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Discover EY Employer Insight Employers EY internship student success Student success stories

“I could not recommend Discover EY enough”

Annie Groom, Queen’s Accounting student

Annie Groom, a second year Accountancy student at Queen’s completed the Discover EY Insight Programme and has secured a summer internship with the company.

What was your highlight of the Discover EY programme?

My highlight of the Discover EY programme was the friendliness and energy from each EY employee who we had the chance to interact with. This ranged from graduate employees to partners of the firm! Each possessed a willingness to help and allowed us to feel comfortable asking questions, providing as much information as possible.

What did you learn about the industry and about yourself?

Throughout the Discover EY programme, the company largely emphasised their culture of putting ‘people’ first, which is important now more than ever, given the current situation. The company’s values were also reinforced, which they rely heavily upon. Whilst listening, I learnt that I myself possess many of these values, making me feel confident that I was the right fit for EY!

How did the networking sessions differ from what you had imagined?

Of course, my experience of Discover EY was a little different to previous years, given the current pandemic, causing the programme to be held virtually. At first, I felt nervous and a little apprehensive, as this was like nothing I had ever experienced before, however I quickly learnt that there was nothing to be worried about. Despite being virtual, the networking sessions were more informative than I had expected, and EY still managed to introduce multiple speakers and presenters to share their experience with us, which was definitely not expected! The networking sessions were much more relaxed and comfortable than I had imagined, and it was amazing to see how smooth it went given the virtuality!

What doors did the EY programme open for you?

I could not recommend Discover EY enough for the opportunities that were presented to me. I was fortunate enough to score highly in the final day assessments which then presented me with the option to apply for a summer internship and fast track to the individual interview stage. Thankfully I was successful and secured a place in this year’s Business Risk Services Summer Internship! I am so excited to get the opportunity to work within EY itself and gain lots of experience for my future career!

Apply for the Discover EY programme here

Categories
Employers Film studies MEDIA Programme Student blogger

Top CV tips from a BBC Studios Talent Executive

Award-winning series producer and director Ceri Rowlands recently delivered a CV workshop, revealing her top tips to creating a successful CV. It’s scary to think that you may be the perfect candidate for a job but because your CV isn’t formatted correctly, employers will not offer an interview. Luckily, with the right tips and content, your CV is the ticket to your dream job. Remember – a CV should not be more than two sides of a page, so make every word count! Here are some top tips to perfect your CV.

Sell yourself

After including your name and contact details at the top of your CV, write a short paragraph that “briefly summarises who you are.” This introduction can include what your current job or project is, your career objectives, and also emphasise any “higher ambitions” for your future career. Through just three to five sentences, you can immediately grab the employer’s attention by conveying your passion and prove you are the right candidate for the job! 

List practical skills

This part is basically where employers see if you tick all the right boxes to fit the job role. When trying to get your foot into the door of film and production, highlight your technical skills. These may include using specific camera equipment, editing software, and sound operators. By listing these key skills, you are demonstrating your “awareness of production.” Also, do not underestimate the importance of stating if you have a “clean driving history.” This information is crucial when applying for roles, such as a runner, as travelling to production locations may be vital to the role. Additionally, providing details of your work experience proves the situations where you have developed your skills and abilities. Don’t forget to always have the job requirements in mind when writing this section! Tweak your experience details to suit the role!

Relate hobbies to the role

While a lot of job applicants may rely on high academic achievements to guarantee them their job, hobbies and interests actually tell the employer useful information! Make a list of what hobbies you enjoy and what interests you the most. Then, identify what skills you have developed through those part-time hobbies. Notice anything? By letting employers know that you volunteer at a children’s drama club, your willingness to give back to the community along with your leadership and teamwork skills are conveyed. This section of your CV should not be an extensive list, however, consider what couple of hobbies have “shaped your career goals” and win over the employer!

Include relevant links

The format and information for a CV in the creative industry is different from standard formats. When applying for production roles, your experience and skills are the key to your interview. Don’t be afraid to also link the employer any short features, showreels, or any other creative project that appropriately shows your talent! Ensure to set up alerts on BBC’s Careers Hub to never miss a fantastic career opportunity in film!

For more top tips on breaking into TV and Film, check out BBC Digital Cities.

