up my mind to the vast world of opportunities that await when I finish Cambridge and I am incredibly excited to embark on my post-graduation journey. Rolls-Royce has begun my life adventure that encapsulates perfectly one of my favourite quotes from Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

So thank you to Rolls-Royce and to the Undergraduate of the Year Programme for everything!

At the British Embassy in Jakarta with acting Ambassador Rebecca Razavi

Fancy following in Courtney's footsteps? The Undergraduate of the Year Awards are open now! 

We speak to the winner of the 2014 Low Carbon Undergraduate of the Year Award on her experience since the final!

In January 2014 I had just got back from my semester abroad, studying at the National University of Singapore, and was looking forward to starting my third year design project. I was in the process of looking for a summer internship and noticed an e-mail from my university advertising the competition. I think everyone’s first reaction when seeing that only one person receives the award is that the chances of winning are slim. However the experience gained from applying is invaluable and anyone should give it a go as I definitely surprised myself by getting through each stage.

In order to apply I had to submit an application form with two short essays about how my studies contribute to a low carbon future.  Take your time to write these and think about how you could make yours stand out.

Here is a selfie of me and Torness nuclear power station
which I was very sad to leave as it has such a friendly atmosphere.

The next step was to complete a range of online tests. This included numerical reasoning, logical reasoning and workplace role play tests. These tests provide good training and practice as they are used by most companies in their application procedures.

I was thrilled a few weeks later when I got an e-mail inviting me to an assessment centre in a lovely hotel in Cheltenham Spa. The event ran throughout the whole day, so we were very busy going from one group exercise to another and completing in class tests.

There were three group exercises. The assessors were mainly looking for soft skills here.

·         The first was a problem based group task in which we had to demonstrate leadership and innovation in the way we approached the problem. There was a lot of time pressure so it was essential to remain composed and not be scared to propose alternative solutions. I would recommend you take your time to read through all the documents provided as it is easy to skim read and miss some crucial information.

·         The second task was to build a wind turbine. This gave us the opportunity to show leadership skills by delegating a job to each team member. Organisation and coordination was necessary in order assemble the wind turbine under a certain time.

·         The third group exercise took the form of a debate where there was no right or wrong answer. The assessors were looking for how we interact in a group discussion and how we come up with original ideas. It is important to listen and let others speak as well as getting your own ideas across.

We also completed two in class tests, one numerical reasoning test and one logical reasoning test. We were all quite drained at the end of the day so were thrilled to be able to use the hotel’s gym and pool facilities. We were treated to a networking dinner where we had the opportunity to meet current EDF Energy employees on the graduate scheme who shared their experience of working for the company.

A couple of weeks later, I couldn’t believe it when I was told that I had been selected as one of the ten finalists, I had made it through yet another hurdle. I was invited to the ceremony in Canary Wharf where we enjoyed a champagne reception and a delicious three course meal. We also had the chance to meet industry representatives who shared their career paths. The event was hosted by no other than the broadcasting legend Sir Trevor MacDonald who gave us an inspiring speech. The atmosphere suddenly changed as everyone was excited in anticipation of the announcement of the winners. I was over the moon when my name came up on the screen and Sir Trevor MacDonald called me to the stage. I walked over, shook his hand and received the award. I was very proud to have made it to the end and very excited at the prospect of starting my summer internship.

I spent seven weeks in EDF Energy’s Barnwood office working on various projects. I was delighted to see that some of the finalists also got a summer internship. I was given interesting tasks to complete and felt like I was making a real contribution to the teams I was working for. I even managed to take my projects further and do more than my initial target! My internship gave me an insight into the dynamics of a huge company, how different departments overlap emphasising on the importance of communication and collaboration between teams.

I also spent two weeks working on EDF Energy’s Torness nuclear power station in Scotland. It was amazing to see in real life what I had until then only studied on paper and to see the huge scale of the reactor and all its auxiliary apparatus. It was remarkable to see how all the plant areas were interconnected and highly dependent on each other. I went around plant with various powerful instruments, taking measurements and inspecting equipment. I had a much more hands on experience and even got to enter radioactive controlled areas after completing appropriate training. I was warmly welcome by every team I worked with which made my stay even more enjoyable. Working for EDF Energy over the summer was such an amazing experience , I am grateful to have been given this opportunity.

Here is a beautiful view from Torness Nuclear power station.

I am now looking forward to my other prizes which include a lunch with a station director and a visit to a nuclear power station in France.

My advice to all prospective candidates is to make the most of this opportunity. Even if you don’t win the competition, the whole application process and assessment centre provide excellent experience. It is incredibly useful to go through this recruitment process as it is similar to that of most companies. My whole experience has been exceptionally beneficial; I worked on a range of interesting projects, met inspiring people and expanded my knowledge of the nuclear industry.  I had a wonderful time and look forward to applying to EDF Energy’s graduate scheme.

