Helpful tips to win the Undergraduate of the year awards

Helpful tips from 2012's Accountancy & Economics Undergraduate of the year winner, Shabbir Merali

I found the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year competition to be an amazing experience last year. The whole process was great and I learnt so much and picked up many skills through the journey to winning.

I thought I’d use this opportunity to share a few tips with those applying this year.

1) Preparation is key: Don’t try to wait until the deadline before applying and completing the various tests and assessments. This is especially the case when you’ve got lengthy written questions to answer. Try and give yourself plenty of time before the deadline to conduct some research, in order to write a well-thought out answer, and if you have time, ask your friends and family to check through your answers.

2) Practice the tests: During the process, you will asked to complete various psychometric tests in order to test your verbal, numerical and logical abilities. Before you take these tests, it’s really helpful to have some practice. There are plenty of websites which offer you the opportunity to practice similar style questions, which will help you to get used to the format of the questions and also enable you to get better at answering the questions faster. One of the biggest challenges with the tests is the time limit, so make sure you’re aware of how long’s left!

3) Be confident: Hopefully through practicing the tests and preparing thoroughly for the written questions you will stand a good chance of getting through to the assessment centre.  If you do get this far, just be confident in your abilities. Your application and test scores must have been outstanding to get this far, so act confidently during the assessment centre and give it your best shot.

4) Learn: The whole process will allow you the opportunity to develop your skills and entering the competition can be a great addition to your CV. Take on board any feedback that you receive and take full advantage of this opportunity.

Best of Luck!!

Journey to the heart of cocoa (part four)

Slava, 2012 Future Business Leader award winner, sponsored by Mars is back with his last post today. Today he talks us through his experience of making chocolate from scratch and what he feels this trip taught him,

Aspiring chocolatier apprentice:
As my trip drew to a close, I got the opportunity to witness the art and magic of chocolate making. For a day, I became a chocolatier apprentice and learned a lot about the old traditions, secrets and techniques of turning fermented cocoa beans into the delicious extract we know as chocolate. My lesson started with the roasting of cocoa beans and my master Alicio guided me through the entire process of blending, conching and tempering of chocolate. I was surprised to learn that white chocolate is made of cocoa butter, which is separated from cocoa liquor in the process of chocolate creation. Finally, I poured the chocolate liquor into the mould and after a few hours I could proudly present my fresh chocolate bars to the MCCS team. Alicio told me that making chocolate the traditional way is an art that requires a lot of patience and skill. Even small variations in the fermenting, drying, roasting or blending processes can cause differences in flavor and quality. There are over 120 distinctive attributes in the taste of chocolate. That is, a particular chocolate type can be more or less sour, bitter, sticky, smoky, fruity etc. However, an average person can only recognize ten different attributes by tasting chocolate. The only person who can taste up to 60 individual attributes is Ed Seguine, who works as a chocolate taste expert for Mars. He has also contributed to the sequencing and annotating of the cocoa genome, playing a key role in the identification of flavor attributes.

Achieving life goals:
The major highlight of the trip for me was the opportunity to plant my own cocoa tree in the rain forest, with my name tag on it. In my home country, there is a saying that a man has to do three things in his life: to build a house, to bring up a son and to plant a tree. I was delighted to be able to accomplish at least one of these goals. In four years, just in time for the Rio 2016 Olympic games the tree will develop its first pods and hopefully be part of the renaissance of cocoa culture in Bahia.
During my trip to Brazil I learned more than I could have dreamed of in such a short time period. Being exposed to a different culture has given me a deeper understanding of our responsibility for the world. Indeed, the entire trip has become an enriching and touching experience for me, which surpassed all my expectations and helped me to gain new perspectives, as well as to contribute my share to improving the status quo of the people of Bahia. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: ‘Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ’In this respect, I hope that many other students and young professionals will follow this trail to Bahia and contribute their share to the reconstruction and revitalisation of this diverse and exciting region.

 The finished products. 

If you think you have what it takes to win 2013's award apply here. (other categories are also available).

Journey to the heart of cocoa (part three)

Slava is back with his third posting this week and talks us through his crash course in cocoa and his day spent doing community work with Mars.