Categories
advice Employer events Employer Panels Employers Graduate recruitment Graduate success

Four Employers Who Offer Surprisingly Varied Careers for Graduates from All Disciplines

Nobody likes to be pigeon-holed – it stunts professional growth and limits your options. And the same can be said of employers. Just because a company dominates in a particular field or industry doesn’t mean they are only recruiting one type of graduate from one distinct discipline.  In fact, some of the most successful and agile workplaces are committed to recruiting students from a variety of backgrounds to maximise creativity and diversify thought. Here are just four of them.

Chartered Accountants Ireland

‘We embrace diversity and creativity in the workplace – we want to see difference around the table’

“As a body we are keen to attract the brightest and the best but from all backgrounds which isn’t often known or appreciated and we find the employers we work with really welcome and endorse a mixed skillset and really welcome students coming from all degree discipline.

“As a Law graduate, to me, chartered accountancy was boring – it was going to be number-crunching accounting and it was a far cry from what I saw myself doing. I have to say my mind was completely blown. I often get asked will an employer not favour someone from a finance/accounting background and the answer is no. They don’t want to have everyone around their table with the exact same thought process and methodology. They really embrace diversity and creativity in the workplace and that really helps them excel, forcing them to innovate and disrupt the norm which is necessary in the modern workplace. Communication skills are key, which people mightn’t fully appreciate. The ability to make good decisions – to weigh up qualitative and quantitative data, to use critical thinking, to be a strategist and to influence others. So that emotional intelligence is absolutely core to becoming a good chartered accountant because ultimately that is a business leadership passport.”

Sinead Fox-Hamilton, Chartered Accountants Ireland 

PwC

‘It’s not just accountancy – there is a whole range of varied roles across the board’

“There’s lots of areas in PwC you can join as graduates – we don’t require a specific degree. As a Psychology graduate, it was never somewhere I’d considered because I just thought it was very corporate; that it’s all accountancy-based and it’s very professional and it’s maybe not for me. But actually, what I’ve found is that it totally is for me and it’s the right place for me to be. We are an accountancy firm, but there’s so much more than that – so we recruit graduates into consultancy, tax, deals, working with different clients, mergers, audit and of course accountancy so there’s a whole range of things you can do at PwC varied across the whole board.

Consultancy for example is very much working with clients and problem-solving and finding solutions for those clients. Someone might come to us looking to do a new business merger or something like that so our consultancy team would look into that for them and be their advisors.” 

Sarah Delaney,  PwC

NatWest Banking Group

‘I’ve been here 14 years and probably had about 6 different careers.’

“The reason I’ve stayed so long in the bank is that, whilst I’ve been here 14 years, I’ve probably had about 6 different careers in that time. I have done a variation of different roles including business-facing HR consultant type jobs, business partnering jobs…Right now, I’m the HR business partner for three different areas and they are group business areas. I look after three business areas – financial crime and control, fraud prevention and shared services. These are the back-office areas – basically the bits of the bank that keeps everything ticking along, but you wouldn’t necessarily see those parts of the bank because they’re not there on the high street in branches and such. My role looks after about 8000 people and they are spread across the globe – predominantly UK, Poland and India but also I have a scattering of people in the States, Singapore and Japan and other ones and twos over the globe as well. So, I have very much gone from being an Island of Ireland-focused role back when I joined the bank 14 years ago to a truly global role now.” 

Sandra Wright, NatWest Group

Belfast City Council

‘In the council, you don’t just work on one thing, you have to flexible and respond to different demands.’

“We have a community plan which is focal to everything that we do and it’s called the Belfast Agenda and it focuses on Belfast becoming a safe, fair and inclusive city where everyone benefits from the success of the city. We’re looking for analytical skills, problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, communication skills – especially if you’re going out into the communities and engaging with the citizens of Belfast. As well as good written and oral communication skills, because you’d be working with a range of different audiences – so maybe colleagues, managers and members of the public. Researching and benchmarking skills are really important to us, work planning, project management and partnership working. So, whilst you’re at university, try to get as much experience as you can around that. Demonstrate that you’re self-motivated and you’re a good team player, and that you’re flexible in your approach to work. In the council you don’t just get working in one thing, there’s different demands all the time from different people and you have to be flexible in managing that demand, as well as working to tight deadlines.” 