Celine Dischamps, University of Manchester

Low Carbon Energy Undergraduate of the Year Award 2014

Think this could be you for 2015? Apply now at: undergraduateoftheyear.com/lowcarbon

One of the 2014 winners of the Undergraduate of the Year Awards tells why YOU should enter for 2015!

Last year I won the Engineering Undergraduate of the Year Award sponsored by EON!

If you are reading this, you are probably thinking of applying yourself and I definitely encourage you to do so! I applied pretty much on a whim, I received and email and thought I might as well have a shot!

The initial stage of the application is some situational online tests, there a quite  a few of these, so persevere and don’t leave them until the last minute as you might run out of time!

If you are lucky enough to get through, the next round is an assessment day at the EON training facility. This is an interesting day, you will meet some of the other candidates and EON employees. The other candidates were great company, really interesting to talk to and makes the day less daunting! The assessment is a good experience, it includes a number of different tasks, some of which 
I found harder than others.

If you attend the assessment day, you then have a good chance of going to the awards ceremony, as the final top ten candidates are all invited. It’s a very impressive venue, Canary Wharf’s East Wintergarden, with an impressive host, Sir Trevor MacDonald! You are very well looked after at the ceremony, great food and conversation and it is a great opportunity to meet a huge range of students.

So go for it, apply, and who knows, maybe you will be the next Engineering Undergraduate of the Year for 2015!

Alan Middup, MEng Mechanial Engineering, University of Sheffield

Engineering Undergraduate of the Year Award, winner

James Ellis won the 2014 Languages Undergraduate of the Year Awards, he tells about his prize winning VIP trip to the European Parliament!

As I write, the sounds and smells of salesmen pushing their carts of exotic fruits along the streets drift through the window; zapote, lulo, guanábana, mamoncillo.... I am writing from Colombia, where I have been working as an interpreter for a group of human rights lawyers, and I am reminded just how lucky I am to have studied a languages degree; one which opens up thousands of these amazing opportunities to me. This, after another fantastic experience earlier in the summer, thanks to the Undergraduate of the Year Awards. 

Back in June, I made my way down to London to start a really eye-opening, informative week getting to know more about the EU and its institutions. Despite a hideously early start to catch the first train to London, I was met at the FCO offices on Whitehall for a useful day of preparation for the online tests used in the EU's selection process. 

On Tuesday, I met with various people working at the EU's UK representation office in Europe House. Attending meetings, and speaking to several of the different departments working together under the same roof was a fascinating insight into the day-to-day running of a national representation, spreading information of what the EU is up to in the UK, and vice versa. Wednesday morning was an example of the reverse, when I sat in on a video conference call between the translation departments in Zagreb, The Hague, Berlin, Paris, and Vilnius, and the head office in Brussels. 

Later that afternoon I caught the Eurostar to Brussels, where I was met off the train and taken straight to  the European Parliament to meet one of my new local MEPs, on the back of an alarming result in the European Elections. 

Thursday was spent visiting various Directorate Generals and departments within the different institutions, meeting with interns and full-time employees alike from the European Parliament, the Commission, the Council... It provided an excellent opportunity to find out what each Institution does and what each DG inside that Institution is responsible. Meeting with actual people meant I also got first-hand accounts of how the employees wound up in Brussels, and different career progressions they have undergone. That evening I attended an informal get together of Brits working, or hoping to work, in the various Institutions, and again it was great to learn of their experiences while applying for positions in Brussels.

All too soon, Friday came around, and it was time to head back to the real world (via a quick holiday in Portugal!), although not before a couple more final meetings with the translation and interpreting services. Listening in from the interpreting booths I was able to experience what it would be like to work as a conference interpreter for some of the most important meetings in the world. I was able to properly get a sense of how this great European family is able to communicate with each other, despite having 24 official languages and numerous other smaller languages within its borders. All thanks to a dedicated team of translators and interpreters, right there in Brussels. 

And so it was, that I left on the Friday evening Eurostar back to London with a heavy heart, although with lots to think about and fond memories of an unforgettable trip, all made possible thanks to the Undergraduate of the Year Awards.

James Ellis, Languages Undergraduate of the Year Award

Modern Languages, Newcastle University

Think this could be you for 2015? Apply to the Awards here: undergraduateoftheyear.com/languages

Baran Ceylan won the 2014 Future Business Leader Undergraduate of the Year Award with Mars and what an incredible year it has been...

