January Ezine 2014

Employability Skills

How to make your LinkedIn profile stronger Rolls Royce CV Competition Summary

Phoebe’s pantry | The Review Room | Company Profiles

contents Editor’s letter Knowing what I know now Rolls Royce CV Competition Summary Employability skills

How to make your LinkedIn profile stronger

Phoebe’s Pantry

The Review Room

3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14

Company profiles

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NCS With The Challenge

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Centrica

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Arqiva

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Stand Out Internships

19

Bechtel

20

Santander

21

UK Power Networks

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Tesco

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TJX Europe

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RPC

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Teach First

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KPMG

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Wragge & Co

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GE Aviation

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HSBC

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Accenture

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PwC

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Thales

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STEM UK Student Challenge 2014

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National award SPONSORS IBM Society of the Year [University of Manchester] www.ibm.com/jobs/uk/graduate

RPC Event of the Year [Time with Industry - Staffordshire University] www.rpc.co.uk/manifesto

Siemens Collaboration Award [Staffordshire University] www.siemens.co.uk/careers

Advorto Fastest Growing Society [King’s College, London] www.advorto.com

Rolls-Royce President of the Year [Chris Milborrow - University of Strathclyde] www.rolls-royce.com/careers

editors letter Happy New Year to you all, I hope you had a wonderful holiday and you are feeling fully charged for the new term.

I am sure you have plenty of new goals that you are going to achieve throughout the year; to help you achieve these goals we have some top articles for you, such as; What members of our Bright Futures Society Advisory Board would have done differently to make themselves more employable, if they were back at University. They give some useful points to think about such as how to use your careers service more effectively or how to focus on your strengths more by realising your weaknesses.

As usual, we have all the different opportunities from our clients and all the regular articles such as Review Room and Phoebe’s Pantry.

I hope that this term is filled with as many successes, learning points and experiences as well as plenty of top employable events for you to go along to.

Those of you who have exams in January, Good Luck!

Phoebe HirEd Editor www.brightfutures.co.uk

We have some more tips on LinkedIn as we have seen that more and more of you are using the site so make sure that you have a look through this article and make changes to your profile today!

*If you don’t have a Society at your university then set up your own!

Contact us at society@brightfutures.co.uk and we can get you started right away!

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“KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW…” 1. Spend time understanding myself better. It was some years before I appreciated how important values were in my life generally and, the influential part that they would play in my career thinking.

2. Use my time at university to explore more options. Holiday jobs were relatively easy to get in the ‘70s so I didn’t think too much about the value of this experience or try to use these opportunities to experiment more.

Martin Pennington, Consultant and ex Head of Careers at University of Leicester

3. Use my university careers service before the final year.

Careers services were not as centre-stage then as they are now but, even so, they had a great deal to offer that I ignored until the last minute.

I would really focus on my strengths...

...those areas to really hone and develop rather focus on those areas that I’m not I good at. Often we try to be good at everything and set our personal bar so high we get disappointed when we have a setback.

Sonja Stockton, Managing Director, Emerging Talent at Baxter -Neumann

Know your weakness but don’t try to be good at everything... You are unique!

I would have aimed higher from the start.

I now know that I would have liked to get to the very top of a large company. So I should have got an accountancy qualification (half of top business leaders have one) or joined the sales and marketing function in a business where those sort of skills got to the top.

Simon Howard – Chairman of Work Group Plc

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What would some of The Bright Futures Society Advisory Board do to make themselves more employable if they were back at University?

1. I worked in the summer to earn extra money but did not link my work experience with my career aspirations and so I would apply for professional internships that gave me the opportunity to earn whilst understanding if that career area was right for me.

Eva Malecki Emerging Talent Business Partner at Centrica

2. I would have attended more company presentations to boost my commercial awareness – I was offered a graduate role fairly early in my final year and so decided to stop looking and concentrate on my degree.

3. I would have joined a society (like Bright Futures) in order to meet with and work with like-minded individuals who were focused on building skills and increasing employability prospects.

1. Used the careers service more.

My feeling back then was that this would have been a sign of weakness as it meant I needed help in identifying graduate roles most suited to me. Which was in actual fact exactly what I needed.

Andrew Bargery, Student Recruitment Campus Engagement Leader at PwC

2. Thought about my career earlier.

I had the mindset that everything would become clear after my finals which wasn’t the case as I was still left thinking ‘what type of role is going to be best suited to me?’

I realised I had to kick start the research to get the answer.

3. Thought more about interview technique.

It took me a handful of interviews to realise where I was going wrong and what I needed to do to better prepare.

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CV Competition Summary The Bright Futures society at Strathclyde was going into its 3rd year, and we were determined to make a big impact in the year ahead. Learning from experience that early organisation and planning is imperative in getting investors on-board and running successful events, we started our preparations in May this year.

For the past 6 months since June I have been organising a high profile CV competition, open to penultimate and final year Business and Engineering students. My motivation was to provide a credible competition with a top employer, furnishing selective winners with a significant boost to their employability.