Alison Long, Belfast City Council

To access more inspiring advice from business leaders, catch up on our Employer Panel series by re-watching our past events here:

https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/careers-events/pastevents/

Categories
Careers programmes Employer Engagement Employer events Employer Panels Employers EY Graduate recruitment Interviews Skills Strengths-based interviews Virtual recruitment

How to Succeed in Strengths-Based Recruitment

Sarah McKeag, Associate Director for Talent Attraction and Acquisition at EY Belfast

Sarah McKeag, Associate Director for Talent Attraction and Acquisition at EY Belfast talks skills-based recruitment and how it differs from the traditional recruitment process.

About EY

EY are one of the big four professional services firms. We have about 550 staff in Belfast at present and 18,000 staff in 21 offices across the UK. We are traditionally known for bringing staff into their chartered accountancy-based exams, be that an audit business or tax business. We have a large consulting business in Belfast and we bring in students now down different routes, through data analytics, project management, contract and procurement management – so there is a wide opportunity for students at all levels within EY. We are a global organisation in 150 companies worldwide. So, the opportunity for students to move and to travel and gain that vast exposure is there, right on their doorstep in Belfast.

Strengths-based recruitment at EY

We have stepped away from traditional [recruitment] routes, we did this about 10 years ago and we work with an organisation called the Centre For Applied Psychology. They have helped us develop this strength-based recruitment process to assess potential in students. So that is the main difference in strength-based recruitment: we’re not looking for the students to have had work experience or experience in a range of things, we’re looking for the potential they have to become leaders in our business and to become successful in our business.

We review our process every couple of years. We review the strengths we use, the frameworks, to make sure that they are aligned to the people who are performing the highest in our business and then this helps assess this potential in the students coming in. So, if we think about what other employers use, they typically use a competency-based approach and the difference between a strength and a competency-based approach is around the energy and enthusiasm – competency can be learnt, whereas a strength is something where you have that natural enthusiasm and energy around doing. It is something you do well and you do often and you enjoy doing all that time. We use that across all our student recruitment, from the online assessment centre to the final interview. The majority of the strengths we use for EY are the core strengths from across all of our programmes we operate, but when you get to that final interview, we’ll have more focus strengths for the area you applied for. 

Strengths that EY recruit against 

These are the core strengths that we would measure:

Accountable

Agile

Adaptable 

Analytical 

Curious

In the know

Number Savvy

Resilient

Strong Communicator

Team Player

We are not looking for students to have done reams of work experience, we will give them a situation or a task and we will ask them how they would approach that, how they would feel about that, we may give them a number of tasks and ask them to choose their preferred 5 or we may give them a group activity and ask them to evaluate on how they have done in that activity and what they would do differently next time. We want them to have these strengths in their mind, when they are going through our process and think about how would I deal with the situation, what would I rely on to do that?

Curious

For example, if we look at the strength curious, we are looking for people that are always challenging and asking why they are doing something, they are looking for new ways to do something and challenge how something works or what’s driving a change in analytics they see so it is that curious, finding out what’s happening and what’s coming next. 

Adaptable and resilience

I think at the moment adaptable and resilience are particularly important. That’s been huge for the students we have brought on in the past 6 months. But equally for the students that are coming towards their last year in university or starting university in a different way than they had ever envisioned themselves. How can they make the most of the circumstances they are in at the moment? Things are frequently changing so there needs to be a level of resilience so they can manage that change process. So that they don’t get change fatigue, so they can have coping mechanisms for stress management, they know when they are stressed and how to deal with that. 

Number savvy

The number savvy one is not looking for someone that has done further maths or additional maths, however we are a number business and whether that be in data analytics or it be in our audit business, you will be given large volumes or data, sometimes numerical, and you will need to be comfortable working with that. People have to have a level of comfort around that, and understand what drives business or what drives our customers businesses as well. 

