Find out what Aataullah has been up to since winning the Future CFO Undergraduate of the year award!

I can truly say that winning an Undergraduate of the Year Award has had a huge impact on me the past few months. I’ve not had much of a break over the summer break but I suppose it is worth it in the long run! Alongside my trip to Shanghai, I also interned at Grant Thornton and TalkTalk, the second being the internship I won with the award. Both internships were brilliant at exposing me to the world of finance. Coming from a mathematics background, it has been an excellent opportunity to discover finance in practice and also in industry.

At Grant Thornton, I spent four weeks in the audit division. I learned about how the process takes place and I was able to look into different stages of the audit for a number of clients. However, I spent most of my four weeks at a larger client, and was able to see the transition from the middle of the audit, nearing to completion. This was a great opportunity as it meant that my work was varied, and I was able to gain more exposure. Also, spending most of my time at a single client gave me a glimpse into the real life of an auditor. I worked with a great team of people who were always willing to help despite my lack of financial knowledge!

I won the internship with TalkTalk through ACCA, and I was very excited to work at such a large company. I did not know much about telecommunications, but working at TalkTalk has shown me that it is an interesting and lively industry. I was looking forward to it from the beginning as it would be an insight into the other side of finance, being in industry. I was lucky enough to gain an insight into different parts of the company through finance, the main two departments being overheads and accounts payable. I enjoyed the internship very much as I was able to find out all the work that goes into producing financial statements. I never had much exposure to financial statements before this summer, but the internships have really helped me discover how not only to understand them but also the information about the company you can gain from them! Also, my internship timed with their half year end, and I was able to take part in several meetings with the managers and finance controllers, which was really interesting as it gave me a flavour of the transition from finance to business, and how financial information can be used to make business decisions.

As I mentioned before, ACCA had kindly presented a trip to Shanghai as part of the award. This was a fabulous opportunity where I met with many financial leaders including CFOs! I was given the opportunity to shadow a CFO at Starwood Hotels Group, one of the largest hotel groups in China, and I learned more about the CFO role itself. I also had the opportunity to meet Grant Thornton in China, which was amazing having already worked at the company in the UK. Speaking to several partners, I learned about business strategies that were being implemented and I was pleased to see that the same values and ambitions in the UK were being resonated in China!

Speaking to the CFOs, I discovered the transition between being an accountant and being able to manage and lead the finance department, and the skills that are required to ensure the success of your career and the organisation. I learned how the ACCA qualification helps one achieve such a transition. Whether it’s here in the UK or in Shanghai, the qualification is looked upon highly, and it is throughout the world. It lets others know you have the technical knowledge needed for a business to operate successfully. The trip really opened my eyes to the recognition for such a qualification, I hope to one day become a qualified accountant myself!

The award has really opened up a lot of doors since I won in April. I’ve been able to expand my network internationally and I discovered more about China, a country I never imagined I would travel to anytime soon! Since ACCA and TargetJobs are so well recognised, winning the award has really boosted my CV. Being able to take part in internships over the summer has also boosted my CV, but it has also helped me discover new skills that I may not have throughout my academic life. Being able to gain an insight into finance in both practice and industry has confirmed my ambitions to work in finance. The award has helped me decide where I would like my career to take me, and I do hope that I can one day become a CFO!

If there is even a small part of you that believes you can become an undergraduate of the year I would insist you apply. Not only is it amazing recognition, but you will get to take part in so many things that could have lasting impacts on your future. I never imagined I would be winning an award when I applied, but I also never imagined the opportunities that would come my way having done so. It has been a fantastic half year since I won, and I only hope the opportunities to learn and develop more keep coming my way!

We catch up with Jessica Dowdy who won the 2015 Construction, Engineering and Design Undergraduate of the year Award.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since I first found out about the Undergraduate of the Year Awards and what a year it has been! Now that I’ve got emails regarding this year’s awards hitting my inbox, its bringing back memories of how this incredible experience started.

