Need a GRAD JOB!!!
Discussion
Could someone help me please!!!!!!
I trying to apply for graduate jobs, starting next summer (2003). But alas, I'm getting nowhere!!!
Anyone help me? Anyone got any contacts??? I need all the help I can get really!!
I'm currently finishing up a 4yr degree in Accounting and Finance in London. 4yrs as I spent 6 months abroad as an extension to my degree. It added that international flavour to it.
Would really like to get into Finance though
Thanks in advance for people's replies!
Thanks
Raks
I trying to apply for graduate jobs, starting next summer (2003). But alas, I'm getting nowhere!!!
Anyone help me? Anyone got any contacts??? I need all the help I can get really!!
I'm currently finishing up a 4yr degree in Accounting and Finance in London. 4yrs as I spent 6 months abroad as an extension to my degree. It added that international flavour to it.
Would really like to get into Finance though
Thanks in advance for people's replies!
Thanks
Raks
depends where you went abroad, but that country's nation bank's London office might be a good place to start.. eg if you went to Germany, try Deutsche Bank etc.
Leveraging language skills leaves most other applicants flailing in the gutter behind you. There are feckin thousands of new graduates every year now. More than anyone needs. The top companies can afford to be very choosy - especially in the current economic climate. Any advantageous differences from the herd that you can demonstrate will work in your favour.
Says me who isn't a graduate and isn't recruiting at present..
Maybe a PHer could come up with a contact though - all manner of things come up through PH.. don't forget the secret handshake :coffeebeans:
Good luck anyway!
>> Edited by CarZee (moderator) on Tuesday 10th December 20:58
Leveraging language skills leaves most other applicants flailing in the gutter behind you. There are feckin thousands of new graduates every year now. More than anyone needs. The top companies can afford to be very choosy - especially in the current economic climate. Any advantageous differences from the herd that you can demonstrate will work in your favour.
Says me who isn't a graduate and isn't recruiting at present..
Maybe a PHer could come up with a contact though - all manner of things come up through PH.. don't forget the secret handshake :coffeebeans:
Good luck anyway!
>> Edited by CarZee (moderator) on Tuesday 10th December 20:58
Try www.prospects.ac.uk
Good luck, im gonna start applying for Grad jobs soon too - have you gone to the careers office at your Uni?
ask them for the prospects directory and the hobsons directory - they are full of graduate jobs and have really good advice on CV's, interviews and cover letters etc....
Happy Hunting!
Marvin
Good luck, im gonna start applying for Grad jobs soon too - have you gone to the careers office at your Uni?
ask them for the prospects directory and the hobsons directory - they are full of graduate jobs and have really good advice on CV's, interviews and cover letters etc....
Happy Hunting!
Marvin
As someone who has worked thro the Grad applications for a major IT company. we folled the following rule to weed them out.
1) Black or Blue ink (Black is preffered)
2) If it says upper case then upper case
3) Typed is better than hand written
4) Simple clean CVs no more than 2 pages (for Grads)
if these rules we followed we read the application othere wise it was filed in the Bin.
when dealing with thousands of applications we needed to get the totals down a bit.
1) Black or Blue ink (Black is preffered)
2) If it says upper case then upper case
3) Typed is better than hand written
4) Simple clean CVs no more than 2 pages (for Grads)
if these rules we followed we read the application othere wise it was filed in the Bin.
when dealing with thousands of applications we needed to get the totals down a bit.
drux said: Our application froms said fill in in black ink, we would accecpt blue, But it was a mark down on the application.
Fair enough - if it says BLACK ink and they use blue, then weed them out.
My point was I've filled in application forms that don't state which colour ink to use, so I'd often use blue... hence my comment.
I could probably fill about 50 pages with advice on getting in to finance, as I used to be very involved in the graduate recruitment for a big investment bank. I'll try and distil it down, though.
Start with websites of the major investment banks (Deutsche, Goldman, Merril, JPMChase, Dresdner, Barclays, CSFB, Salomon, and so on). Look at what jobs they offer, and think about getting on to their graduate training course.
Treat getting a job as a job in itself. Research the firms, research what the jobs entail, mke your CV extremely professional, and make it sound as if you REALLY want the job. Finance jobs are popular, so hard to get in to. You'll be competing with applicants from all over the world, not just British or European. If you sit in front of an interviewer with the view "I'm great, hire me", they will probably let you go. They'll want to hear why you like their firm. If you don't know about their expansion into the US, their restructuring, share price problems or new head, then it will look bad.
Read the FT every day, read the economist every week, listen to business news.
When I interviewed people, I expected absolutely first class maths skills if they wanted a technical job, as well as a suiable personality type, maturity, and so on. If they were equivocal about why they wanted the job ("Well, I quite like the sound of it, but yes, I am also considering consultancy"), they didn't get in.