Team Player

The team player one, we will assess on our EY experience day in our new virtual assessment. This is a really good way at seeing everyone’s energy and how they interact withing a group. In our business you will work in teams and they can be small teams up to very large teams. So you need to have an understanding of how to integrate into a team, what roles you tend to take on, what your strengths are. You do not need to be the leader of that group, quite often you just need to be the person who focusses that group or remembers to bring the group back to a certain point or build on someone else’s idea. We are not looking for the person who talks the most or loudest, but the person who brings the most value to the group, this may be bringing in people who are more quiet in the group or bringing a focus back to the task at hand. We also need those people who start the group off, who get everyone focussed on the task.

Prepping for a virtual strengths-based interview

Make sure your technology works

Make sure you’re comfortable to come on camera

Don’t forget you can blur your background in video’s if it makes you feel more comfortable

We want to see your face and your interaction

Virtual interviews are different from face to face as that rapport takes a bit longer to build up, however our assessors are very comfortable coming on to the camera

Make sure your WIFI is as strong as it can be

Make sure you will not get interrupted

Make sure you do all your prep work before hand

Identify your strengths

For identifying their strengths, particularly before the final interview stage, and you’re thinking about the job that you are going in to, quite often it quite difficult to identify your own strengths but if you think about your energy level – something you do well, you do often and you enjoy doing. It might not be the first thing on your list as you know you can do it in 5 minutes, it could be the thing you treat yourself to or the thing you do first because you know you can do it in 5 minutes. It will be the thing your friends always ask you to do, it will be the role you always find yourself in in any camp or society – so if you’re really good with numbers, you’ll find yourself with the treasurer, if you’re very analytical, people will come to you with their problems to find a solution. The things your friends say you never shut up about as well or something you can talk about for ages.

We will give you a situation or tell you a bit about the area you applied to, a bit about the strengths that they look for and then we will ask you about the situation and what you would find yourself doing if you were in that situation.

In our final interview stages, there is a short presentation which we ask the candidates to do and that should be your opportunity to do a little bit of research around EY and that line of service you have applied for. The final thing would be around motivation. You will be interviewed by a partner or director, who is an owner of our business, and they will want to know why you wanted to apply to EY, why you have applied to that particular area, as that is the part they own. It is really your opportunity to show the research you have done into the business and into the pathway you have applied for. There is plenty of information on our website. 

What is a good question for a candidate to ask at the end of the interview?

I personally think you should always ask a question at the end of an interview. You should by that stage, have built up a rapport with the interviewer, the questions I would tell you to absolutely avoid would be around salary and benefits, as this information is all on our website. There is plenty of time to ask the recruitment team prior to the final interview. 

Our interviewers have typically been in the business for a number of years and have had a number of interesting career paths to that point. Questions I would focus on at the end of the interview would be around what is the best client they have worked on, what has been the most challenging client they have worked on, what has been their career path to date or what has been their most interesting role in the organisation. There’s lots of questions related to the company they can ask us. A lot of questions we are being asked at the moment are about the returns to the office and how we engaged with our teams remotely and what were the biggest challenges. The partners are really open to hear from new graduates about what would work and what they would need to see coming into the business and they are keen to know what they can do.

A question at the end of the interview is an opportunity for the candidate to get a view on if they see themself working for this person? Do they want to work on their team? Do they inspire them as a leader? That is what they should be thinking about shaping their questions around if I was coming in. 

I found that it was because of the people who interviewed me that made me join, we built a rapport, we had a good chat and we quite often get feed back that our interviews don’t feel very formal and they turn out as more of a chat. When I got the offer, I made the decision because I really enjoyed the people from the company. 

For students, you need to think about what you need to know to be on that team and what else you need to know about the leader of that team you will be joining. 

To find out more about careers at EY, apply for the Discover EY programme by Nov 30.

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Degree Plus Festival DegreePlus Employers Prizes Skills

What is the Degree Plus Employability Festival?

Lunch and learn all about Queen’s employability award on 11 November from 12.30pm- 1.30pm.

What is Degree Plus?

Degree Plus is Queen’s employability award. It allows you to earn an extra certificate at graduation in recognition of the extra-curricular activities you take part in during your time at Queen’s. Volunteering, exchange programmes, peer mentoring and language courses all count towards the award.

How do you earn Degree Plus?

There are two ways of earning your Degree Plus Award. The first is called Provider Verified – where you complete one big activity and the activity provider automatically applies for the award on your behalf. The second route is called Combined Experience – this is where you complete two or more smaller extra-curricular activities and you apply for the award yourself, stating on the application form which of the 12 Degree Plus Employability Skills you enhanced during your chosen activities.

