CAREERS NEWSLETTER 2017-18
ISSUE 16 – Friday 8 June 2018 During the half term break, we received excellent news about another Upper Sixth student who has landed a prestigious higher apprenticeship. Many congratulations to Remy, who will be one of Deloitte’s new BrightStart apprentices! Read more about her outstanding achievement below. (Photo credit: Mollie O’Sullivan.)
A BRIGHT START FOR REMY AT LEADING ADVISORY & CONSULTING FIRM DELOITTE Currently on study leave to help prepare for her A level examinations, Remy discovered at end of May she had been accepted for Deloitte’s highly competitive BrightStart higher apprenticeship. As one of only three students selected at her final interview in London from an original field of 1760 impressive young people, she most definitely deserves many congratulations on her outstanding achievement. Remy very kindly took a break from revision to answer a few questions from Bablake’s Careers Department: What did the Deloitte BrightStart application procedure entail? “The application process was extremely challenging. You had to be successful at every stage to progress to the next one, and please keep in mind I first applied in November last year, over six months ago! Initially you were required to submit a generic CV and covering letter, then, if successful, you were forwarded to an online immersive assessment and after that, an online job simulation. A group exercise with other candidates was then followed by a one-toone interview with a senior partner from Deloitte. As you can imagine, the whole process was very stressful, very time-consuming, but 100% worth it!” What were the actual interviews like? “The interviews themselves were like nothing I had experienced before! I have been working part-time in retail since the age of 16, so it is safe to say I have had my fair share of 'job interviews', but none were like this one. When you are in the Sixth Form, studying full time in education, you really do not have a clue what to expect when it comes to these kind of processes. However, after doing my research and sitting down and rehearsing answers with my mum after dinner, I felt I had done all I could do to prepare myself for the unknown. The group assessment was really enjoyable, as it was based on a 'real life' scenario where you had to work with your team and produce the best outcome, which gave me a chance to showcase my problem-solving and teamwork skills. My one-to-one interview, which I was most nervous about, went well, but I had to give a 5 minute presentation answering the question: 'Why do most start-ups fail and what can Deloitte do to solve this?' This was followed by some questions about myself; here my interviewer made me feel really comfortable and surprisingly we had a really good chat about our mutual love of travel.” What were your fellow ‘BrightStarts’ like and what do you think made them and you stand out? “My fellow ‘BrightStarts’ were amazing - a really great, genuine group of people whom I can see myself working well with. Because of the many departments in Deloitte, it was fantastic to meet people with passions for different areas of the business. I will be working on strategy and operations, perhaps one of the more marginal sections of the BrightStart scheme, but accountancy has over 35 BrightStarts in the Stonecutter Court office alone! What I think made the others and myself stand out was our hunger for experience. I knew that I had outgrown sitting in a classroom writing and memorising facts or theories which I could not immediately put into practice. As a kinaesthetic learner, I like to be hands on in what I do. Deloitte seems such a fantastic company, as it caters for everyone and no matter where your passion lies, there is a role to suit everyone.” What tips would you give anyone applying next year? “My advice would include being very time conscious. I feel keeping up with deadlines in the application process will reveal to the company that you are effective with your time management and this is something they really look out for. My second tip would be just be yourself, there is no point in pretending to be a person that you are not just to fit in with the job role; Deloitte really values individuality and innovation, the more unique you are the better! Lastly, I think confidence is key, nerves effect the best of us (me included); you just need to remember that no one wants to see you fail, the person interviewing you is a normal person! Similar to you this morning they woke up, brushed their teeth, had breakfast and came to work; they are not some monster out to get you! Clarity and calmness are crucial when involved in the interview process.” Where do you see BrightStart leading to? “From BrightStart, I hope to gain the skills and expertise that will help kick start my career in the corporate world in the best way possible. I hope to use my innovation and other skills to add benefit to the business when working with my team on projects. I am so excited to see what the next 4 years hold!” We once again congratulate Remy on her fantastic tenacity and endeavour throughout the application procedure, and proudly look forward to hearing more about her progress with Deloitte. For more information on the BrightStart scheme, please see https://bit.ly/2G7STzP.
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