E-Newsletter EXTRA November 09 (Latest Advice...) 

MAIN CONTENTS

• E-Newsletter EXTRA

Contents: e-Newsletter EXTRA

 Intros

• Interesting News
• Letter from the Editor
• We (love) Nestle

Corporate News

• Rate My Placement
• Deloitte
• Reckitt Benckiser
• Unilever
• Audit Commission
• Ernst & Young
• UBS
• CIMA
• Rolls Royce
• Nestle
• The College of Law
• L'Oreal
• KPMG  
• ACCA
• ICAEW

National Team News

• Simon's Blog
• Reminders
• Imminent Events  
• New Societies
• New Corporates

Society News

• Student Case Study   
• Aston Bright Futures News
• Swansea Bright Futures News
• St Andrews Bright Futures News
• Edinburgh Bright Futures News
• Loughborough Bright Futures News  

A Bit of Fun!

• A bit of fun....

CONTENTs: Latest Advice

• Monthly Roundup
• Advice of the Month
• Ask Us!!
• Hotlist 

MONTHLY ROUNDUP

• Are this years graduates more needy or simply more savvy?

A common observation I have been hearing from recruiters recently is that far more graduates are seeking advice in the lead up to assessments and considerably more are seeking feedback following unsuccessful applications. This has prompted some recruiters to wonder whether graduates this year are getting needier in the current climate or are they simply being savvier in the applications they make?

Talking to recent graduates, the best confirm it is the latter, with the old adage ‘the worst they can say is no’ graduates are seeking as much advice and guidance as they can to ensure each application they make is as good as it can be.

Recruiters should, on the whole be pleased to see the most proactive candidates talking steps to make their mark. However the challenge will be for many that with reduced man power the time taken to provide feedback to a much greater volume of candidates with undoubtedly stretch the resources of many a team.

• Strengths based interviews make an impact

Many of you will have read about Strengths Based interviewing in the Blogs and Tweets the team have been putting out in recent weeks so we thought we would give you an update and let you know what’s going on.

Having rolled out a strengths based graduate recruitment campaign 6 weeks ago with one of the largest global FMCG’s we have seen some surprising results and are already predicting a reduction in the number of assessment days of 33% thanks to the change from competency to strengths based interviewing in earlier stages.

The feedback from candidates and recruiters alike has been nothing but positive with candidates describing the interviews as “an astonishingly refreshing change” and “a really challenging but exciting interview”.

The feedback however has not just been positive from candidates, for the first time in a while assessors are really seeing the difference that the approach makes to their ease of selection saying “I have been surprised just how easily you can spot great talent using these interviews” and “…a passionate candidate stands out from a mile away using these new interviews”.

So it seems to be a win win situation with candidates enjoying a new approach to the selection process and assessors being able to quickly and efficiently identify good from great.
team.

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ADVICE OF THE MONTH

• Presenting the best of you on an online application form

By completing a well presented online application form you can effectively present a range of information that supports your application and presents the skills you have to offer in the most positive way. A well completed application form will give you the best chance of getting that all-important interview.

To give yourself the best chance of success, remember to:

Allow enough time to complete the application form fully

• They will probably take you about an hour to complete but many will allow you to save the application form and come back to it.
  

Complete all sections of the application form

• Missing sections out will either suggest you have nothing of value to say or that you just couldn’t be bothered to complete all of the sections.

Keep a clear picture in your mind of the job

• Include information and examples about the skills and personal qualities you have, that most closely match the job requirements.
  
• Help the person looking at your application form to see how you fit the role.
  

Make sure all the details on your application form are up to date and correct

• Lay out your information in the same order you would on a CV.
• Always put information from most recent to least.
  

Do a final check of your completed application form for spelling mistakes and errors

• For very competitive applications typing ‘i’ rather than ‘I’ can be the difference between a pass and a fail.

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Ask us…

• What should I expect from a telephone interview and how can I prepare for it?

One of the most important things to remember when taking part in a telephone interview is that it has for many companies replaced a face to face interview and should therefore be treated with the same level of preparation as a face to face interview.

If you are given an opportunity to choose a time and date for your interview think carefully about when and where you will be. Don’t choose a time when you are going to have to race about but instead give yourself plenty of time to get settled and pick a time where you can be in a nice quiet, uninterrupted space.

Some interviews will be easier to prepare for than others; don’t be afraid when you book your appointment to ask for preparation advice.

If this isn’t forthcoming, take some time to put down on paper some of the things that you might need:

• What your strengths and skills are
• Examples of how you can demonstrated strong examples of these skills
• Brief notes on the company you are having an interview with
• Any questions you would like to ask at the end of the interview

As with any interview, be yourself. Most interviewers are looking for someone who is comfortable talking on the phone. If you relax you'll be able to project your personality and enthusiasm. Take the interview seriously, make some time to do your research and you should sail through a telephone interview.

FINALLY and if no-one can see you…

• Consider dressing as if you would for an interview.

As daft as you might look it will really help to get you in the right mindset.

• Sit opposite a mirror

It will help you to feel like you are talking to someone and will help to see your facial expression, which links onto…

• Smile!

You can hear a smile down the phone but equally if you look in pain, or scared stiff you will probably sound it too!!

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HOTLIST

• Sales and Marketing candidates leave their mark in this month’s hotlist – are you on it?

Thanks to our student network of Bright Futures Societies and constant activity within the graduate recruitment marketplace we know who the best talent is not just on paper but by working with them. So to help you benefit from this knowledge we have pooled the details of some of our top graduates segregated by just some of the types of role they are seeking.

This month’s hotlist focuses on Sales and Marketing graduates and give a snapshot of the talent graduates currently seeking roles.

CORPORATES: If you are currently recruiting and would like to know more about the candidates on the hotlist or others like them please contact us.

STUDENTS: If you would like to be considered for the hotlist in any sector please give one of the recruitment team a call [01242 236 415] to have a chat with us.

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