Provider Verified is the most straightforward way to get the award. Once you have completed the activity, you will automatically be recommended for the award. You don’t need to do anything else except collect your certificate at graduation (it will list the activities you completed on the certificate).

What happens at the Degree Plus Employability Festival?

During the Degree Plus Employability Festival, you will have a chance to meet providers who are offering programmes, activities and courses that are pre-approved for Degree Plus accreditation.

These are people who have the power to make you more employable in a number of ways. Firstly, the programmes they offer are designed to enhance your employability skills, making you instantly more attractive to prospective employers. Secondly, just by completing their activity, you will be provided with an award that you can talk about in future interviews as proof positive of your skills. Lastly, the fact that you took part in an activity and earned the award is in itself a testament of your initiative and automatically sets you apart from the crowd.

What types of providers are attending the festival?

From exchange and placement programmes to volunteering, research, mentoring and language courses, there will be a number of providers there offering a range of fun and rewarding activities that can help you achieve an extra certificate at graduation in recognition of the skills you have developed. All the providers attending the festival have confirmed that they are still running their programmes and activities this year.

Who else will be at the Festival?

You can also chat with the Degree Plus team and hear what employers like EY and NICVA have to say about the award.

Where is it being held?

The Festival is being held virtually in MyFuture, our online careers portal. You might previously have used MyFuture to search for jobs and events, or even to access CV help and support. But the portal has added a host of new features, including a virtual event hosting function, so we are excited to show you around.

Where does the lunch bit come in?

All attending students will be entered into a draw to win one of six £20 Just Eat vouchers – now who said there is no such thing as a free lunch?

The DEGREE PLUS EMPLOYABILITY FESTIVAL is being held virtually on 11 November between 12.30-1.30pm.

Register via MyFuture

Categories
Applications CVs Employers Graduate recruitment Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair Graduate success graduate training schemes internship Interviews

Ask the employer: What sets a winning job applicant apart?

Many graduate recruiters see piles of CVs and interview hundreds of applicants to fill jobs and placement roles. So, what sets a good candidate apart? We cornered some of NI’s top recruiters at the Graduate Recruiter and Placement Fair last week to find out. Here is what they had to say…

Include skills developed through extracurricular activities

“It is important to appreciate that on paper, all graduates from the same degree programme look the same. However candidates who succinctly articulate how their skills and experience meet the essential and desirable criteria outlined on the Job Description will stand out, as this shows they have considered the requirements of the role and thought about how they will bring value to the organisation. I would encourage students to really think about what they have achieved outside of their academic qualification.  Reflection upon the skills developed through involvement in extracurricular activities such as clubs, societies, sports, volunteering and work experience, and setting this in the context of the competencies employers seek, will set your application apart from others.”

Kim McAllister, Talent Acquisition Manager, Almac Group

EDITOR’S NOTE: Queen’s Degree Plus programme provides an opportunity to articulate the skills you have built up through extracurricular activities to employers. Find out more at GO.QUB.AC.UK/DEGREEPLUS

Show that you are keen

“If we get the feeling that you are super keen and can’t wait to get started sometime that is worth even more than a high score in the technical test. “

Elisa Herbig. Talent Acquisition Specialist at AquaQ Analytics

Make sure your CV hits the mark

“Your CV doesn’t need to be elaborate or fancy. A lot of the time what really helps people is having something presentable that is easy to read. For the recruiter who is going to be reviewing it. Making sure the formatting is correct. Making sure there are no typos. Making sure the application is as easy to read as possible. Highlight any relevant experience for the role. Voluntary experience is good to include. Even if you have been working part-time show you have been doing something alongside your academic studies.” 

Adrian McCarthy is the manager of For Purpose

Relax in the interview

“Top interview tip – relax! We are just as nervous as you are. We want to sell you the job as much as you want to sell your skills to us. We want to make sure this is somewhere you want to work.” 