Wow – what an incredible year this has been. The year 2014 has flown by and writing this blog has probably been the only opportunity that I have had to glance over the past 9 months and absorb all the events that have taken place. This year I have pitched to investors, launched a business, won national competitions and had the opportunity to learn from global business leaders, whilst juggling exams and university life.

The extraordinary experience I have had at Wrigley this summer, in both their UK and Chicago offices, has made me realise what a privilege it was to win TARGETjobs’ ‘Future Business Leader of the Year’ award. Working in the confections division at Wrigley’s UK office I was fortunate to be given the responsibility to lead a European strategy project for a new product. Through this role I was able to gain a deeper understanding about the full scale of the business because I was interacting and meeting individuals across different departments. The whole process was a rare opportunity to explore the steps needed to launch a brand from the designers in Chicago to manufacturing, marketing and developing a strategy. The breadth of freedom, though overwhelming at times, was highly rewarding. Having enjoyed the dynamic and diverse culture at Wrigley I was looking forward to my time in Chicago in mid-July.

I had never been to Chicago before and so could not wait to explore its renowned museums, art and music scene. The Wrigley team in Chicago welcomed me with great generosity and treated me to a downtown hotel, whilst taking my American friends to watch a baseball game with the Chicago Cubs fully immersed me in the city’s culture. Despite the Cubs’ heavy loss, Chicago won on the culinary front, as I was able to eat at some amazing restaurants. However, the real highlight of my trip was my time spent with both the global CEO and global CMO of Wrigley. This is because the priceless opportunity to hear advice from such prominent figures within the business will help me continue to develop and grow. 

Since completing my internship at Wrigley, leaving with a job offer for 2015, I have moved to London with my twin brother, and have been focusing on my business, Wordme. Wordme is a producer of greetings cards, stationary and notebooks, based around our unique wordsearch design. Since the Future Business Leader competition, I have secured an investor and am working in our office in Park Lane, London. We also have recently been named Royal Dutch Shells UK Start-up of the month and the ‘Hot 48’ Start-ups of the year. We are currently expanding our range to over 45 designs and formats, and are set to launch our new designs by the end of this week, in time for the Christmas rush! Feel free to visit our website www.wordme.co.uk to discover our awesome ranges (and hopefully order some Christmas cards too!).

To sum it all up, my 2014 has been exhilarating! Winning the ‘Future Business Leader of the Year’ has truly opened many doors. I will now be enjoying my time in London, fitting in some trips abroad, before starting work in 2015.

Baran Ceylan, Future Business Leader Undergraduate of the Year Award

University of Bath, Business and Administrative Studies

Think this could be you for 2015? Enter the Awards here: undergraduateoftheyear.com/leader

Winner of the Construction Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year Award 2014, talks us through her first few weeks on her placement at Laing O'Rourke : PART 1

During my application for the Undergraduate of the Year Awards I was fortunate enough to secure a placement working with Arup in their Hong Kong offices. I hadn’t assumed I would win the Awards, so wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to work abroad over the summer. Luckily when Laing O’Rouke announced me as their winner of the Construction Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year Award they were very accommodating and both companies allowed me to shorten both placements so I could fit them both in!

I have loved working in Hong Kong. It is a huge change of pace to working in the UK with long working days and a lot of responsibility. I have been designing foundation for and LNG power station in the Philippians; this requires complex dynamic analysis and consideration of minimal differential settlement across the site.  

Aside from work I have made some great friends both in Arup and Laing O’Rourke. Laing O’Rourke has a hiking team and we go out twice a week which is a great way to get to know people and see Hong Kong. I have also managed to fit in lots of sightseeing on my weekends, but I still have plenty more to do.

It has not all been plain sailing. Visas have caused considerable strife and the 8 hour time difference makes it nearly impossible to contact people at home. Jet lag and the weather is a lot to get used to, and the inevitable Asian stomach bugs have caught me out once. But all this pales in the rush of the city.

Before beginning my placement with Laing O’Rourke I was very excited to be on site, but also a little apprehensive as I had been warned about working in over 40^oC heat. The experience ends in mid-September, so watch this space for an update on how it went.

Brittany Harris, Civil Engineering, University of Bristol

Construction Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the Year Award winner

Think this could be you for 2015? Apply to the awards here: undergraduateoftheyear.com/construction

Since winning the Undergraduate of The Year Award for Commercial Excellence 2014 Miklos tell us what he's been up to...