As I was already in the process of completing my year in industry, most of the emails I received from TARGETjobs were interesting to read yet no longer relevant for me. However, seeing a couple of emails with the words ‘Undergraduate of the Year Awards’ in the subject line quickly grabbed my attention. After reading through the entry criteria online and gaining more of an insight into how the competition worked, I realised this was too good an opportunity to miss so entered myself right away. The previous year I had been entered into a competition for a different award so I knew how beneficial this process would be for networking and for developing my own interpersonal skills. This competition involved filling in personal information and answering questions by the sponsor, Laing O’Rourke which is then followed by a series of online tests. Personally, I didn’t feel the tests had gone well at all so I pushed it all to the back of my mind as I highly doubted I would be progressing any further. As you can imagine, It took me by great surprise when I received the email informing me that I had passed this round and was invited to partake in an assessment day – I was ecstatic! The assessment day was such a great experience, not only was it an opportunity to develop my interview techniques and network with other students but we were also fortunate enough to gain an insight into the very technical and innovative engineering techniques through a factory tour of the Explore Industrial Park, where the off-site manufacturing takes place. The other candidates were highly impressive and extremely talented which made the day even more enjoyable.

The talent I was amongst during this assessment was of such a high standard, I couldn’t believe it when I discovered I had made the final 10! Receiving the invitation through the post and learning that Fiona Bruce would be presenting was the icing on the cake as I have been inspired by her work over the last few years. The day itself was wonderful. Sitting in a room surrounded by so many gifted, ambitious and hard-working finalists was extremely motivational; not to mention the attendees from sponsor companies who have all achieved great success in their careers. It was a great networking opportunity and very inspiring, particularly as a female – hearing Fiona’s speech and watching a high number of females collecting the top prize! Hearing my name called out as the winner of my category was totally unexpected and so surreal. It wasn’t until the later stages of the evening when other candidates mentioned it that I realised I would now be given the opportunity to complete an international summer placement with Laing O’Rourke in Australia. I had never thought I would actually win therefore this had not even crossed my mind – I couldn’t quite believe it!

Shortly after the excitement of the awards (and once it had finally sunk in!), I began planning my trip. During the summer I flew over to the land down under for 7 weeks where I worked at LORAC’s Sydney office on a rail infrastructure project located within Sydney Suburbs. The experience was invaluable, allowing me to enhance my knowledge substantially within my sector whilst meeting hugely inspirational people and developing my own personal skills through the process. Everyone at LORAC was extremely welcoming and made me feel like part of the team, allowing me to have my own responsibilities and tasks from the get-go. Hopefully one day in the future I will have the opportunity to return on a more permanent basis, but for now the focus is to complete my degree and continue building for my career through maximising every opportunity that comes my way to ensure I am continuously learning and improving my portfolio to make sure I stand out from the crowd.

I would encourage anyone in the position I was in last year would be to apply for the award relevant to you because there is nothing to lose but so much to gain – and to enjoy the process while you are doing so!

Thank you again to TARGETjobs and Laing O’Rourke for the fantastic opportunity and for a well organised and thoroughly enjoyable experience. Good luck to the candidates for the 2016 awards!

Bertilla tells us her 5 top tips for attending a Women in Investment Banking event!

Top tips for attending a Women in Investment Banking careers event

Are you a woman interested in a career in investment banking? TARGETjobs Events' prestigious application-only Women in Investment Banking event gives career motivated female students a unique opportunity to hear first-hand what it is like to work in an investment bank. A day packed full of advice sessions, interactive activities and networking opportunities - there really is no better place to find out more about investment banking and the careers on offer - and a unique chance to meet influential representatives from the sector!

On the day, attendees have the opportunity to network with inspirational women in the sector, improve their employability and enhance the skills they need to secure future graduate schemes and internships! This is an unrivalled opportunity to get noticed by members of the partnering companies' recruitment teams, meet senior representatives and find out first-hand how to start a career in investment banking.