My first challenge, during May and June, was planning how the event would run, and presenting it in such a way to the investors, I could influence them to sponsor the competition. The event was structured that I would do all promotion on campus, collect all CV entries, and send them to an investor, who would select the 4 winners. Finally I would organise the exclusive dinner for the winners with the competition sponsor, as the prize of the competition.

I publicised to investors that they would gain access to over 100 CV’s of high profile students and 1 month’s free publicity on campus for the price of a dinner. My reward for this preparation was being successful in getting Rolls Royce (RR) on board to sponsor the competition.

With RR travelling up from Derby for the winner’s dinner, I decided to utilise their presence on campus and proposed they run a CV Skills session on the same evening, providing students with an industry insight to CV writing, and furthering Bright Futures presence on campus.

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The timeline of the event was as follows: Week/Date

Activity

Week 1/23rd – 27th Sep

Promotion for the event

Week 2/30th – 4th Sep/Oct

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Week 3/7th – 11th Oct

Students enter the Competition (Continued Promotion)

Week 4/14th – 18th Oct

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Week 5/21st – 25th Oct

Time for Investor to choose winners

Week 6/28th – 1st Oct/Nov

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Week 7/4th – 8th Nov

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Week 8/11th – 15th Nov

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Week 9/18th – 22nd Nov

Winners Announced/contacted

Week 10/25th – 29th Nov

Free Week

Week 11/2nd – 6th Dec

Publicity of CV Skills Session Event – Open to all year groups and degree disciplines

Week 12/9th – 13th Dec

• CV Skills Session with RR: 5.30-7pm

“

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• Dinner with the Investor – 9th Dec Brown’s Restaurant, 7.30pm

To enter the competition, students first had to like our Facebook page ‘Bright Futures Strathclyde’, this contributed to over 40% of our 365 current Facebook likes, proving so successful this has been rolled out to all our future events. Secondly students sent their CV to an email address I created. Finally I used Dropbox to send the CV’s to RR, where they selected the winners.

The promotion undertaken for the event was extensive, reaching out to all engineering and business school faculties for departmental emails to students, and using all contacts on Facebook to share and invite friends to the event.

This proved very effective, with one of the winners quoting: “the CV competition with Rolls Royce was very well run, with lots of notice and buzz about it in lectures as well as between students of different faculties”.

Overall, we had almost 150 entrants in the CV competition, giving it great credibility for the winners. Over 50 also attended the CV Skills Session, with many staying behind long after the event to network with RR, which I was really happy about, with great positive feedback: “I attended the presentation…which gave great insights about the application process and how to present yourself in the best possible way. The opportunity has definitely changed my approach to how I would write my CV and application for jobs in the future.”

Details were important to the success of the event, including a finishing touch of presenting the winners with certificates.

The winners really valued the competition and all managed to get something out of it, with Rory Macfarlane quoting: “I was honoured to be one of the chosen winners of the Strathclyde Bright Futures CV competition with Rolls-Royce”.

Finally, feedback from RR has been excellent, quoting it was “very well run” with them “More than happy to participate again, and we would aim to support additional events as they are planned”. I must thank RR for making this event possible, and specifically Andy Whitehill and Mhairi McPhee for the tedious task of going through all 150 CV’s, but also for the fantastic presentation they gave, and for the pleasure of dining with them and the winners.

Tom Brawley President of University Activities for Strathclyde Bright Futures Winner’s Names: • Rory Macfarlane - Engineering • Andrew Thomson – Engineering • Faye Cameron – Business School • Kevin Krebs – Business School RR Representatives: • Andy Whitehill • Mhairi McPhee

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TOP10 EMPLOYABILITY

SKILLS Employability Skills can be defined as the transferable skills needed by an individual to make them ‘employable’.

Along with good technical understanding and subject knowledge, employers often outline a set of skills that they want from an employee.These skills are what they believe will equip the employee to carry out their role to the best of their ability.

Employability depends on your knowledge, skills and attitudes, how you use those assets, and how you present them to employers.

The table has been compiled by a range of UK-based companies and it lists the Top 10 Employability Skills which they look for in potential employees – that means you! We asked the companies to define exactly what these skills mean, and how you could show evidence of these skills in an interview or application for a job.

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how to make As I go on campus and speak with students I hear more and more are ‘using LinkedIn’ but too often they just have a very short profile and then no more ...as if expecting this will make them more employable or get companies approaching them with job opportunities! As with all things to get more you need to do more so here are some tops tips from us at Bright Futures....

1. If employers and recruiters are looking through your LinkedIn profile and you want to impress them, then don’t just have your name, university, and current job. You need to add your competencies, success stories and facts and figures with detail that matches your CV but not so that it is identical. You can have much more on Linked In than on your CV so make the most of it. This is like your professional version of facebook so make it professional and make it stand out.

2. When you update your LinkedIn account make sure you fill in everything that is necessary. More importantly make sure your headline (where your name is) stands out so when employers/ recruiter searches for you, it looks very impressive. For example Bob Smith | President of Bright Futures Society | Marketing and Advertising.

