An employer perspective: interviews – wrong turns and the route to success
At LSE Careers Service we’ve been fortunate to start developing a great relationship with Paypal – an innovative and exciting company with some excellent graduate opportunities.
After advertising a number of paid internship opportunities via ‘My Careers Service’ on the Careers website we received the following feedback from Paypal’s UK Business Development Manager. These are words of wisdom that all grads preparing for interview should take on board.
“I strongly recommend interviewees to research what the company is offering to customers/clients before the interview.
The company’s website should be the best place to do so, as it’s often its unique shopping window. Imagine yourself as a potential client searching for information.
The interviewers do not ask you to know everything about their company, just to have a good understanding of what they sell to make money and what makes them successful.
The most important information should be on the home page or easily accessible so no need to start clicking everywhere.
When we interview candidates we never expect right or wrong answers to be given by the interviewee. We only wish the candidate to be convinced by his answers therefore to be able to back them up when required. It is truly important for the interviewer to see that if you gave this answer because you have a point of view on it.
Very key point, do not be anxious about asking questions to the interviewer(s), this is actually your turn to relax and ask the questions. If you don’t ask questions, it will look like you assume knowing everything about the interviewer’s company, which is, let’s be honest, impossible.
Please make sure you have a few questions to ask each interviewer as it gives the interviewer the opportunity to show you his enthusiasm about his job/the company he works for. Most importantly, it will show your interest in the company (you want to know more!).
Another main point, make sure you know perfectly the job description and refer to points from your CV to induce that you are the right person for the job.
Most candidates also seem to have a strong idea of which department they would like to work for within the company but unfortunately, often it does not seem to be the one they applied for.
If you want to work in marketing apply for a marketing job as if you go for a Sales interview you won’t get a marketing job (it might sound logical but you would be surprised)…
These points might seem very basic, but added to your existing strengths they will make you a strong and surely successful candidate.”
Jen Lowthrop, Volunteer Coordinator writes:
I recently had a chat with a friend who is currently recruiting two interns to support his new business. He said the differences in the people he interviewed were phenomenal, ranging from those that had been filling their ‘free’ unemployed time with projects, volunteering and differing activities, in comparison to those that had spent the time doing very little other than complaining about how they didn’t have a job. Any interview you may have had in the past would have most definitely asked you for examples of how you have specific skills for the post!The answer could come from Volunteering – which has helped provide a huge range of LSE Grads with interesting examples to make then stand out during the recruitment process. Volunteering either in the UK or abroad will ensure you add valuable new skills to your CV, whilst also enabling you to support a community in need.
The Careers Service has a designated Volunteer Coordinator who is here to help find a volunteering placement that can suit you. Next week we have put on an International Volunteering Fair with SOAS university for students and graduates looking to volunteer abroad. The fair is a great way to find out about ways you can volunteer overseas and placements range from a few weeks to over a year. Employers and volunteers of the charities will be on hand to answer your questions and help you find a suitable opportunity. The fair is on Monday 1st February at SOAS University. Visit Houghton Street Online to book your place.
So why not come along and see how you can fill your spare time with doing something worthwhile and get ahead in your next interview.
To find out more about volunteering and how it can help you visit www.lse.ac.uk/volunteercentre
Welcome back to the LSE Career Service’s blog for recent graduates. January is traditionally a time for new years resolutions, and if you’re starting 2010 determined on finding a job and developing your career we can help you along the way. Contact us if you’re interested in careers advice, and practical help with CVs and applications, or hearing about the employment and internship opportunities available to LSE graduates
During the run up to Christmas the feedback I was getting from both graduates and employers is that interview skills are a critical area. We had a few horror stories from organisations recently telling us about graduates who are ill prepared and turned up with little interest or no enthusiasm for the job they were being interviewed for (and these were great employers with exciting graduate oportunities). On the other side of the fence I’ve often encountered graduates who find interviews a baffling and nerve wracking experience.
Preparation is key to putting in a good interview performance. It may sound a little odd, but one of the aspects of my job I enjoy most is coaching graduates for interviews – seeing someone develop confidence to overcome their anxieties and talk about themselves, and their potential is so rewarding. If you have an interview coming up, or just want to banish some of these demons, contact the careers service and ask to book an appointment with me, to talk things through, or have a mock interview. I’ll also be running some interview workshops over the next few months, specifically for graduates…keep checking the blog and web pages for further details.
