Do you really want to join an Graduate Training Programme?

It’s the middle of August and the last thing on your mind will be what happens beyond graduating next summer, but the time will pass quickly and a swift flick through the recruitment pages of the large employers will tell you that they are already planning for their graduate entry intakes.  In October and November you’ll find many of them visiting a university near you, so it’s time to start thinking about whether that’s the way you want to start your career.

Remember to wear this on your first day at work.

 

Although I’m closer to my Freedom Card than my own student days, I can just about remember the milkround.  I went to one presentation  – CapGemini – and can still feel the suffocating wave of fear that engulfed me like a tsunami as I imagined working alongside these Jehovah’s Witness / Madison Avenue hybrids.  I think their head office is in Stepford.

But that’s me.  You may be different, but do think about it.  Working for a global business offers wonderful opportunities for learning,  development and travel.  If you’re good you will progress because these companies know how to spot and grow talent.  In the same way you’ll quickly find out if you don’t have what it takes to reach the top, but you’ll be given every chance to prove yourself.

If you’re ambitious then I’d say you need to test yourself by trying for one of the graduate trainee schemes, unless you know that you are not cut out for a rigid, rule based, hierarchical corporate existence.

Like me.

The selection process for graduate schemes is long and complicated.  Usually they start with a telephone interview to screen out the majority of candidates not rejected at the initial application stage.  Next is an assessment centre that generally involves psychometric tests (ability, attitudes and personality), some kind of role play to observe you working in a group situation, and an interview.

So what separates the best candidates from the rest?

Clearly they’re looking for the brightest people, but arguably by reaching the interview stage you’ve proved yourself to have cleared that obstacle.  You’re bright enough.  What they’re usually looking for now is potential to progress within the organisation.  What are the qualities required to progress to a high level in the organisation?  The most commonly sought skills are leadership, teamwork, strong communications skills and the ability think quickly and make decisions.

To prepare you need to think about examples that demonstrate these qualities and look for opportunities to talk about them at the interview.

But that’s not all.  It won’t always say it in the information pack but there are other things they’ll be looking for:  integrity and cultural fit for example.

Integrity means don’t hide any skeletons in the closet.  If you got a grade “C” in one of your A levels don’t pretend otherwise.  They will find out and the result will be that they will not feel able to trust you with their clients, or if you found yourself in a difficult situation.  Instead, be open about it and explain what you learned from the experience of under-performing.

Cultural fit seeks to establish if you share the values of the organisation or not?  Arguably you can work this out and answer accordingly, but the personality and attitude tests will reveal the truth about this in most cases so just be yourself and change the game by focusing on getting the interviewer to like you.  If they think you are the sort of person they’d like to work with then you will often do more than is necessary to be seen as a good fit because the reality is that most interviewers don’t know what cultural fit looks like, but they do know if they like someone.

Finally, you need to show enthusiasm.  That means bring some energy into the room.  Smile, look them in the eye, speak clearly and use plenty of vocal intonation.  Be an engaging person and they will picture you doing the same with their clients.  That will impress them.