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e your profile stronger 3. Make sure you join ‘groups’ that you are interested in, for example if you want to have a career in engineering then make sure you find groups to do with this subject as well as companies that you would be interested in working for and join them. By doing this and by making your profile look more professional then you should have more connections.

4. As employers/recruiters could be looking at your profile at any time (even as you read this article!) make sure the information is all up to date because you do not want them to not to see something impactful your have achieved recently as if you don’t impress them when they look at your profile they may not contact you or take any action.

So to make the most of LinkedIn: • Invest some time in creating a fuller profile • Just like a CV ensure you list achievements and be specific about them • Find and join some groups, take part in or even start some discussions • Keep it up to date • Make it easy to find by adding your Linked In link to your CV and even email signature Simon Reichwald – CEO, Bright Futures

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Phoebe’s

c h eddar tortilla This clever vegetarian lasagne only needs five ingredients and is quick and easy to make. Plus it counts as two portions to your five-a-day and tastes delicious too!

Serves: 6. Prep time: 20 mins. Cooking time: 25 mins Total time: 45 mins. Skill level: Easy peasy Costs: Cheap as chips.

INGREDIENTS • 250g (9oz) mature Cheddar cheese • 350g (12oz) fresh spinach • 6 soft tortilla wraps • 350g (12oz) jar tomato pasta sauce • 6 tomatoes, thinly sliced • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • Mixed salad leaves, to serve 12

s Pantry

tortilla lasa g ne

recipe

1: Preheat the oven to 190째C (fan oven 170째C, gas mark 5).

2: Grate the cheese onto a board and divide into six equal portions.

3: Pack the spinach into a large saucepan and add a little water. Cover and cook for 3-4 mins until the leaves have wilted. Drain well, squeezing out the excess moisture. Cool for a few mins.

4: Place one tortilla wrap on a greased baking sheet. Spread 2-3tbsp of pasta sauce over the surface, then arrange one third of the spinach on top, season, then sprinkle with one pile of grated cheese. Place a second tortilla on top, spread with pasta sauce and arrange sliced tomatoes over the surface, sprinkling them with more cheese. Repeat the layers until the ingredients are used up, topping the final tortilla with just grated cheese and tomato slices.

Bake for 20-25 mins.

Cool for 5 mins, then cut into slices.

Serve with mixed salad leaves.

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IPLAYER RADIO

XBOX ONE SMARTGLASS

iTranslate

Platform: iPhone/ Android, free

Platform: iPhone/ iPad/ Android/ Windows Phone, free

Platforms: iOS

This year, the BBC created a standalone app for listening live to its radio stations, which also streams on-demand shows and podcasts and helps you add songs to playlists in other services including Spotify andYouTube.

You’ll need an Xbox One games console to use this app, but it’s an essential companion if you do. You can use it to control the or browse the web on TV – and a growing number of games will use it as a second screen too.

iTranslate is an award-winning translation tool that helps you break down language barriers.

With its state of the art technology you can speak any language in a second.

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NCS With The Challenge

Challenge Yourself to Lead and Mentor Young People NCS With The Challenge

company profile

Youth and Community Mentors and Leaders Salary – Up to £1760 per 3 week programme Location: London, Surrey, West Midlands and the North West Length of role: 2 – 14 Weeks between June and September We are looking for dedicated individuals, with an interest in working with young people to strengthen their communities, working both residentially and in the local community in London, Surrey, the West Midlands or the North West.

To apply online simply visit www.ncsthechallenge.org/jobs 16 20

A single programme lasts three weeks and includes outdoor activities, skill development and community service. We have paid positions available for people at every level of experience, from those wishing to gain further experience working with young people, through to experienced Project Managers. We have positions lasting from 2 weeks through to 14 weeks throughout summer.

The Challenge Network is a national charity that builds stronger communities by bringing people together. NCS with The Challenge is an intense programme for young people from different backgrounds, designed to develop their key skills and to inspire them to take on more active roles in

their communities, as part of the National Citizen Service. In summer 2014, 16,500 young people across London, the West Midlands and the North West will take part in NCS with The Challenge for an intensive three-week summer programme Applications Now Open

Be part of our world

mentors will encourage and inspire you, whether you’re interested in exploration, production or frontline customer service management.

Plus, you’ll join an inclusive workplace where individuality is valued – so if you’re assertive, hard-working and ambitious, we’ll support you all the way.

Summer programme placements

Although our summer placements is designed to help you discover what you’re good at, we also want you to have fun. That’s why we’ll cover the costs of your accommodation and ensure you’re

Join our paid summer placements and you’ll work on real projects and develop a host of new skills.

Over 10 weeks, our expert team of

company profile

As a top 30 FTSE 100 company with over 25 million customer accounts, a £22 billion turnover and more than 34,000 employees, we offer students in the UK unmatched training with a range of global brands: Centrica Energy, British Gas, and Centrica Storage.