It's worth spending some effort now for reward later. The job situation in the city is not great at the moment, so it will be hard to get a good job in high finance. Accountancy and consulting are not my area, so I don't know what's best there.
Start with websites of the major investment banks (Deutsche, Goldman, Merril, JPMChase, Dresdner, Barclays, CSFB, Salomon, and so on). Look at what jobs they offer, and think about getting on to their graduate training course.
Treat getting a job as a job in itself. Research the firms, research what the jobs entail, mke your CV extremely professional, and make it sound as if you REALLY want the job. Finance jobs are popular, so hard to get in to. You'll be competing with applicants from all over the world, not just British or European. If you sit in front of an interviewer with the view "I'm great, hire me", they will probably let you go. They'll want to hear why you like their firm. If you don't know about their expansion into the US, their restructuring, share price problems or new head, then it will look bad.
Read the FT every day, read the economist every week, listen to business news.
When I interviewed people, I expected absolutely first class maths skills if they wanted a technical job, as well as a suiable personality type, maturity, and so on. If they were equivocal about why they wanted the job ("Well, I quite like the sound of it, but yes, I am also considering consultancy"), they didn't get in.
It's worth spending some effort now for reward later. The job situation in the city is not great at the moment, so it will be hard to get a good job in high finance. Accountancy and consulting are not my area, so I don't know what's best there.
RUDE GIRL
I can't get to your email addy!!!!
It just keeps leading me somewhere else, and repeating that I haven't logged in, when I have!
I will keep trying though, persistence is the key!
Could you please mail me in the meantime?? My address if not accessible above, is raks2181@hotmail.com
Thanks hun
Raks!!!
I can't get to your email addy!!!!
It just keeps leading me somewhere else, and repeating that I haven't logged in, when I have!
I will keep trying though, persistence is the key!
Could you please mail me in the meantime?? My address if not accessible above, is raks2181@hotmail.com
Thanks hun
Raks!!!
Raks,
Best of luck to you. I attempted the grad job route but got sick to death filling in all the application forms, whoever put the "are you a team player...if so give examples of how your opinion made a difference" type questions needs to be shot.
From mates who went and are still going through it persistance is the key. Get yourself to as many Careers fairs as possible and get ready with some intelligent questions. Get your face seen and known, dress smartly and impress the hell out of them with a cracking CV. My dad used to bob along to those types of fairs and even hired one lad for his knowledge of the company and general personality (he did go through all the noraml interviews and stuff as well )
Dont follow your Uni's advice on CV's to a tee, Manchester Uni is meant to have one of the best careers departments in the country. I created a CV under their guidelines and sent it to where im working now, the only reason i go the interview was because of a recommendation from a friend...my CV was supposed to have been a bit of a joke.
Just keep banging out the applications and tweaking your CV to match the company its going to. I would say from my experience and a few mates your interview technique is key.
Best of luck to you. I attempted the grad job route but got sick to death filling in all the application forms, whoever put the "are you a team player...if so give examples of how your opinion made a difference" type questions needs to be shot.
From mates who went and are still going through it persistance is the key. Get yourself to as many Careers fairs as possible and get ready with some intelligent questions. Get your face seen and known, dress smartly and impress the hell out of them with a cracking CV. My dad used to bob along to those types of fairs and even hired one lad for his knowledge of the company and general personality (he did go through all the noraml interviews and stuff as well )
Dont follow your Uni's advice on CV's to a tee, Manchester Uni is meant to have one of the best careers departments in the country. I created a CV under their guidelines and sent it to where im working now, the only reason i go the interview was because of a recommendation from a friend...my CV was supposed to have been a bit of a joke.
Just keep banging out the applications and tweaking your CV to match the company its going to. I would say from my experience and a few mates your interview technique is key.
If you can get a city job in this climate, let alone a graduate job, you are bloody lucky.
they cut 40% of our staff in 6mths I think.
Be warned the city/finance isn't all it's cracked up to be, it's still more or less all about who you know. If you do get in Network your bloody 4rse off.
We let our last graduate go (had been on a rotation scheme for 12mths) in November.
they cut 40% of our staff in 6mths I think.
Be warned the city/finance isn't all it's cracked up to be, it's still more or less all about who you know. If you do get in Network your bloody 4rse off.
We let our last graduate go (had been on a rotation scheme for 12mths) in November.
I don't think it's about who you know at all. I've interviewed hundreds of people for jobs in banking, and never found a job for a friend. If someone gets in to an interview via a friend (which is quite allowable), they'll likely be checked out a bit omre carefully, to make sure that they are actually up to the task.
One small thing I'd add about CVs - make sure yours is totally, 100% impeccable! So no dodgy formatting, no spelling or grammar mistakes, etc. When I was recruiting it was very noticeable that the vast majority of CVs had some kind of mistake in them, so the occasional "perfect" one stood out a mile and guaranteed an interview even if the person didn't quite have exactly the skills I was looking for.