In the meantime – for those who are looking for graduate opportunities in consultancy and finance the following might be of interest: Analysys Mason, are looking for graduates keen on developing a career in IT, Telecoms and Media consultancy. The deadline for applications is 14th January. Accountancy Firm Grant Thornton have also contacted us to highlight their paid 12 month placement scheme – opportunities are available in Audit, Corporate Finance, Recovery & Reorganisation and Tax and they welcome applications from recent graduates. Search for graduate and placement opportunites at www.grant-thornton.co.uk/graduates
I’ve really enjoyed running the blog this term, and am looking forward to passing on more news, events and comments relating to careers for recent graduates in 2010. In the meantime I’m posting one LSE grad’s experience of finding a job. Peter completed his studies LSE in the summer of 2009, obtaining a third. His story is honest and inspirational. Please feel free to contact me if, like Peter, you would like to share your own experiences of looking for a job after LSE.
One thing I often admired about the folks at LSE is their sense of direction, like that friend of mine who would stalk the streets of the Square Mile observing how bankers went about their lives. To join them, he believed, you have to walk like them, dress like them, and talk like them. I later learned from an online article about interview preparation that this is a clever thing to do: mirroring your interviewer helps to establish rapport, and magic might happen.
I didn’t share that clarity, at least not in the early uni days. I’ve always hoped to work in consulting or some kind of professional services, but even until this day I have been more enmeshed with the allure of professional life rather than the profession itself. I knew I wanted a career that spanned the globe; I wanted to work with colleagues from all nationalities and cultures. It was as if the LSE had opened my eyes and showed me the glamorous life I desired, but I didn’t know how to get there. And when it was that time, head swimming in a pool of employer leaflets and brochures and application forms on my desk, I felt lost.
So I followed what everyone else did. I attended all the career fairs, presentations, forums and seminars I could find, hoping that one day something would click in my head and everything will make sense. During the Consultancy Fair of 2008, I spoke to a lovely lady from a big consulting firm that shall remain unnamed. We talked about how the focus of LSE students is greatly valued but how she herself was like me, and she found direction through trial and error. It was a very pleasant experience – it made the job search much more human and gave a face to the almost-mythical logo looming behind her. And finally, I asked whether it would be worthwhile applying to consultancy firms if, hypothetically speaking, I didn’t have a 2:1 or 1st class degree but can offer a range of other skills and experiences instead.
The question really wasn’t a premonition of the turbulent months to come. I didn’t think I was heading for a tumble, having done all the things I was supposed to do. I attended classes, read up on materials, received RSS feeds of blogs of economists, memorised past papers, and revered the Economist. I calculated that I needed to achieve an average of 77% to get a 1:0, and 64% to get a 2:1. It wasn’t a farfetched goal
She told me, quite blatantly, that during a recession her company was less likely to be fishing for the alternative talents lurking amongst the academically unachieved, instead retreating to conventional screening methods where candidates are prospected by tiers of entry requirements, only hiring the best that remained. CVs scarred by a 2:2 would not pass the first round.
I got a third.
I won’t talk about the devastation that I felt, the week of gloom and shame, and the fear that my career died before it even started. I got over this part rather quickly, with the comfort and reassurance from colleagues from my part-time job and guidance from career advisers. Regret and self-pity wasn’t particularly helpful, certainly not with Visa deadlines coming up.
During those two months, I went through every profile listed under the Vault Consultancy Guide and applied to all the entry level positions advertised on their website. Each week, I replied to dozens of adverts on Prospect.com and Milkround.com and like, and going through the vacancy listing on the Career Service website became a daily ritual. They were not scattergun applications either, as I stalked my would-be colleagues and interviewers on Google ogling for information that would make my application standout.
To prepare for interviews, I kept a log of every significant article in my collection of Harvard Business Review magazine, revisiting them whenever I have time. I kept track of business news online and for all the companies reported in the news that I hadn’t heard of before, I read up on them and created my own company profiles. I hoped, at the time, that I could impress my interviewers with an in-depth understanding of business affairs at each opportunity, and perhaps they would overlook my grades.
Three months passed by. There were some polite rejections, each sounding the same with the typical tone of “we will retain your CV for future consideration”, but most returned with silence. If there is one thing worse than rejection, it’s being disregarded. I did receive three interview calls out of the whole myriad of applications I submitted, but they actually came from shabby scam companies that I never applied to in the first place, one of them promising a guaranteed 30k+ entry salary, if only I spend £800 on their “training course”.