Centrica

Centrica is an international energy company that sources, generates, processes, stores, trades, supplies, services and helps its customers save energy. Securing energy to power the future is an important priority for us, and we’re making vital investments across the entire energy spectrum.

located alongside other students on placement – to make sure your social life is as interesting as your studies. Find out what our previous summer placements have been up to by following #summeratcentrica.

Find out more: Website www.centrica.com/graduates Join us at www.facebook.com/centricagraduaterecruitment Or follow us at www.twitter.com/centricagrads 17

Join the Digital Revolution: Graduate opportunities with Arqiva Connected. Always.

Arqiva

company profile

Arqiva is all about connecting people. Our purpose is to connect people for an enriched and safer life. Surprised? Don’t be.

We’ve been working behind the scenes connecting people and organisations as they go about their everyday lives for 90 years.

We provide much of the infrastructure behind television, radio, satellite and wireless communications in the UK. In fact our engineers led the largest broadcast engineering project in UK history with the successful completion of the switch over from analogue to digital in 2012. Major broadcasters, such as the BBC, ITV and BSkyB, as well as independent radio groups, depend on us to keep them connected to their customers.

Let us connect you to a great career with superb opportunities. We work in a changing marketplace and have an ambitious growth agenda, so if you want to help shape the future of technology, then this is the place for you!

www.arqiva.com/work-with-us/ 18

We have a range of graduate opportunities ranging from engineering roles to network security and web application development.

We act responsibly through every connection we make and our values are important to us: we want our people to challenge themselves and each other to be ingenious, straightforward and collaborative.

We’d look to you to help us build on our success.

Interested? You’ll need an Engineering, IT or Maths related degree and at least one of the following: a 2:1 in your degree or at least 300 UCAS points, a passion for our values and a real appetite to make a difference.

We will give you excellent development opportunities, both in role and also as part of your Graduate Development Programme that will enable you to develop your wider skills and knowledge of the business.

We will give you a starting salary will be £26K, and we’ll give you an annual bonus (reflecting organisational and individual performance), support for professional qualifications and the opportunity to select from a range of flexible benefits.

Interested in joining the Digital Revolution? Find out more about us please... click here.

To apply, please... click here.

We will ask you to prove that you are eligible to work in the UK. Please note that we are not able to sponsor work permits.

StandOut Internships

Intern Abroad in Asia or Australia this Summer!

International work experience is guaranteed to give your CV that competitive edge which could make all the difference to you securing your ideal job after university.

Everyone is going global these days and so should you!

StandOut Internships has well-established links to top brand companies across all career sectors - we can help you to find an internship with the likes of AIA, Racepoint Group, Ernst & Young and Sotheby’s, to name just a few.

We partner with all our employer companies to ensure that you obtain real work experience from supervisors that take a genuine interest in developing and training you on the job - rest assured that you will not be photocopying or making the coffee!

Your future employability is our ultimate goal. Several of our recent interns have even been offered permanent positions with their employer company.

Here is what our alumni interns have said about us: “The application process was very easy and StandOut Internships were very helpful and supportive throughout it and the internship, replying to phone calls and emails promptly.” – Jasmine Ratta, Law Intern, Sydney “It was the package of experience – meeting new people, developing professional connections and developing professional skills that made this internship experience worth the money spent.” – Sneha Mishra, Finance Intern, Hong Kong

company profile

StandOut Internships can arrange an internship for you in Hong Kong or Sydney and will take care of you throughout your internship abroad experience.

If you would like to apply to StandOut Internships, please apply online via our online application form: CLICK HERE It should take you less than 10 minutes to submit your details.

Once we have received your online application, we will then set up a Skype consultation to discuss your application and your internship options.

For further information, please check out our website: www.standoutinternships.com or email us on: info@standoutinternships.com and we would be happy to provide further assistance.

For further information, please check out our website: www.standoutinternships.com 19

Bechtel

At Bechtel, we build for the future every day. Our involvement with the communities that are home to our projects and offices is a critical component of that work. Read on to find out how you can get involved in communities Bechtel work in.

company profile

Zenhar is on the Bechtel graduate program and is a project controls engineer based on the Crossrail project in Reading. Zen, a member of Bechtel’s Stewardship Advisory Council, served aboard Ocean Exploration Trust’s research vessel, Nautilus, and has worked on an Engineers Without Borders projects in India developing safe sanitation systems for primary-school children.

enthusiastic about what we were doing—and they managed to help us complete the projects.

What did you find most surprising about your experience working on Engineers Without Borders projects?

What did you find most challenging?

I didn’t expect to be welcomed with such warmth. The most surprising aspect was how grateful the students, teachers, and school staff were for our efforts. They were so

What was the most rewarding part?

Nothing could be more rewarding than seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces. We knew that we had made a big difference in their lives.

Overcoming the procurement issues we faced. For instance, on any standard construction site, obtaining the right grade of cement mix is a pretty straightforward procedure. But in the rural regions that we worked in, getting the right grade was difficult. Another

If you’d like to discover more visit : www.bechtel.com 20

example: Getting hard hats to site was a challenge—and getting everyone to wear them was a different issue altogether. Also, obtaining and using local material that didn’t necessarily have the structural integrity that we desired.