I was lucky enough to recently attend the fantastic event. Here are my 5 top tips that should hopefully help you make the most of this incredible opportunity:

1.     Keep an open mind. You might walk into the room with numerous preconceived notions about investment banking; perhaps you’ve even heard about bankers getting no sleep for three days straight! This event will dispel those myths for good – but only if you don’t let those horror stories stop you from realising how incredible a career in investment banking could be.

2.     Be confident. You are here for a reason! You have gone through a selective process and you are one of the chosen few. What’s more, the sponsors have invested a lot by sending so many experienced representatives to the event, so they want to meet you as much as you want to meet them. Put yourself out there and meet as many people as you can; ask those questions because there is no better time or place to do so!

3.     Do your research. Nothing is more embarrassing than asking a question about the sponsors that could have been answered by a quick Google search; it could set you apart in the mind of the recruitment teams for all the wrong reasons!

4.     Keep up to date. Brush up on the latest happenings in the financial and banking industry – even just 15 minutes of scanning through the FT beforehand will really show initiative and interest.

5.     It’s okay if you don’t know the jargon. If you are new to investment banking and (like me) don’t do a finance- or economics-related degree, don’t worry about not understanding the jargon – the important thing is to show initiative and willingness to attempt things you are not familiar with. The representatives don’t expect you to be the finished product who knows everything!

So there you have it – a career in investment banking is notoriously challenging, but attending this event confirmed how fun and rewarding it could be at the same time. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Bertilla Chow, Law, University College London

New Year’s Resolutions Every Student Should Consider Making

The concept of making a new year’s resolution works perfectly in practice, but I struggle to remember what hopeful requests I have made of myself in the past. So this year I have decided to actually write a new year’s resolution. I will keep it pinned up in the kitchen so not only am I confronted by it every day, but everyone else who I share a house with will hopefully remind me if I consider straying from the path. I’ll tell you my resolution after some suggestions of minor self improvements that could transform you into a happier, healthier and more successful student.

No more economy beans

I thought I’d start with an easy one. The cheapest tin of beans in a supermarket costs less than 30p, and when you’re strapped for cash that can sound like a good lifestyle choice. It really isn’t, they have about half the nutritional value of the slightly more expensive alternatives, taste awful and furthermore they make you look bad. Seriously, call me a snob but I make instant judgements on people who have economy beans in their kitchen, for a saving of 20p you have demonstrated a bland indifference to quality, a pitiful lack of taste and have simultaneously lowered the tone of your living space with the uninspired packaging. So this year go for better beans, change your life with self respect in a can!

Only one hour of television

Procrastination can come in many forms, biting your nails, fiddling with executive toys or just staring into the middle distance while you are distracted by your own thoughts. By far the most dangerous forms of procrastination are ones where you are sat away from your workspace. You know how it is when you wake up on a private study day and are distracted by a harmless re-watching of a beloved Friends episode while you drink your morning coffee? Well six hours later, the time when the morning’s entertainment developed into a slightly less innocent Jeremy Kyle session becomes a distant memory, and your study day has somehow evolved into a Diagnosis Murder marathon. Meanwhile that thesis you have to hand in tomorrow has been gathering dust... Here’s a plan, give yourself limits on TV time. In mornings set aside an allowance of just 30 minutes and in the afternoon an hour. Hang a stopwatch in the living room by the TV and start the timer before you sit down. When the buzzer goes, stand up and switch both the stopwatch and the TV off, then get back to what you’re supposed to be doing!

Stand up at least once every 2 hours

Here’s a health and safety tip that covers all bases. The general consensus among researchers in this field is that a 17-minute break every 52 minutes will do both you and your work the world of good. This will be massively beneficial to your brain, your posture as well as your eyes (this link shows you a few more ways to be good to your vision). I used to be guilty of neglecting to give myself breaks, and despite feeling the effects every day I keep saying ‘I must make that change at some point’, then get to work and four break-less hours later I’m aching all over! These days I use the old stopwatch trick, keep it the other side of the room, set it for 52 minutes then get up, switch it off, and hey-presto! You’re on a break!