Have you ever seen a Frankenstein tree? In front of the main building of the Mars Center for Cocoa Science there is a tree, which is known as the Frankenstein tree among associates. It was created by grafting thirteen different varieties of cocoa together. This is why one branch of the tree does not look like the other. It is a natural technique that has been used by farmers for many centuries. On my fourth day, I could get a chance to create my own little Frankenstein cocoa tree by grafting and also get a hands-on experience in cocoa science at the on-site laboratories of the MCCS. For instance, in the biology lab I had a glimpse of the incredible diversity of cocoa and the breeding of nearly perfect clones, which were more resistant to diseases and also had a higher yield. My instructors were the bio-technology engineer Claudia and her assistant. They explained to me the programme that the MCCS undertakes to select the best varieties to multiply, and later on I had the opportunity to plant a few embryos in a glass jar myself. In this laboratory process it is possible to propagate several identical cocoa plants from a single flower – this process is called somatic embryogenesis. Afterwards, we visited the chemistry lab, the micro-biology lab, as well as 'crown jewel' of the Mars Center - the genetics lab. In 2010, a group of scientists under the leadership of Prof. Howard Yana-Shapiro unlocked the sequence of the cocoa genome and published this knowledge to the public domain, so that everyone would have free and continued access to it. Yana-Shapiro, who is Mars-internally also known as the 'godfather of cocoa', said that without engineering higher-yielding cocoa trees, demand would outstrip supply within 50 years, which represents a threat to the global confectionary industry. Jean-Philippe and the MCCS researchers are conducting further scientific experiments and studies to counteract this trend, thereby also helping biodiversity and farmers' welfare in the cocoa-growing region of Bahia. In this regard, my hands-on experience in the genetics lab was very relevant and exciting. In the morning, I have collected cocoa leaves and used a plethora of chemical substances to extract cocoa DNA from these leaves. Studying this DNA would allow scientists to reduce the fat content of cocoa, increase its disease resistance and to increase the yield of cocoa trees. Thus, these kind of improvements could directly affect the lives of some 6.5 million small cocoa farmers around the globe. The focus of the fifth day was anchored around volunteering and community work in the region. The associates at the Mars Research Center engage with almost all local farms and regularly supply them with essentials, such as drinking water, rice, beans and other basic products. That day, I had the chance to go with the MCCS community team on another field trip to visit three farms and to speak to the farmers and identify their needs in order to help them most effectively. 


In the afternoon, I was able to contribute my share to the education of these children by teaching English lessons at the Virginia Mars Municipal School. In spite of the language differences I could connect well with the children and tried to inspire them to be more assiduous in their studies of the English language. In Bahia, a decent command of English is considered a valuable and rare skill, and a real differentiator in the competitive job market. I started my first English lesson with an introduction and a vocabulary brainstorming session around the word 'friendship'. The students were a bit shy in the beginning, but as soon as we started a role play, I could see that they were really engaging with each other and the language. The pupils of my second English class were a bit younger and not as fluent. That is why I have decided to focus on an easier topic: different countries and cities. Later on, we played 'hangman' with the new pieces of vocabulary, which the kids genuinely enjoyed. Seeing the children’s smiling faces was indeed refreshing. After the lesson, Alan, one of my new students took me by the hand and dragged me to the head teacher of the school. I wasn't sure what he wanted to say, as he was explaining something to the head teacher in Portuguese in a very emotional way. Then, my translator said to me that he wanted to introduce me to the head teacher and that he said he would rather have me as an English teacher all year long, than all the other classes together. It was humbling and touching. I wish I could have stayed longer to share my time and knowledge with these avid pupils. 

Cocoa science crash course:

Community work for Bahia:

All of the farms we have visited were in a poor shape and it was truly moving to see the extreme poverty
these people were living in. They didn't have access to electricity, nor did they have drinking water or even the basic hygiene conditions. We visited derelict houses and witnessed how the locals get their water from a hole in the ground in the nearby forest, which was used as a rain water reservoir. This water was claimed to be 'clean' after the locals have thrown a peculiar fish inside, called 'piavi'. This fish is supposed to eat the major insects in the water, so that the water becomes supposedly drinkable. This is a century-old tradition in the region and is considered to be normal. All of the farmers live below the poverty line and it was alarming to see that some of them simply accepted the status quo. The children were also raised as farmers and were taught the traditions of their fathers. During our field trip we met Gilberto, a single father who was raising four children. His love and care for his offspring truly touched me. Despite his difficult situation, he invested everything he had in the education of his children. Gilberto has sent them to the only school in the region - the Virginia Mars Municipal School. He was a frequent visitor to the school himself, where he always eagerly enquired about their progress and what he could do to help his children with their homework. Having no education himself, he wanted to give them a better future. Gilberto explained that he was very happy that his children could go to school, but that he struggled with the materials they needed, such as pens, pencils and college blocks. Fortunately, I had my notepad and a few pens with me, which I happily gave to Gilberto. The family was very happy and I have spent some time with the children, teaching them how to draw houses and trees. In return, the oldest girl, who was ten years old and the only literate child in the family so far, wrote down her name and the names of her brothers with a small thank you note on a piece of paper and gave it to me. I could see that the father was very proud of her writing skills. This experience vividly demonstrated to me how even the smallest things can make a real difference. 