Apart from procurement, working in a hot and humid climate was initially a huge challenge as well.

What has been your most important lesson?

There were many lessons, but perhaps the most important was this: never underestimate the power of local knowledge.

Innovation can spring from any source. The feeling of using what I had learned at college for the betterment of the underprivileged is something that cannot be described.

Santander

It’s time to find out more

Banking Operations Support (Geoban) Graduate scheme Geoban UK was created in December 2007. We’re always looking for new ways to deliver consistent, highquality services as cost efficiently as possible - leveraging Continuous Process Improvement, Technology and Automation, Central Managements & Control Functions and Corporate Alignment. Join our Graduate Programme, and you’ll have the opportunity to make an immediate impact while playing a vital role in our mission.

Retails Sales & Telephony Management Graduate scheme Retail Telephone Management refers to our complex system of telephone based sales and customer support.

This area of our business is essential to growth as customers look to do business with us via a channel of their choosing. If you want to become a leader in our Retail Telephone Sales division, then this is the place to start.

We will provide a series of rotations

designed to develop your experience and skills with a view to you taking up a leadership role.

Operations Internship Being part of the Santander Operations Internship Programme will provide you with an unrivalled opportunity to gain an insight into Santander’s operating model and processes. This 10 week programme will expose you to a number of different work challenges, all with a predominant aim of enhancing the customer experience.

You’ll need plenty of drive, as you’ll be involved in major change projects and be expected to contribute your own ideas on how we continue to improve our business.

company profile

Santander currently have a number of Graduate scheme and Intern Opportunities available in a number of different business functions and locations. Read more to find out about some of these opportunities and how Santander can help you take that right step in your career.

our relationships with regulators and ensure we’re compliant with the latest requirements. In recent years, regulation has steadily become more complex – so there’s a real future to be had in this area.

Internal Governance and Control Internship Internal Governance & Control is a fast paced and strategically important function within Santander UK. Here we identify, intervene and take corrective action on issues regarding conduct risk or poor customer outcomes. Not only does this reflect on our commitment to customers, but also builds upon Financial Conduct Authority regulations. .

Compliance Internship The banking sector is under more scrutiny than ever. The Compliance team is there to ensure we’re doing things right. By maintaining robust internal controls, they protect Santander UK’s assets and reputation in the marketplace. They also manage

To find out more and apply please visit www.santanderukgraduates.com 21

UK Power Networks

A brighter future for the next generation.

company profile

Did you boil the kettle to make cup of tea this morning? Or charge your iPod? Or turn on the lights to brush your teeth?

Have you jumped on the Tube recently or jetted off from one of the major airports in the South East?

Did you know that none of these could have happened without UK Power Networks?

We own and maintain electricity cables and lines across London, the South East and East of England making sure the lights stay on for 8million homes and businesses. We maintain and upgrade power equipment.

We move and connect new electricity cables.

We aim to be an employer of choice, a respected corporate citizen and sustainably cost efficient and we continue to recruit top talent in to our organisation. If you want to play a role in influencing the energy industry’s future then get in touch today.

Apply online at www.ukpowernetworkscareers.co.uk 22

Applications for our 2014 Electrical Engineering, Business and Information Systems graduate programmes are now open!

Deadline 31 January.

As we know that you are all actively engaged with finding graduate careers we wanted to remind you about our fantastic undergraduate opportunities, which could result in us offering you a role on our graduate programme for once you graduate! Spending the year with us is great too, as you’ll be able to test drive us and make sure we’re who you want to carve your career with once you finish university.

Application deadlines for these programmes are approaching. So it’s time to get those submissions in, and show us what you’ve got!

We have opportunities across our business, from buying to business analysis, and from site research to visual merchandising!

Whatever your background and you r interests, we’re sure we have something for you!

company profile

We hope you enjoyed your winter holidays and are looking forward to getting back into the thick of it!

Tesco

Our undergraduate opportunities are ending soon!

To make doubly sure that you’re applying for the programme that’s right for you and to check your application against the criteria, you might want to take a last look at our list of programmes at www.tesco-graduates.com/ industrialplacements For more information on what the programmes involve, please refer to our graduate pages.

To find out more visit: www.tesco-graduates.com/industrialplacements 23

TJX Europe

Start your career with TK Maxx on one of our successful Placement Programmes.

Jamie McFarlane – IT Trainee Business Analyst Lancaster University - BBA Management

company profile

Why did you decide to join TJX Europe?

I wanted to work within IT but was completely non-technical. TJX offered an opportunity that many other firms simply wouldn’t; it was exactly what I was looking for.

Tell me about your programme.

At TJX they fully explain a task before you do it, you know exactly why your work is important and who it affects within the wider business context. This is vital as it enables me to fully appreciate and understand the importance that my work has.

What is it like to work at TJX Europe?

Everyone is willing to help in any way they can, offering time and advice in to guide me in my work

and individual improvement.

What is a typical working day like?