Stop annoying housemates with noise

Are you a broadcaster? That’s someone who wants people to hear what they are hearing, either through their choice to crank up the volume while they listen to extreme metal in their rooms or use mini speakers to listen to their drum and bass mp3s on the train. Most broadcasters convince themselves that they are ‘sharing’ their music for the benefit of others, as if the general public has a need for extreme contemporary elevator music. In shopping centres the intention of piped music is to stop people from feeling bored whilst shopping, as well as creating a distraction that will stop consumers from thinking too hard and rationally, lest they decide against buying a product. This post should underline how serious the effects of unwanted noise can be, and this one gives a few negative ways that your broadcasting habit is affecting you. It’s time to consider what it must be like to live with an unwanted self elected residential DJ and start using headphones. Keep the music down in your room, people will respect you more, because not only will you give them more space to think in your own house, you may give your own mind some space for self reflection. Maybe in 12 months time you’ll look back with horror at the torture you used to put your housemates through!

Cooperate in the eggs, milk, and cheese struggle

When you’re living in a student house, not only do you have to remember to eat well (free food anyone?), but remember to treat your shared home as a community and play your role. Eggs, milk and cheese seem to be the products that trigger more ill feeling than people realise. I’ve been in houses where I always buy the milk simply because I can’t stand waking up and not being able to have my cornflakes! In that situation I made sure that my other two housemates took responsibility for cheese and eggs. Got four housemates? One of them should be the butter guy. Five housemates? Meet the toilet paper purchaser! Everyone should have a role and stick to it, so communally assign tasks, pin everyone’s resolution in the kitchen and you’re all set for a happy new year!

So what’s my new year’s resolution going to be? Well, for the welfare of both myself and others I’m going to fill up and empty the dishwasher, regularly. I really think I can succeed in this task, and by using the note pinned in the kitchen strategy, I’m subtly reminding everyone else to do their share too. And remember, a new year’s resolution shouldn’t just be for a few weeks, or for the whole year, it should be for life! Yikes. 

Article written by Student Money Saver for TARGETjobs. 

The ultimate guide to video interviews

We all want to get that brilliant job, but knowing how to present yourself to employers can be challenging, especially on video. We have chatted to Inspiring Interns about their tips to acing video interviews. Whether you’re a graduate or making a career change, this is the guide for you.

What is a video interview?

In today’s ever-changing world, video interviews are becoming more and more common. Depending on which survey you read, at least 60% of companies are now using video interviews at some stage in their hiring process. There are many books for graduates on how to excel in an interview - but what if all you have is a screen? This can actually be to your advantage. This guide will teach you how to excel in your video interview, so that you can land your dream job.

There are two different types of video interviews; Live, and One-way. A ‘live’ interview is when you and your employer talk in real time, as you would in an in-person interview. The benefit of a live interview is that you can build rapport with the interviewer, and gain an immediate sense of the company’s culture. A one-way interview is when you are sent the pre-set questions, and given a time-frame in which to respond with a video recording of yourself answering them. The benefit of a one-way interview is that you have time to think through your answers.

How to prepare for a video interview

When preparing for a video interview, the lighting is essential. You may answer the questions well, but if the interviewer is struggling to make you out you will leave a bad impression. Using lamps in your room, make sure your face is clear and well lit - open up your webcam and check how you look from the cameras perspective.

What you sit in front of when you do the video interview is very important. Your background needs to be clean, neat, and uncluttered. Remover everything you can, so that there is nothing to distract the interviewer from your answers. If you can find a plain white or cream wall, that is best.

How you dress is also important. If you are applying for an internship at a start-up that advertises a fun company culture on their website, don’t wear a suit and tie. If you are applying to a law firm, a suit and tie is best. Here is a link with a list of roles and the best way to dress appropriately to help you get hired.

Rehearsing your answers is the most essential preparation you can do to be recruited. There’s a reason actors rehearse scenes, and sport professionals train for the big race. On the day, when the spot-light is on you and it’s your turn to shine - you need to be prepared. Have a look at this list of general interview questions to practice answering. As well as rehearsing these, brainstorm other questions you could be asked, and practice your answers to those too.