Next week it's Slava's final post about his time at the Mars Center for Cocoa Science, part of his prize for winning the Future Business Leader award. 


If you think you could be 2013's winner apply early to make sure you have enough time to complete the application.

Journey to the heart of cocoa (part two)

Slava is back with his second instalment talking about the journey from finance to farming and a trip to the past.

From finance to farming:
The second day starts very early with a presentation of the activities of the Mars Center for Cocoa Science and a brief history of cocoa production in Bahia by the center’s director Jean-Philippe Marelli. I was surprised to learn that the Latin name of cocoa is Theobroma, which can be translated as ‘food for the gods’ – a very powerful and certainly not incorrect metaphor. Shortly after the presentation, I met my translator for the week, Amanda, who only recently joined the center as a communications intern. What followed was my first hands-on work in the cocoa fields. Guided by experienced farmers, I learned how to plant cocoa seeds, how to do grafting, how to mix the optimal blend of soil for more productive cocoa trees and how to take care of young trees in the greenhouse. In the afternoon, we went to see the agroforestry system of cocoa at the nearby farm ‘cinco porcos’. I noticed that the cocoa pods varied greatly in their shape and, interestingly, in colour. For example, the colours of the pods ranged from dark purple to bright yellow and light green. The reason for that is that cocoa can be divided into several groups with different genetic characteristics, such as Amelonado, Criollo and Forastero. The Mars Center has over 600 types of cocoa in its collection, which represents almost 100% of the cocoa diversity in the world. Most cocoa varieties develop pods up to four times a year, which is why harvesting cocoa pods is in fact a continuous process. Equipped with an enormous halberd, I helped the locals to harvest cocoa pods and to separate the nibs from the shell. This is actually quite a complex job, which requires utmost precision, concentration and speed. Back at the Center, I met my new flat mate Lauranne, who was interning at the Center and studying the carbon foot print of cocoa, an academic area, which hasn't been extensively studied thus far.

A field trip to the past:
Next day, we went on a field trip to ‘PA Brazil’, a settlement for landless people who suffered the consequences of the witches’broom fungus, which had a devastating effect on Bahia’s economy and social welfare in the 1990s. After a 2-hour drive through the Mata Atlantica forest, we arrived at the settlement. The locals welcomed us with delight and showed us around the village. Most of these people used to be farmers, but the new reality of the cocoa disease forced them to switch to less productive crops or cattle breeding. Some of them were working on the old cocoa 'fazendas' of affluent farmers and became unemployed when the rich people abandoned their lands. Some areas have been recovered, but a majority of farms were still abandoned, while the population is living below the poverty line of $1 per day. The farmers I have met were, however, very positive and talkative, despite their extreme situation. Particularly the young generation, who grew up in the cocoa crisis of the 1990s was very curious. They wanted to know everything about me, where I come from, what life is like in Europe and what football clubs I was supporting. I have also met the mayor of the nearest city Barro Preto, who turned out to be quite a cheerful fellow. Together with the MCCS, the city administration jointly invests in the 'PA Brazil' settlements. The farmers proudly showcased to us their banana plantations, brought us fresh coco nuts and guavas and invited us to their community house, which was still in construction. On the one hand, it was shocking to witness the extreme poverty, the abandoned houses and the poor infrastructure of the region. But on the other hand, it was reassuring to see that there was still hope and that no stone was left unturned to help the population to escape poverty.

On  Thursday Slava will be back with more on his time in Brazil, discussing his crash course in cocoa science and his experience of community work in Bahia. 

Find out more about Slava and what he studied here. 

Journey to the heart of Cocoa (part one)

Follow this four part series of 2012 Future Business Leader of the year winner, Vyacheslav 'slava' Polonski as he shares his experience of his trip to Brazil. (Part of his prize for the award).

A volunteering and discovery trip to the Mars Center for Cocoa Science in Bahia, Brazil.  