We have been given so much training, the investment in us as individuals and our future as employees is truly excellent. This is something that really stands out.

Tell me about the training you received when you joined.

Since joining I have had three solid weeks of training. These sessions have developed my understanding and have highlighted the standard of work expected. I now feel much more confident in my ability to thrive within my team over the next year.

of starting. This includes industry recognised courses such as Six Sigma and ITIL, along with visits to other areas of the business.

Any top tips for a student interested in joining TJX Europe? Visit the stores to get an understanding of the business and the products which TJX sell. If you get a chance, ask a couple of the associates for their view of the business, this will aid you in gaining a better perspective of the culture of TJX. Describe TJX Europe in three words.

Honest, Open, Fun

Tell me about your ongoing development since you joined TJX Europe.

Over the course of the year we have many more training sessions scheduled in, so you’re are not forgotten about after a few weeks

If you are interested in finding out about we what we do, we are hosting an insight event on the 6th Feb. To find out more please visit: brightfutures.co.uk/home/events/insight-days

Apply now and read more about us and what our people have to say at graduates.tjxeurope.com/ 24

If you never go against the grain, always follow the well-trodden path and consistently take the safe option, you could find yourself sleepwalking into a predictable career with a traditional firm. If that’s how you see your future, we wish you every success. But please look away now.

If you prefer the bold to the boring, however, and find the prospect of joining a different kind of law firm enticing, we’d love to talk to you.

We run summer vacation schemes each year to enable prospective trainees to spend time with us, getting a feel for what we do and what it’s like to work here.

company profile

RPC

Deadline approaching for the London Summer Vacation Scheme at RPC – Apply now!

If this sounds like the type of role for you, we want to hear from you.

Closing date for the London Summer Vacation Scheme is 31 January 2014

We want to break the mould, rewrite the rules and redefine the legal profession. Your mission could be to build the law firm of the future, today. And to define your career at the same time.

www.rpc.co.uk/manifesto or follow us on twitter @LifeinaLawFirm 25

Teach First

Teach First is committed to addressing the shortage of science and maths teachers by recruiting more graduates to teach in schools in challenging circumstances.

company profile

Our Insight Programme is just that, it’s an opportunity for penultimate year students to gain a unique insight into our Leadership Development Programme (LDP).

You will gain valuable work experience as well as the chance to inspire the next generation by taking your passion for science, technology, engineering or maths back into the classroom.

www.graduates.teachfirst.org.uk 26

As an Insight participant, you will gain an insight into education in a Teach First partner school, as well as immersing yourself in life and work at Teach First. You will spend a total of five days in school and four days training, learning about the mission and how we are working to address educational disadvantage by building a social movement.

To be eligible to apply, you will be studying for a STEM degree or have A-levels (A*-B) in one of the following subjects – maths, ICT, DT or two of the following subjects; biology, chemistry and physics.

The Insight Programme will run on the 26 March - 4 April in London, Manchester and Leeds.

Apply today - applications close on 26 January.

It’s not too late!

Still at university?

Are you yet to secure a 2014 summer internship or autumn graduate role?

It’s not too late to bag a job at one of the country’s leading graduate employers. KPMG still have a range of 2014 opportunities in Audit, Tax and Pensions and Consultancy at offices nationwide.

We recruit on a first-come, firstserved basis so beat the rush and apply as soon as possible.

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If you or any friends, family or colleagues are looking for a new career in the New Year, then this could be the perfect New Year New Start opportunity.

Due to our recent growth in our Technology Consulting division, we have just launched some brand new grad roles for an immediate start in London only: Technology Consulting – Solutions Specialists. For more information about the roles and to apply, click here.

KPMG

A Tech-cellent New Year start date!

Click one of the below to find out more: Undergraduates Graduates

www.kpmgcareers.co.uk 27

Wragge & Co

You want to get experienced, not just qualified. And you don’t want to be turned into someone you’re not. Our training contracts have one simple aim: to help you become the lawyer you want to be. We don’t mass produce lawyers here at Wragge & Co. We tailor our training contracts to you.

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We’ll give you early responsibility and big ticket work for household name clients, and we’ll make sure you’ll qualify with the legal toolkit you need to be a brilliant lawyer.

Working from London or Birmingham on high profile national and international instructions, our trainees are part of a team passionate about providing the very best client service.

A full-service law firm, our core work areas include corporate, dispute resolution, real estate, banking & finance, employment, pensions, tax, EU law and antitrust, public law and regulatory, corporate recovery and insolvency, intellectual property, IT, projects, outsourcing and general commercial. Sector-focused, it brings together dedicated teams of experts in a wide range of

industries including aerospace, technology, energy, food and drink, healthcare, life sciences, public sector and retail.

Sound appealing?

If you are a penultimate year law student or a final year non-law student then you are eligible to apply for our vacation scheme.

Vacation placements at Wragge & Co provide the opportunity to find out whether we’re right for you and whether you are right for us. You’ll experience life at the firm, meet our people and clients, and gain an insight into our work and culture.