Joelene Ridgill , Purchasing Manager at Seacoya Group Ltd

Include work experience in your CV

“It sounds obvious but, in terms of a winning CV, good grades go a long way. It shows that the applicant knows how to put the work in to achieve their goals. It’s also very important to have some work experience or extracurricular activities since a candidate will have gained invaluable skills and experiences that they can bring into their new role. It also shows their adaptability and an appreciation for hard work. 

For an interview, it’s easy to say but just try to relax and be yourself. Your CV already shows many of your skills and this is a chance to show your personality. Remember that interviewers are just people, and someday it will be you in the interviewer’s seat!”

Sarah Fleming, Senior Manager, Muldoon & Co

Read assessment centre instructions

“At Liberty IT, we don’t ask for your CV when you apply. We only ask for your basic details such as what you’re studying and what year you’re in. If you meet the criteria you will then be invited to complete an online coding test through Codility and if you’re successful in that you get to attend our recruitment centres. 

The recruitment centre is broken up into four sections to make sure we get the best idea of your skills, experience and potential. To do well, make sure you read the advice we’ll send you, be yourself and try to enjoy the experience.”

Birgitta Swanberg, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Liberty IT

Tailor your CV for the role

Information within a CV needs to be clear and concise. No long paragraphs.  Ensure your skills and experience are easily identifiable throughout. Remember the recruiter looking at your CV doesn’t know you so highlight your relevant experience using the job description. To help you refine your CV to the role and make it stand out from the pile. Finally don’t forget to include personal achievements. Competing in team sports is a good indicator that you work well within a team and have competitive nature. 

Clodagh Mckeefry, Corporate Recruiter, MRP 

Show who you are as a person

I want to see what you do in your free time. An academic record is fantastic but I want to know about your volunteer experience, part time jobs, clubs you’re a part of, etc. It’s all about showing people that you are capable of doing more and pushing yourself.

Jared Kearney, Senior Campus Recruiter, Citi UK and Citi Irelan

Categories
Employer Engagement Employer events Employers Graduate recruitment Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair Graduate success graduateland Leadership

Highlights from Day Two of the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair

Leaders in industry gave some valuable advice to students and graduates during some inspiring presentations and workshops. Here are some of the takeaways from Day Two.

Neil Chief Economist on Island of Ireland at EY gave the keynote speech. 

Here is what he had to say:

“The most important message for students is to remain positive and upbeat despite what you read. You can very easily feel daunted or intimidating. At a time of change or disruption, there are plenty of opportunities. If you think of it this way, when there is lots of problems, the world needs problem-solvers.”

“Keep your sense of positivity, observe and learn but don’t be intimidated as if that will close down opportunities.”

“The world is always changing. The idea you can map out a career ten or 15 years is not true, you have to keep flexibility in your mind and approach.”

“The place you thought you would get a job, that may not be the case. Think what you enjoy and what you like doing. Think what competencies or skills you have. Be less predetermined in what those opportunities might be.”

“Be open mind and absorb what you can. Recruitment is a two-way thing. It’s not just what you have to do to get an opportunity, it’s asking yourself, can be at my best in that organisation?.”

Lessons from Leaders

Mark McCormack, Head of Technology at Aflac 

“Problem-solving is one of the most important skills you can develop for any career. It’s what separates us from the computers; that and empathy – and the craic.”

“I might work with computers but it’s the people that make the work interesting and fun.”

“You learn that the things that make you successful in one part of your career are not necessarily the things that make you successful later on. You have to learn and adapt. If you are not learning, then you are probably not enjoying yourself.”

“We look for three things: adaptability, resilience and reinvention.”

“Stay flexible, keep learning and find some good people to work with and you can’t go wrong.”

Lessons from Leaders

Mark Dougan, Director, Prince’s Trust NI

“Courageous leaders are stepping up every single day in NI: teachers, nurses, youth workers, business professionals and young people like yourselves… you are quite literally being made into a leader as a result of this crisis.”

“Lead with courage with a small l.”

“The only thing certain is uncertainty. We have to learn to co-exist with uncertainty.”

“You are courageous leaders in the making and at this moment you need to intentionally decide to get in the game.”

“Yes, it’s challenging and you will make mistakes but the more you do, the more rewarding it becomes as you develop your skills as an effective leader.”

“Everyone is struggling with different challenges and none of those challenges outrank others. Think intentionally how you enable others to lead with courage; set them goals and give them clarity that they need to be courageous leaders in their own right and they will bring their best selves to work every day.”