Perhaps online application wasn’t the most efficient way to go about this, but I lacked a suitable alternative. Most of my friends were proceeding to further studies, and those who were not were in no better situation than I was, despite having obtained decent grades. For them, it’s the timeless conundrum that you can’t have a work permit without being employed, and you can’t get employed without a work permit. Many graduate programmes were simply not open to the PSW visa holders.
Then, unexpectedly, something amazing happened. I met a friend, whom upon learning my struggling path to employment, referred me to an entrepreneur who was starting a new venture, and was looking for international talent. He wanted to see me.
Everything went very fast after that. I went to his office two days after exchanging our first email. The interview was unlike everything I’ve read about online. There wasn’t a single question related to my “most recent leadership experience”, or how I’ve shown problem solving and initiative when faced with problem. He wanted to know about me – who I was, what I want to do, and what are my plans for the future. It was a very personal affair.
The issue of my exam grades was raised as well. I was asked to give an explanation of how I obtained third class honours. I told him I didn’t know, and that I didn’t think I deserved it. Maybe he was moved by my passion, or maybe he simply had a versatile approach to hiring. He gave me a project – a position paper on the viability of the Chinese market, to complete in two weeks.
This was where weeks of preparation, and of course three years of economic training at the LSE paid off. I wrote it, presented it, he (and others in the firm) was impressed, and I was hired. Of course there was some waiting after that, and I was asked to give three references. Eventually I signed my contract as Business Development Executive, and will soon be relocating to Glasgow to start the three months probation period of my new job.
At the end of it all, I think there were two things that helped me to come this far. The first was to never give up and remain open to everything. Poor grades meant I had far less options to choose from, and at the same time having to work that much harder to prove myself. As they say, opportunities are given to the most prepared. Second, and perhaps more importantly, with the countless mechanical application forms, numerical tests, aptitude tests, mock interviews, I had forgotten that starting a job is ultimately a human process. It’s a journey that many others have been through and can easily identify with, and most would be happy to lend a helping hand if they can. For many smaller, private employers, the team is very close-knit. It’s not merely about how many boxes you’ve ticket, but the recognition of shared personality and passion. I was fortunate to have a friend remind me of this, and I don’t think I will forget it again.
We’ve noticed a increasing interest in entreprenuership this term, with students and graduates keen on finding out more about the practicalities of becoming self employed or starting their own business.
My colleague Andrea Kreideweiss manages Venture@LSE, the Entrepreneurship support zone of LSE Careers Service, and is currently launching Pitch it! 2010, LSE’s annual business plan competition, jointly organized by LSE Entrepreneurs and Venture@LSE Careers. The competition isn’t just for current students – if you graduated in 2007 or thereafter you are eligible to enter.
Pitch it! offer the chance to improve your entrepreneurial talent and see your business ideas rewarded. Andrea has set out the following timetable for the competition – with the first deadline for proposals next Monday, 14th December.
Step 1: Hand in a 2-page summary of your business or social enterprise ideas (deadline Monday, 14th December)
Step 2: 12 proposals get fast tracked. These 12 teams meet a selection committee for a short Q&A session. 6 teams from this session are selected to go through the grand finale.
Step 3: Grand Finale, 2nd March. 6 teams present their ideas to distinguished dragons (such as BBC Dragon Julie Meyer!) and hundreds of students, and compete for exciting prizes.
For all information, an application form and the full competition T&C please visit www.lse.ac.uk/venture. Email any additional queries to A.kreideweiss@lse.ac.uk
If you’re interested in finding out further information about starting your own business the British Library Business and IP Centre is an excellent place to go. Several grads I’ve worked with recently have found the information and advice offered by the Business and IP Centre has been invaluble in starting to develop their own business ideas and commercial awareness.
I’ve been checking through lots of application forms for graduate schemes during the last few months, and also coaching LSE grads on interview skills and assessment centres. I’m frequently asked by grads when they initially meet with me if they’ve “missed the boat” in terms of applying for these type of opportunities. It’s true that many graduate scheme deadlines for this year have closed, or will soon do so, but there still programmes open for applications.
We recently had a meeting with Sally Brookes, Diageo’s Early Career Manager, Europe, who was keen to get the message out to recent graduates, as well as current students, about what Diageo can offer in terms of career opportunities.