In April 2012, I had the supreme honour to be chosen as the national winner of the ‘Future Business Leader of the Year 2012’ award, which was sponsored by Mars Inc. at the annual TARGETjos 'Undergraduate of the Year Awards'. I went through a long selection process, which consisted of several tests, interviews, case studies, group exercises and presentations, and was invited with the other seven finalists to the gala awards ceremony in Canary Wharf, London. I remember when Amanda Davies read out my name as the unique national winner of the award, there was a sense of relief and happiness, but it was only when the Rt. Hon Michael Portillo passed me on the glass prize with my name engraved in it I allowed myself to believe it. From that moment I couldn't stop grinning like a Cheshire cat – nothing could wipe the joy from my face. When you realise your dream, it’s euphoric – there is no better feeling. As part of the award, I was given the opportunity to travel to Brazil for a unique experience at the Mars Center for Cocoa Science to get an insight into the history, present and future of cocoa, and volunteer with the farmers and the local school. During my undergraduate studies in Management at the London School of Economics, I never had to deal with cocoa or agronomy and was thus even more excited about the trip.

Arrival in Ilhéus:
After a long flight from London I arrived in the city Ilhéus in the region of Bahia. Ilhéus was once the epicenter of cocoa production and trade in Brazil and even today, every little detail of the town architecture reminds the ‘Baiano’ style of that time. Almost all historic buildings are decorated with cocoa pod ornaments. In fact, cocoa production has always been at the heart of Bahia. As the writer and scholar Hans Ostrom once noted: ‘Inside cocoa beans lies a secret that survives translations of growth and harvest, roast and grind, concoction and confectionary concatenation.” It all started with the ancient Maya and Aztec who used to prepare a coveted drink out of ground cacao seeds and other seasonings. In some cities cocoa seeds were used as a major currency system due to their high value. The relative buying power of quality beans was such that approximately 100 beans could buy a new cloth mantle. In the 18th century, the first cocoa crops were brought to Bahia from the Amazon forest and the city of Ilhéus rapidly became the center of cocoa trade and production in Brazil. The harvest was mostly exported to chocolate factories in Europe and the USA, giving rise to the reign of the ‘colonels’ in Bahia – wealthy and powerful cocoa farmers, who were vividly depicted in the romantic novels of Jorge Amado. During my visits of Ilhéus I had the chance to see many of the authentic locations of the novels, including the Ilhéus cathedral, the Bataclan restaurant that served as a cabaret in the early 20th century, as well as the town museum, featuring an exhibition about the era of the cocoa tycoons. After this sightseeing trip, my first night was spent at a hotel, before moving into the student house near the Mars Center for Cocoa Science in the next morning.

Next Tuesday Slava will be back with more of what he got up to on this life-changing trip.

Apply here if you think you have what it takes to be 2013's Future Business leader award winner. 

Journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step

Winner of the Low Carbon Undergraduate of the Year award, Declan Bryans gives his advice on how to tackle a work placement.

Not even a year has passed since I entered the Undergraduate of the Year 2012 but reflecting back on it puts into perspective just how much someone can achieve in such a short period of time.  Back then my summer was set to be another uneventful period of time, biggest plan on the cards was to go out with friends and relax while waiting for the next year of university to begin.

It turns out my summer was very different than originally planned. 13^th of April, my 21^st birthday, was the day that my summer plans had changed. It was on that day I was announced as the winner of my award category, low carbon technologies.  All of a sudden I was talking about working for EDF Energy and told I would be going down to the Olympic games for a VIP day. Both were things I never even dreamt of achieving.

In this post I hope to give some sound advice for those who are going on placement for the first time and need to move away from home. The first challenges I came across was accommodation and finances. As soon as you have your start date, I would advise that you start looking for affordable accommodation. It is likely that the company you will be working for will know of some good places so it’s worthwhile asking. Once this is sourced, it is a good idea to get to know the person you are renting a room or flat from. This serves to fulfil two purposes: firstly it settles their mind as to what type of person you are, a lot of property owners out there have made massive investments and it is always a relief to know that the stranger living in their house won’t turn out to be a psychopath and destroy their hard work. Secondly, it also means they might be able to help you out a bit. This could range from them helping you with transport arrangements to and from work, or allowing a payment to come late: it removes a lot of stress from you.

Once that is all settled, the next big thing is the work placement itself. Chances are you’ll be there for 8 to 12 weeks; a lot of companies may see this like an extended interview and could lead to a future career with them. This doesn’t mean, however, that they expect you to know everything about their field; they know you are there to learn so you should adopt a questioning attitude. It will show that you are eager to learn and willing to improve. From this, it could leave a positive impression on your employer and, down the road, it may lead to a job offer.