Since winning the Undergraduate of The Year Award for Commercial Excellence on the 25^th of April, I have mostly worked on finishing my placement at Morgan Stanley and my third year at university, while staying in touch with Nestle and Raleigh to finalise the details of my trip to Borneo and the start date of my summer internship. I’ll be going to Borneo during the summer of 2015, while my internship was to commence on the 23^rd of June 2014. I took a week’s holiday after my placement, while I became more and more excited as the date approached …

… Finally, on the 23^rd of June, I began my internship at Nestle in York. I have moved down from Edinburgh the weekend before into a local university’s accommodation, to ensure I have some time to explore the area, find local shops and a gym to go to. All the marketing, sales, supply chain, manufacturing, finance and HR interns were up in York for the first two days, as we had our initial training on Monday/Tuesday. I was assigned to marketing within the confectioneries area, which is headquartered in York – there are two of us here and another four down in Gatwick.

The first day was mostly about getting to know each other as well as the company, icebreakers, and a friendly competition among pre-organised teams. It was also the time I found out what exact project I’ll be working on: I was assigned to work within the seasonal team to find new ways to personalise and premiumise Quality Street. I’m really happy with my project as I do not only love the product, but it’s also a complex and interesting one to sink my teeth into.

On the second day, everyone had training specific to their area. For example, all the marketing interns had a long session with senior marketers in the firm, after which we were given the results to the insights personality test that we had to complete before our first day. I found out that I’m mostly red, with quite a bit of blue and yellow as well. We also had a two-page description of our personality, which was incredibly accurate considering it was based on 25 multiple choice questions we completed. We also did some activities in our groups, the takeaway from which was that every team needs a personality from each type in order to operate most efficiently, and that we should always strive to be aware other people’s preferences as they might be very different from ours.

On the Wednesday of week one, I met the people I’ll be working with, who were just in the middle of their Easter 2015 product presentation, so I already got to witness the seasonal team in action. On Thursday I had the opportunity to visit the After Eight and Quality Street factory in Halifax, which was amazing, as I finally got to see in person how chocolate is produced after having watched numerous episodes of ‘How It’s Made’! I spent Friday with gaining some ground on my project, which will over the ten weeks include doing market research to evaluate competition, coming up with ideas to personalise and premiumise seasonal sales of Quality Street, as well as working together with creative agencies, suppliers, finance, and sales to assess the costs of delivering the project and finding the correct price for the personalised product.

The next Monday I was asked if I wanted to go to our packaging supplier in Newcastle, to which of course I said yes! It was a very informative day, where I managed to get some insight on premium packaging that’s relevant to my project. I also took a picture (right) of the team visiting the factory, consisting of the Nescafe team from Gatwick and part of the Quality Street team from York – we looked great!

The rest of the week I’ll be working on finishing up the initial market research of my project and metting with different people from various areas of the company to get a wide range of ideas on for options to deliver my project.

So far my placement has been great, I was lucky to be able to visit two factories within two weeks. The atmosphere and culture are great at Nestle, so I’m up for a busy but great summer!

Think this could be you for 2015? Apply to the awards here: undergraduateoftheyear.com

The winner of the 2014 Female Undergraduate of the Year Award talks us through her first two weeks at Rolls Royce!

Exams are done and England’s summer favourites and sunny weather have left everyone buzzing with excitement. From Cambridge May Balls and garden parties to Royal Ascot and Wimbledon to the World Cup and the Royal Henley Regatta, London is certainly an exciting place to be in summer. It is particularly lively in the Rolls-Royce International office, just outside of Buckingham Palace; with not only great World Cup chat from various nationalities, but also some incredibly interesting projects.

My time with Rolls-Royce so far (all of 2 weeks) has been everything I hoped it would be and more. It is an incredibly friendly bunch of people who are all very bright and committed to strong development. They have all gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and to assign me with stimulating tasks. My first week was filled with a plethora of training and introductory calls from Regional Directors located in Indonesia, Thailand, France, Singapore and Vietnam. I sit in the International and Government Relations team and will be finishing my placement out in Jakarta, Indonesia in August (something for which I am also incredibly excited!).

My morning starts with a short tube ride and a lovely stroll through Green Park. I am lucky to get to pass by the barracks - outside of the palace - where the guards hold a drill parade every morning.  I come in to the office and often have relatively early morning calls as they are usually with the team out in Asia. I work with various people throughout the day on my three main objective projects. I will also be commencing work with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the Government Relations aspect of the role. The team is upbeat and dynamic - shown by our lunchtime run today with the trainer! In the evenings I am able to get in runs around Primrose Hill and play a few quick games of tennis with friends also working in London. Next week I am participating in the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge Run in Battersea Park which is a great team building event and fantastic place to meet other City employees.

I am very optimistic that my internship will continue as it has begun.  Now off to Henley for a weekend of fantastically coloured blazers, phenomenal rowing and fun!

Courtney Gill, University of Cambridge, Land Economy

Think this could be you for 2015? Apply now to the awards here: undergraduateoftheyear.com