One of our current trainees will help you settle in and is on hand to answer any queries you may have.

You will have a dedicated mentor who will ensure you receive quality work, support and feedback on your performance. It’s not just all

For more information on how to apply, please visit our website: www.wragge.com/graduate 28

work, there will also be a healthy dose of social activities too. This will enable you to talk to trainees and find out first-hand what life as a Wragge & Co trainee is like.

We run vacation schemes during the Easter and summer holidays in Birmingham and in the summer in London.

Applications are made online at www.wragge.com/graduate.

The closing date for applications for our 2014 vacation scheme is 31 January 2014.

GE’s Edison Engineering Development Programme (EEDP)

In addition to Project Rotations and Technical Training, opportunities are available to develop an understanding of different business areas (e.g. finance, operations, marketing and sales), as well as overall leadership development.

Being involved allows you to develop new skills in a “safe” environment, where decisions may not severely impact the business. The activities also provide exposure to senior leaders at GE and create opportunities to showcase leadership skills to executives locally, nationally and internationally.

Flying Start Challenge aims to showcase aviation to students. GE STEM Ambassadors visit schools to explore the basics of aerodynamics, and help students design and build a model glider.

A regional final is held at the GE site in Cheltenham, where teams compete for the best glider design and furthest flight, and the winning team goes through to the national final at the Fleet Air Arm museum in Yeovilton, competing with teams from across the country.

A large number of graduates are involved within these activities, and they develop their leadership and time management skills through taking an active role.

GirlsGetSET is a scheme created by female engineers at GE Aviation in Cheltenham. The program is designed specifically to target girls at key decision points in their academic careers, with a program of events and workshops that provide an insight into Engineering.

Some examples of the opportunities available include:

GirlsGetSET encourages girls to choose STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Maths) subjects at school, and provides constant contact from years 9 to 13.

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GE Volunteering Development Opportunities

GE Aviation

is an IET Accredited graduate scheme for individuals with a passion for technology and a drive for technical excellence. Development is accelerated through intense technical training, and varied project assignments, giving Edisons the technical and business foundation to make innovative contributions to GE’s future.

The Imagineering foundation promotes engineering to students through fun, hands-on activities.

GE work with the foundation by developing a range of activities to showcase technologies at GE Aviation, Cheltenham.

Imagineering then take these activities to a number of public events, including The Royal Bath and West Show, Royal International Air Tattoo, Yeovilton Air Day, Ricoh Arena and Cheltenham Science Festival. The Imagineering presence is building throughout GE in the UK by expanding to more businesses enabling students to learn more about GE.

For more information, visit: www.ge.com/careers 29

HSBC

Interested in a career in Operations or Project Management?

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HSBC – UK Operational Leadership Programme Project, Strategy and Operational Leadership Supported by experienced managers, colleagues and a wide network of diverse peers, you will be encouraged to take on responsibility and bring new ideas to the table. You will be valued as an individual and for the contribution you make.

This two-year programme will provide you with experience of how HSBC’s back-office functions support our UK business. Through four six-month placements, you will learn about our complex operational functions.

Initially, you will gain experience of the ‘frontline’, in one our retail branches, to fully understand the impact that implementing

improvements has on customers and stakeholders in our business.

Being in a ‘frontline’ role will also give you the opportunity to develop your customer and relationship management skills which are invaluable in the service orientated nature of HSBC.

you will have the responsibility of leading a team to deliver a process, change or service.

Throughout your programme you will be given exposure to senior management and play a key part in driving change throughout the organisation.

You will then be provided with exposure to project methodologies, as well as planning and implementing a business change which could be in change delivery. You will need to liaise with various departments and vendors to ensure the project continues on schedule and that any risks are mitigated. You will also attend a one week offsite project management training course.

During your third placement, you will gain an understanding of longer-term strategic planning and direction. . In your final placement,

Whatever you are involved in, you will learn how to apply your leadership and analytical skills to drive business improvements.

Apply here: : www.hsbc.com/careers/studentsandgraduates/ 30

In addition to hearing from our speakers and taking part in the panel discussion, there’ll also be plenty of opportunity to network with Accenture recruiters. We currently have a number of roles available for graduates to join us in Spring 2014 on our Graduate training programme, so if you’d like to know more about careers at Accenture, this is a chance to ask any questions you might have. And of course, there’ll be plenty of complimentary drinks and canapés.

To apply for a place please visit: brightfutures.co.uk/home/ events/insight-days/accentureinsight-event.html

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We’re holding an exclusive event in London for graduates.

It’s an opportunity to hear from a range of Accenture professionals talking about their own paths to success, and what it takes to build a successful career at a company like Accenture. We also have a special guest speaker who is going to discuss her exciting career and entrepreneurial journey.

Accenture

Join us for our exclusive Achieving Success Event on the 21st January 2014 18.30 at Dexter House, London

The closing date for applications is the 17th January 2014.

Places are limited and it is an invitation only event.

To find out more about this event click here: www.brightfutures.co.uk

To find out more about Accenture visit: www.accenture.com/ukgraduates 31

PwC

Your career is just that; yours. You choose it.