Oh, and don't use orange/purple/yellow paper for your CV either. It's not clever....
Oh, and don't use orange/purple/yellow paper for your CV either. It's not clever....
Raks
have been through this myself a long time ago. Also I have done some stage 1 interviewing for my old firm (Andersen)
Key bits of advice;
1. CV - clear, no more than 2 pages. No spelling mistakes / bad grammar.
2. Capitalise on your time abroad. You need to use this to sell yourself as different to the other graduates
3. Unless it says specifically otherwise, a good dark suit is best.
4. dark suit = black shoes. No exceptions
5. No cartoon ties. Remember it's first impressions here
6. Be prepared for all interviews. Read up on the company / department you want to join. This will include financials where possible. A lot of information is available on company websites to enable you to prepare.
7. Lots of stage 1 interviewing is behavioural type questions. Use time at Uni to prepare.
8. Do practice interviews where possible
9. Don't just say "I want to get into finance". It's a huge area. Just look at the different roles some PH'ers have. Try to research the specialism you want to get into and go for that. Be focused
10. Work on the interview skills such as active listening, good eye contact etc.
11. Be natural but don't rabbit on
There are other PH'ers more qualified than I to help out further and who are experts in recruitment etc.
I know you may consider this stepping over over to the dark side but....have you ever thought of training as an accountant?
[AAmeetingmode]
My name is Chris and I'm an accountant
I started working for one of the big accounting firms, joined another, specialised in priavte equity M&A. Got made redundant when the UK firm went t*ts up following some idiots over the pond. Am now working on a short term contract as a stand in finance director / corporate M&A in Italy.
So things can work out well.
P.S. if Mungo ever came out here he would think it's heaven. Real premier league stuff
P.P.S Don't ever get me started on the whole "beancounter" thing. I hate it when journalists test a new car and then say that the cheap switchgear must be due to beancounters cost saving. If it was up to me I'd put the best quality switches in there and simply charge you another £500 for the bl**dy car.
Bye
Chris
>> Edited by CVP on Tuesday 22 April 12:03
have been through this myself a long time ago. Also I have done some stage 1 interviewing for my old firm (Andersen)
Key bits of advice;
1. CV - clear, no more than 2 pages. No spelling mistakes / bad grammar.
2. Capitalise on your time abroad. You need to use this to sell yourself as different to the other graduates
3. Unless it says specifically otherwise, a good dark suit is best.
4. dark suit = black shoes. No exceptions
5. No cartoon ties. Remember it's first impressions here
6. Be prepared for all interviews. Read up on the company / department you want to join. This will include financials where possible. A lot of information is available on company websites to enable you to prepare.
7. Lots of stage 1 interviewing is behavioural type questions. Use time at Uni to prepare.
8. Do practice interviews where possible
9. Don't just say "I want to get into finance". It's a huge area. Just look at the different roles some PH'ers have. Try to research the specialism you want to get into and go for that. Be focused
10. Work on the interview skills such as active listening, good eye contact etc.
11. Be natural but don't rabbit on
There are other PH'ers more qualified than I to help out further and who are experts in recruitment etc.
I know you may consider this stepping over over to the dark side but....have you ever thought of training as an accountant?
[AAmeetingmode]
My name is Chris and I'm an accountant
I started working for one of the big accounting firms, joined another, specialised in priavte equity M&A. Got made redundant when the UK firm went t*ts up following some idiots over the pond. Am now working on a short term contract as a stand in finance director / corporate M&A in Italy.
So things can work out well.
P.S. if Mungo ever came out here he would think it's heaven. Real premier league stuff
P.P.S Don't ever get me started on the whole "beancounter" thing. I hate it when journalists test a new car and then say that the cheap switchgear must be due to beancounters cost saving. If it was up to me I'd put the best quality switches in there and simply charge you another £500 for the bl**dy car.
Bye
Chris
>> Edited by CVP on Tuesday 22 April 12:03
Raks,
Great to see another Midlander on PH. Are you north or south brum?
As far as the grad jobs go, this year is different to last year. The investment banks are recruiting again, some in greater numbers than other. I work for one of the bank listed above (sorry not going to say who) and the deadlines appear to be closing in fast. Most are asking for all applications to be before Christmas.
Handy hint, once you write one save all the answers then cut and paste where appropriate on the others, the questions are nearly all the same, but worded differently.
Great to see another Midlander on PH. Are you north or south brum?
As far as the grad jobs go, this year is different to last year. The investment banks are recruiting again, some in greater numbers than other. I work for one of the bank listed above (sorry not going to say who) and the deadlines appear to be closing in fast. Most are asking for all applications to be before Christmas.
Handy hint, once you write one save all the answers then cut and paste where appropriate on the others, the questions are nearly all the same, but worded differently.
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