My time with EDF has allowed me to develop exponentially, on my CV and personally. I have learnt so much from them and have managed to become more open minded to all the different sectors and aspects required in the energy sector. Unfortunately, I can’t talk on much of what I did during my placement.

The second part of my award prize was a VIP day at the London Olympics and it did not fail to impress. I watched the Olympics on the TV almost every day but that does not compare to the experience of actually being there. The sheer size and atmosphere was outstanding and I am glad that I can say I was a part of it all. The day started early with a tour of the London Eye before a very fancy lunch. However, the main event came in the afternoon when we attended the Basketball matches. Even although Great Britain weren’t doing particularly well in this front we managed to time it well enough to see them get their only victory against China and an excellent display of skill from Nigeria and France.  

To me this has been a massively successful summer that has potentially shaped my future career. This journey has only begun for me and I plan to build upon these successes and push my boundaries even further. I will finish my blog with one final piece of advice, none of this would have happened had I not took the 5 minutes to fill in the application form back in December. It is the smallest of actions that can make the biggest of changes and from the quote above, it starts with one small step to make a legendary journey. Take that step and remember that limits and boundaries are only there to be broken.

Meet all of 2012's winners and enter the awards here. 

Undergraduate of the year awards: the application process

Robin, 2012 Law Undergraduate of the Year, unveils his final two tips for making it to the top

Step Four: The Interview (Sometime during March – April 2013)

If you make it to the interview – congratulations! You’ve been short-listed to the final 12 candidates. At this point, it’s all about how you present yourself in person. Interview techniques will come into the fore, but beware also the ‘trial by sausage roll’ (the informal part of the day which takes place over drinks and a buffet). Don’t forget, the interview starts the moment you walk through the doors of the firm and ends the moment you leave the building. The firm doesn’t just want to know if you’d be a competent employee; they would quite like to get to know you as a person too.

My top tip: if you have a buffet lunch, be sure to position yourself near a table. Trying to introduce yourself to a partner with a drink in one hand and a plate of the mushroom vol-au-vents, salad and olive canapés is not a good look. At least at a table you can put your drink down and have one free hand when the time comes.

Step Five: The Awards ceremony (19 April, 2013)

If you’re short-listed to the final ten candidates then you will be invited to a gala dinner held at Canary Wharf along with over a hundred other people involved in the other Undergraduate Awards. It’s a great day and if you win you’ll be presented with the award by a senior partner and this year the Rt. Hon Michael Portillo. At this stage there’s really nothing you can do since the decision has already been made as to whose won – just sit back and enjoy the food and drinks!

My top tip: remember that you’ve done exceptionally well to be shortlisted for the award. There’s much more to life than winning. Whatever happens – give yourself a pat on the back and make the most of what you’ve learnt from the experience.

Enter here for your chance of being a 2013's award winner. 

Undergraduate of the year awards: the application process

2012's Law Undergraduate of the year winner, Robin Morris talks us through the application process and sheds some tips. (part one) 

This second blog entry is aimed at outlining in more detail the application process for the Law Undergraduate of the Year Award 2013. Where possible, I’ll also give you some tips on how to approach each stage.

Step One: Full registration (From 1 October, 2012)

Full registration for the award is now open! At this point you should be researching the firm and be considering beginning research for the three application questions. Complete all the required fields with information about your name, date of birth etc.

Step Two: The Application Questions (Before 31 January, 2013)

This is the first real stage of the application process. You will be faced with three questions – chosen particularly by the judges at Mayer Brown – which will require three answers of around 500 words each. Be clear and concise in your writing and provide reasons and facts to back up any reasoning. The questions may relate to the impact of a particular piece of legislation on the legal market; the reason why you feel you should be named Law Undergraduate of the Year; or be open-ended about asking what challenges may be facing law firms today.

My two top tips: take the time to research your answers to all three questions well. If you can cite statistics from reports or well-known cases in a particular market this helps to demonstrate your knowledge and your readiness to engage with subject-matter of the questions. Even if you don’t know what you’re talking about at least make a decent effort to pretend that you do!

My second tip is to allow enough time to answer the questions. You shouldn’t be finishing the answers a couple of hours before the deadline. Write them, leave them, come back to them and review them. Do make sure that spelling and grammar are correct!