You live it. You make it happen. To get the best from it, you need the best opportunities.

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Opportunities are at the heart of a career with us. And we’re proud, based on the opportunity we offer, that students have voted us the number one Graduate Employer in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers survey for the last ten years.

Our offer to you...

Ways you can join us

What you need to bring to us

Get a unique insight into what we offer on one of our undergraduate programmes ranging from our Talent Academy or Shadow a Female Leader Programme for first year students to our Summer Internships and Work Placements for penultimate year students. For final year students, join our full time opportunities in one of our business areas; Assurance, Actuarial, Consulting, Deals, Tax and Technology. Don’t miss the second chance to apply to join our Consulting practice with new vacancies opened for Autumn 2014 together with our Fast Track to Consulting event and new Insight in to Consulting days.

• A 2:1 or above in any degree subject (some programmes do require specific degrees) • A UCAS tariff of at least 300 (or equivalent)

• To be part of the world’s leading professional services network and enjoy the benefits that come with that.

• Work directly with big name clients where you’ll get to grips with the value they’re looking for by getting into the detail.

• Provide an environment where you’ll be able to explore new opportunities, to help you grow and find your niche. We welcome all degree disciplines • Give you access to the best learning and with offices UK wide, we have and development around. something for everyone. We’ll be back on campus at the end of January so look out for us to chat to our staff and recent joiners.

Take the opportunity of a lifetime. www.pwc.com/uk/careers www.facebook.com/PwCCareersUK 32

How to apply We know that the skills and experiences you develop with us, will stay with you throughout your career.

So join us, and we’ll help you reach your full potential.

We love analysing amazing applications

As a major engineering and technology company, our work touches all of our lives – every single day. From BACS, the secure network communications system behind 3.7 billion secure electronic transactions every year, to in-flight entertainment systems for passenger planes and stateof-the-art equipment for military aircraft, the scope and scale of our problem-solving abilities know no bounds.

Talented people are the key to our success. So from the outset we’ll encourage you to become professionally qualified and give you the training to realise your potential. Our comprehensive Graduate Development Programme (GDP) runs parallel with your Engineering role or placements on the Business Programme. It offers everything from an introduction to our organisation, culture and processes to formal training in the form of seminars, specialist courses and visits. We will also pay your annual membership fees for a relevant professional institution.

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We love cracking the confusingly complex at Thales. We love investigating the impossibly intractable. We love deciphering the dazzlingly difficult. And we love unravelling the unrelentingly unknowable. Why? Quite simply, creating the most ingenious technological systems and innovations is in our business DNA.

Thales

Graduate and Internship Programmes Starting salaries for graduates: £25,000 – £27,000 plus a £2,000 welcome bonus

We recruit on a rolling basis. Our application system is opened for a period of approximately one month and then closed to reassess recruitment needs.

If additional applications are required the system will reopen and will subsequently be closed approximately one month later.

This process is repeated until our recruitment needs are met.

So, in order to allow us analyse your amazing application, we recommend submitting it as soon as possible.

The Thales UK graduate Development Programme is accredited by the following Engineering Institutions: IET, IMechE, Royal Aeronautical Society and Institute of Physics.

For more hints & tips, videos and information on current roles, visit: www.ukgrads.thalesgroup.com 33

It’s all about STEM… Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths Students Get Involved

Experience a day of strategic, physical and mental challenges specifically designed to develop your business skills and allow you to showcase them to top UK companies talent A one-day event spotting for their future taking place on the 5th March at positions.

Dunchurch Park, To take part in this event register for a place by clicking here... brightfutures.co.uk/home/events

Rugby, (click here to visit Dunchurch Parks’ website) open to students studying STEM related subjects, in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd years of study.

• Teams of four (We’ll place you into teams) • Opportunities to gain work placements with leading UK organisations.

This is a great opportunity for you to showcase your competitive edge in front of employers and network throughout the day with prizes awarded to the best performers. The challenges are innovative, observable, fun, scored using bespoke electronic software.

• Develop your professional skills and showcase these to top businesses.

who’s attending?

• Gain direct feedback on how to improve your readiness for employment.

• Network with employers and like-minded students from across the UK. • Bring breadth & diversity to your employability portfolio.

• Enjoy an unforgettable experience at one of London’s leading sports venues.

• Easily accessible London location.

“

We chose to be involved with the UK student challenge because it is an innovative opportunity to introduce graduates to our brand as well as to engage with proactive and high calibre graduates in a unique assessment environment.

Emma Barbour

““

Talent Acquisition Partner - Training Programmes

UK Power Networks

Coca-Cola Enterprises are really keen to engage with students who can demonstrate the soft skills needed for successful careers within our business.

students who display these skills and tell them more about the opportunities we have for students of STEM subjects.

The STEM challenge is a great way for us to identify

Senior Professional, Talent Acquisition Coca-Cola Enterprises

Louisa Redfern

“

www.brightfutures.co.uk www.northstarevents.co.uk