What can you get out of the Undergraduate of the Year Awards? And why everyone should apply!

Walking onto the glass domed balcony of the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf, full of bright smiling faces, I could not have imagined that my application for the Management Undergraduate of the Year would have brought me here just a few months ago.             

A few months prior to the award ceremony, an email from the careers centre at my University had caught my eye. I’ve always loved opportunities and the possibilities to stretch myself, so this seemed like something I would be very interested in, so I applied. I took the online tests and application thinking I had nothing to lose? I was thrilled to find I had been selected as part of the top 40 for a telephone interview, something which I had never experienced before, but I wasn’t going to let that worry me.

When applying for these awards or indeed a job, I believe it’s important to do your research, it shows you have enthusiasm for the company and a desire for success. I got in touch with the area manager from the company hosting the management award, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, she was more than helpful in providing me with advice for my telephone interview and beyond. I kept in contact with her throughout the process and she was a great support.

A few weeks later, knowing I would soon be receiving an email about the outcome of interview I nervously checked my email inbox, and there it was, I was going to London for the assessment centre!

After what was a very long but inspiring day, in which I met fantastic candidates and company representatives from all around the country, I waited for the phone call to know whether I had made it any further. At this point, after meeting the high calibre of candidates, I was proud to have reached this point - especially since my first year at University had not yet finished! I was then elated to learn I had made it through to the final. 10 out of 400 applicants!

The day before the award I received a phone call from the Area manager I had been in communication with, she rang to wish me the best of luck for the award the next day and to offer me an internship with Enterprise, regardless of what happened at the awards, I couldn’t believe it! 

The awards were a fantastic day and gave me the opportunity to meet so many amazing candidates and company representatives as well as catch up with some of the people I had met on my assessment day, naturally as the award announcements came closer I was nervous, however, despite not winning, I still felt, along with many people I spoke to afterwards, that we had all won, we were there at this incredible venue with some of the biggest names in business in the UK!

For the summer? I am spending ten weeks with Enterprise as a management trainee intern and I cannot wait to see what opportunities it brings!

My advice for applicants, it doesn’t matter what year of university you are currently in, or perhaps what qualifications you may think lack, these awards look for the people behind the application submissions, so apply, you never know where you may find yourself!

Hayat tells us how close you are to landing a dream opportunity

Hayat won the 2016 Civil Service Leader of the Year Award 2016. Here's what she has to say about the process...

Application process:

I saw an email about the Awards and was particularly attracted by the opportunity to win a place on the Summer Diversity Internship Programme. I really didn't have the confidence to go for the application but my mum told me I had nothing to lose and to just apply! This was definitely the best decision I made as becoming a finalist and then winning the award really increased my confidence in my own abilities. 

I completed some online tests (after practicing for a good couple of days as I had never done them before) I was told I could progress to the next stage. Answering the employer questions was the most enjoyable part as I was able to convey my passion for diversity and inclusivity in the work place and particularly in the Civil Service! I then progressed onto a telephone interview which was warm and relaxed so I was able to confidently express my interests and my previous experiences in different roles. The whole process was not as daunting as I imagined and I would definitely encourage anyone to go for it as it is worth the effort!

Awards Ceremony:

Once the main application process was over and I was told I was shortlisted in the final 10, it was a huge relief! To get this far was an achievement in itself! The awards ceremony in Canary Wharf was amazing. The venue was unlike any I had been to before and the array of eager and equally excited students in attendance was welcoming. It was lovely to interact with students and professionals from different fields and also to meet and speak with civil servants from the Fast Stream. 

My advice to any undergraduate would be to just go for it, never to doubt yourself and to fulfil your potential! 

Many thanks,
Hayat

Mazhar talks us through his experience with the Undergraduate of the Year Awards 2016

Application process
Initially, I dismissed the emails that advertised the Undergraduate of the Year awards on the basis that such opportunities only apply to extraordinary people. A week before the deadline I received a third email which finally encouraged me to investigate further. This time the criteria seemed more applicable and the possibility of me receiving such an award began to germinate. To address a few concerns regarding my chances, I set out to uncover the traits of previous winners through the 2015 blog entries. Many people held the belief that becoming Undergraduate of the Year was unachievable for them, however, the process still promised much to be attained.

As part of the application I needed to answer three non-trivial questions designed by the sponsor, Expedia. I struggled to conjure up anything relevant, leading me to conclude I wasn’t destined for this journey.

Forty-eight hours before the deadline, I received a call from the Undergraduate of the Year team urging me to complete my application. I appreciated the thoughtfulness behind this gesture and the humanity behind the team. So I readied myself to battle the questions. If not for myself, then for people who place their faith in people like myself.

When it came to answering the questions, it proved beneficial to brainstorm potential thoughts or experiences of mine which were relevant to the questions. After this, I took three psychometric tests- what helped me tremendously with these were the multiple examples and tips available on the internet - definitely take a look at them!

Assessment centre

While imprisoned by illness, I received an email inviting me to the assessment centre and detailing the plan for the day. The assessment day was held at Expedia’s London office and involved icebreakers and a group exercise where we designed an AirBnB app highlighting nearby special offers. In the afternoon, I networked with the assessors and current employees. Being placed in groups with strangers to design and present an app in just forty-five minutes made the group exercise a worthy challenge. In short, the day was very pleasant despite its competitive nature. Moreover, speaking to the current employees at Expedia informed me of the work completed at their offices.