TIP: It is important you sit in the chair you will be interviewed in, in your interview clothes, with the lighting on, looking directly into the camera while you rehearse. Actors rehearse their lines on set so their mind and body learn how to perform together. You need to rehearse your lines on set, so that in the interview you look natural, feel confident, and know exactly what you are going to say.

‘I experienced a video interview when going through the application process to get my job here at Inspiring Interns. I was surprised how well it worked! The interview went really well, and through video I got a very clear idea of Inspiring Interns, the people and the great company culture. A video interview made more sense than a standard interview as it saved a lot of time in travel. I lived in the North of England, so travelling to London would have been very time consuming. My number one tip is treat it exactly like a face-to face-interview; dress to impress, use positive body language and make sure you’re in a quiet environment.' – Tyler Milner Marketing Executive

Technology needed for video interviews

To conduct a video interview, you will need a webcam, headphones, and microphone - all of good quality. Most laptops come with these, but not all are good. Test the quality of yours with friends (on a skype call or google hangout). If the image or sound isn’t good enough, it is worth investing in buying a webcam or headphones with a microphone. This link compares the best webcams, and this one compares the best headphone/microphone combinations.

Ideally, be connected to the router physically rather than using Wi-Fi. If you only have access to Wi-Fi, make sure you’re not more than a few meters away from the router to ensure a strong internet connection. We recommend troubleshooting your internet connection so that you can be assured the call won’t disconnect or lag during your interview. If you have a Mac, click here for the steps to troubleshoot. If you are using windows software, click here. Also, make sure no one else will be using the Wi-Fi at the same time as your video interview. To check the speed of your internet, use Ookla Speedtest.

‘Based on seven years’ experience arranging interviews, some of which have been online, we often hear from employers how much they love video interviews. They save them time, while still giving a clear impression of the candidate and a sense that it’s a real interview – as opposed to a phone call.’ – Benedict Hazan, Head of Innovation

Tips and tricks for the interview 

When choosing your outfit, avoid wearing anything white. It can come across as distractingly bright. Body language speaks louder than words - if you say you are confident while slouching and shifting your gaze, the interviewer will not believe you. Posture - sit up straight, shoulders relaxed, and back. Look directly at the webcam (make sure you rehearse this while practicing your answers). Check out this link which shows poses to do before your interview to increase your confidence.

Before the interview, remind yourself how amazing you are. We live in a culture which doesn’t encourage us to feel proud of ourselves – forget about that for the moment. Who cares what society thinks. You are amazing. You’ve achieved things, felt nervous and done them anyway, and produced good work. Be proud of who you are.

Be proud of the value you can add to a company. Many graduates go into an interview hoping to get the internship, and hoping to get paid well, while feeling on a lower level than the interviewer. Realize that they are interviewing you because of the potential value you can add their company. And they’re not the only ones interviewing – you should be interviewing them as well. Ask questions to find out whether it’s a company you would actually enjoy working for. This will impress them, and give you the information you need to know whether you would want to accept the job or not.

As an internship recruitment agency we love graduates who come in passionate, confident, and asking questions to make sure the job is the right fit for them long-term. Here is Nicole’s success story to show you the internship possibilities that are waiting for you around the corner.

Checklists

Setting up the space:

• Lighting
• Comfortable chair
• Appropriate clothes
• Clean uncluttered background

Equipment checklist:

• Camera
• Headphones and mic
• The program you will be interviewed through (likely to be skype or google hangout)

Preparation:

• Rehearse your answers
• Do the powerful postures
• Remember you are interviewing them too 

List of Links

• What to wear
• 10 tips for dressing for the interview
• General interview questions to rehearse 
• Best webcams 
• Best headphone and microphone combinations 
• Power poses
• Nicole’s success story

For more information, contact Catherine from Inspiring Interns at catherine@inspiringinterns.com