Sally told us:
We are looking for a diverse mix of talented individuals who have the energy, passion and tenacity and the potential to become our future business leaders to join our graduate programme in Diageo. We have 3 Programme streams: European Sales & Marketing, HR and Global Supply Chain. Our European Sales and Marketing programmes are currently open for applications and the deadline is Friday, 11th December for our UK based programme. However our website details all the timescales of all our programmes and when to apply.
To join our programme we are looking for graduates who have secured a 2:1 in their undergraduate studies, can speak English fluently and have the right to work in the EU permanently without the need for a work permit and possess a valid driving licence. On a practical level we seek people who can influence people and build great relationships as we see this as the essence of success. Our programmes are challenging but they provide graduates with leading edge training as well as authentic job experiences as everyone is placed into real roles, with real responsibility and accountability from day one.”
Another scheme that has recently caught my eye is the Leadership Programme in finance offered by The Co-operative, which is open to graduates with a 2:2 or above. Aviva, Sainsbury’s and Nestle UK are also some of the other organisations with schemes spanning finance, management, sales and marketing and supply chain management, which are still accepting applications. Check on targetjobs.co.uk for more information about deadlines.
This week has seen the LSE Law Careers Fair, with an interesting range of large and medium sized employers coming onto campus. A fellow Careers Advisor, Judith Baines, writes the LSE Law Careers blog and forwarded on details to me of the following job, which could offer a great opportunity for any recent grads out there with a law degree.
CASEWORKER VACANCY
The Bar Pro Bono Unit is a legal charity which acts as a clearing house, matching barristers prepared to undertake pro bono work with those who need their help. We are looking for a new caseworker to join us, working alongside our team and our pre-volunteered panel of over 2,000 barristers.
Closing Date: 5pm, Friday 4th December 2009
Interviews: Monday 15th December 2009
Start Date: Monday 11th January 2010
Salary: £24,437 per annum or pro rata
Please visit www.barprobono.org.uk for further information about the Unit and details of the application process.
We have legal professionals from Laura Devine Solicitors, a specialist immigration practice, coming onto campus on Wednesday 25th November. Come along to the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House at 1pm to find out more about current UK work visa regulations. The session will also give a brief overview of visa procedures for the USA. No need to book, just bring along your queries and questions to a session which is designed to give practical advice and support to LSE international graduates and students.
What exactly is an ‘ethical career’? To hear a range of personal perspectives from a diverse panel of professionals come along to the Ethical Careers Forum today between 12.00-1.30 in room D202 Clement House.
We’re pleased to have the following speaking attending this event: Susan Wright, Director, Médecins du Monde UK; Brad Hill, Fairtrade Strategic Development Manager, The Co-operative Group; Nick O’Shea, Head of the Adult Facing Chronic Exclusion Programme, Cabinet Office and Ruth Girardet, Corporate Responsibility Director, Tesco plc.
Debate should be lively and we’re looking forward to the speakers giving their opinions on a range of issues including how ethical their sector is, whether the private sector has a role in social change and the relationship between personal ethics and organisational goals.
Liz Koslov, Employer Liaison Assistant writes: Did you know that full-time graduate jobs are the most frequently posted type of opportunity on the My Careers Service online vacancy board?
Right now there are over 450 opportunities live, including 250 full-time graduate positions – graduate training schemes at the Highways Agency, Ofcom and Futureboard Consulting; entry-level roles at New Local Government Network, e-Media Institute and Gallup; and senior positions at Conciliation Resources, Safe Ground and the Open Society Institute.
Whether you’re a recent graduate looking to gain work experience in a new area of interest or already have extensive professional experience and clear career goals, the online vacancy board is a great first step to learn about opportunities at organisations keen to recruit LSE students.
Employers who approach us wanting to recruit LSE graduates are directed to the vacancy board as the first point of contact for recent graduates looking for work. The organisations that use the vacancy board to engage with LSE alumni come from a wide range of sectors, and every day we work to source diverse opportunities.
All employers who post positions on the vacancy board also register profiles of their organisations. These profiles are searchable even when the company is not currently advertising opportunities – browsing them is a great way to learn about employers in sectors of interest who have sought to promote their opportunities to LSE students.
Interested?
For details of the posts mentioned above, and over 400 more, visit My Careers Service at www.lse.ac.uk/careers and click ‘search for opportunities’. You can either use your student log-in or register as an alumni on My Careers Service in order to view all current vacancies.