Awards ceremony

The final ceremony was the easiest part of the process. I sat down with all the finalists and the Expedia staff members that I had gotten to know, had a delicious three-course meal and listened to Fiona Bruce’s amusing stories. Although I didn’t win, I increased the prospects of me working for Expedia, featured on my university’s website and had an honorary mention during my summer 2016 university’s graduation ceremony.

If you are eligible then grasp this opportunity and apply. Seriously, throughout this process, nothing changed; I was still ordinary Mazhar. I just happened to do that little extra by applying.

Thomas Chalmers Explore Sky Tech Insight Day

The Explore Sky (A Tech Insight) event was a great insight into Sky! It was my first exposure to Sky outside of just looking on their website or online presence. At first I was overwhelmed at the size of the Osterley offices (more like a campus!) that Sky had. This really painted a different picture to what I had imagined life at Sky would be like learning more about the variety of sections that make up Sky whether that be Now TV, Sky Cinema or Sky News the list goes on. Only then can you appreciate the wealth of opportunities Sky has to offer.

As part of the Explore Sky event the opportunity to speak to those running and recruiting for graduate programs was a fantastic opportunity and is what differentiates such events compared to traditional careers fairs for example. Occasionally at careers fairs you may have a burning question that is directed more at someone who is on the exact programme you are interested in and you may not be able to get the question answered instantly at the careers fair. But being able to ask questions that could be answers immediately with those who have been running the programmes for some time in my view is the best way to gain an insight into the company and let's you really understand inside and out what the programme(s) you are interested in entails.

The afternoon session forms an exciting group project challenged with developing a mobile web application. Whilst being an IT student "Agile / Lean business practice” is a term that I hear quite a lot especially so when looking at roles in the IT sector but being able to explore the way teams code at Sky is something I am grateful to be exposed to. Putting into practice some of the techniques Sky uses with undergraduates like myself with the help of the experts at Sky was great practise. They say the best way to learn is by doing and in this case it couldn't be more true.

In short the Explore Sky event not only helped me better my understanding of the opportunities Sky has on offer but also exposed me to developing further my technical understanding of how software is actually developed in a large organisation. If it's not clear already, Explore Sky is a fantastic opportunity and one that you should aim to get involved with to learn more about Sky and the technology that underpins its success!

Toms Experience at Explore Sky Finance Insight Day

I applied to “Explore Sky: A finance insight day” after receiving an appealing email from Target Jobs. I have always been interested in finance, but wanted to see if that really was where my passions were. Being a Sky customer I had a decent idea of the sort of work Sky does, but still had so many questions! After an efficient application process, I was invited to attend the day alongside 50 fellow applicants.

Before the event, both Sky and Target Jobs were extremely helpful, providing me with detailed information about what the day would entail, and also offering to answer any questions I had! Arriving at the Sky campus in Osterley was stunning, almost like turning up at university for the first time!

The day itself started with talks from Target Jobs, Head of Finance at Sky, members of the Sky Starting Out team, and current Sky Graduates who all spoke about their jobs. They all provided valuable information on a range of topics such as Sky Behaviours, the application process, and qualifications earned whilst working at Sky. It really gave me the information needed to make future career decisions. Being in such a fast-paced industry, it was interesting to find out about the importance of Sky’s constant innovation.

Having the opportunity to speak to Sky’s current graduates over a (free!) lunch, we were able to find out the in’s and out’s from employees just starting out in their Sky career. They gave us honest opinions about their experiences at Sky, which really confirmed that I want to build a career at Sky Finance!

A CIMA representative explained to use all about the CIMA qualification you obtain whilst working for Sky. Again, it was fantastic to hear about all the career benefits of gaining a highly respected qualification.

We then had the opportunity to showcase our skills to Serena (Sky Finance) and Amandeep (Sky Starting Out) via a team challenge. This 30-minute exercise involved planning a completely new product for Sky to launch! Despite common themes occurring between the groups, each group had their unique take on what areas Sky should be heading in. Each group presented their idea to both the judges and the other participants, and were then asked on the spot questions. Presenting in front of experts and having the chance to answer questions from them has really improved my business confidence!

The Sky campus itself was simply outstanding. We were fortunate enough to have a tour around a place with fantastic facilities, including filming studios, a gym, and even some rare trees!

I would recommend this event for anyone remotely interested in a finance career for several reasons. Firstly, and probably most importantly, it gives you such an informative, enjoyable and interesting insight into what Sky is all about, in a much different way to usual careers events! Secondly, you will have the chance to meet a wide range of people – from peers in a similar situation to yourself, right up to the Head of Finance at Sky! Lastly, if nothing else, you will have an extremely fun day! I cannot recommend the day enough!

If you attend the day, I would advise throwing yourself into anything and everything in order to optimise your day! Everyone there is in the same situation so don’t be afraid to ask questions, get involved in tasks, and be proactive in your approach!

I would like to thank both Sky and Target Jobs for hosting such a fantastic day, allowing everybody to get exactly what they were looking for out of the event! Due to the event, I now intend on applying for the Finance Graduate Scheme.