Step Three: The psychometric tests (Before 31 January, 2013)

The psychometric tests are aimed at providing the judges with an insight into your natural linguistic, numeric and situational reasoning skills. They take the form of three or four multiple choice tests which require the candidate to choose either one answer or to list a series of answers according to importance. You will also have a set time in which to complete the tests.

My top tip: don’t try to second guess the psychometric tests. They have been designed specifically to spot people who are being dishonest. Several books claim to be able to teach people how to answer psychometric tests. Whether this works or not, I don’t know, but I really don’t think it’s worth the bother. Be honest and take your time.

Next week Robin will be giving us two more vital tips. If you are interested about the awards and think you have what it takes take a look here. 

Find your passion, be confident and take a chance

2012's winner of the First Year of the Year Award, Roberta Kovacs tells us what the real reason for applying for these awards is, and how it is not just something to write on a piece of paper. 

After receiving an e-mail from my department regarding some sort of "Economics undergraduate of the year" competition, I decided to take a brief skim through what the whole thing was about. Scrolling through the list of 12 awards that were open for application, the one that was most relevant to me was the "First Year of the Year Award". 

A short insight I would like to share. I think that the key to me being successful was that I did not make a big fuss out of the competition. One of the things I have noticed with fellow classmates and people in general, that I do not approve of, is this whole idea of "enhancing ones CV". Doing things that improve your skills and help you develop professionally and personally is imperative - but it has to be for yourself and not for how other people will perceive you. In other words, the drive should come from an inner passion to be better and not from being able to write on a piece of paper "I developed these skills". 

Of course, when you do things that enhance your skills it will automatically reflect on your resume - but the primary motive should never be how your CV looks. The most impressive and brilliant people I have met and work with are never concerned about their CV - but they always have an unbelievable amount of passion to improve and do something that they enjoy.

So that is probably the biggest advice - develop your skills for yourself. This will help you build not only your skills and personality, but it will also give you confidence in what you can or can not do. As I mentioned earlier, I was not too bothered about the competition - in that I was not overly stressed out. I took it very lightly, because I was confident in my skills and what I do. I knew that I will try my best to get through or win, but if there was someone who was better suited to win then it would happen whether I stressed about it or not. So relax, find your passion, work on yourself, be confident and take a chance. And most importantly - enjoy yourself. :)

If you decide to apply...Good luck with your application! :)

Roberta Kovacs 

How I became the 'Law Undergraduate of the year 2012'

As promised Robin Morris, this year's winner of the Law Undergraduate of the year is back with his third and final tip for applying to the 2013 awards

What are they looking for (part two)

3) Don’t be afraid to be a little unorthodox

It comes as no surprise that the already competitive market for positions at law firms has worsened because of the economic crisis. According to the Law Society’s most recent Annual Statistical Report the number of training contracts offered by law firms fell by 18% in 2011. As the perturbing level of competition for training contracts intensifies, so too does the rush for the elusive vacation placement and dwindling work experience opportunities.

My advice? Be unorthodox in your approach towards your studies (within reason) and more importantly, towards gaining those extra-curricular experiences. Since an increasingly large amount of candidates continue to apply to law firms via the ‘official’ application route there is almost a need to adopt unconventional methods. My position as a reporter for the International Law Association (ILA) at their bi-annual conference in Sofia recently arose after contacting the chairperson of one of the ILA’s working committees. I emailed the chairperson expressing my interest in the work of the committee along with a copy of my CV. Two months later I was working in Belgium for the committee, and 8 months after that I was working for the ILA in Sofia - all because I sent one email expressing my interest and offering my time.

I’m not advocating anything particularly radical here. Hand-delivering or emailing a CV and covering letter to a partner at a law firm directly can sometimes open more doors than you would expect. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? They reject your offer or politely inform you that it would not be possible to undertake a period of work experience outside the official vacation scheme placement. Never mind – dust yourself off, raise your head high and approach the next law firm or legal organisation! Having confidence in yourself and the self-assurance in what you have to offer is all it takes. Displaying personal initiative can sometimes bring big rewards.

So there you have it: work hard, make the most of the opportunities given and adopt some unconventional methods. As mentioned at the outset, this may not be the winning combination the judges are looking for - I cannot guarantee that this is how you will win. But I hope that as you read this it will make you pause to consider your own situation if not for the sake of the award then for the sake of applying for a vacation scheme or training contract.

Ask yourself: could you be the Law Undergraduate of the Year 2013?

If you think you have what it takes enter the awards here