“Be curious. Ask questions, lots of questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question.” 

Missed a presentation or workshop?

You can re-watch on our past events page here:

https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/careers-events/pastevents/

Categories
Employer events Employers Graduate recruitment Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair Graduate success graduateland postgraduate

The Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair in pictures

Some highlights from our recent virtual fair. Don’t forget you can re-watch the presentations and workshops on our events page.

Categories
Degree Plus Festival DegreePlus Employers Skills Summer deadline Winter deadline

Why do employers value Degree Plus?

When it comes to articulating the skills you have developed during your time at Queen’s, Degree Plus is a great tool to have in your armour. Here is why.

Degree Plus is supported by employers 

“Employers like EY and Nicva are putting their name to the award – that is an indication of the level of interest and support employers have in students who complete this award,” says Eimear Gallagher, Business Operations Manager at Careers, Employability and Skills, who heads up Degree Plus.

 It quantifies your soft skills

“Degree Plus develops your employability.  Even if an employer has never heard of the Degree Plus award, they will definitely be interested to see that you have completed a significant amount of extracurricular activity. It shows you have stepped up above and beyond your degree programme, and that you’ve managed your time effectively and balanced it with your studies,” says Eimear.

She adds: “The fact that you can present the validation of those activities in the form of a certificate helps to give employers security that everything you are saying you can back up and evidence through both your degree and your Degree Plus certificate.

It shows initiative

“Degree Plus is an indicator of initiative.,” says Eimear. “Degree Plus is not compulsory – it shows you chose to set up and accept the challenge of exploring a new interest.”

It allows you to practice articulating your skills 

Both routes to Degree Plus involve an element of self-reflection during which you will be asked to analyse which of the Degree Plus skills you have developed and how. 

With the Provider Verified route, this might involve a presentation or form at the end of the programme. For Combined Experience, you will be asked to complete an application form to evidence the skills you have gained during two extracurricular activities. 

Either way, this self-reflective element forms a key part of the award. 

“We want you to learn and gain practice in articulating the skills that you are gaining from Degree Plus and the extracurricular activities you have been involved in so you can convey those with impact in an interview situation,” says Eimear. “To be able to articulate these things and how they’ve helped you; how your employability has developed through them – that’s an important skill in itself.”

Eimear Gallagher is the Business Operations Manager at Queen’s Careers, Employability and Skills.

To contact the Degree Plus team, email degreeplus@qub.ac.uk

Categories
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Some of the 70+ Great Companies You Can Meet on Day Two of The Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair

(Psst! There are over 300 jobs on offer over the two days!)

Wow! What a jam-packed day of amazing exhibitors we had yesterday at the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair. We have over 70+ more organisations coming today, so make sure you come back and check them out. The Day Two event lobby is already open, so you can pop in and check out employers and jobs, request interview slots with selected employers and follow employers to receive alerts.

Here are just some of the awesome companies signed up for Day Two – they are all hiring students just like you! If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so here:

https://virtualcareersfairs.qub.ac.uk/events

A&L Goodbody

A&L Goodbody is a leading Irish law firm

https://www.algoodbody.com/

Accenture

Accenture plc is a multinational professional services company and a Fortune Global 500 company.

https://www.accenture.com/gb-en

Alchemy Technology Services

Global centre of excellence for insurance software implementation 

https://www.alchemytechs.com/

Almac Group

The Almac Group is an established contract development and manufacturing organisation providing an extensive range of integrated services across the drug development lifecycle to the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors globally.

AquaQ Analytics

AquaQ provides consulting services to several top tier investment banks.

Bank of Ireland

Bank of Ireland Group plc is a commercial bank operation in Ireland and one of the traditional ‘Big Four‘ Irish banks.

https://www.bankofireland.com/

Belfast Health & Social Care Trust

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) is a health organisation covering Belfast, Northern Ireland

Bombardier

Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains.

https://www.bombardier.com/en/home.html

British Army, The – Army Careers

The Army is always recruiting, and there are a wide range of roles available for both officers and soldiers.          

https://www.army.mod.uk/careers/

British Council – IAESTE

From electronics in Japan to earthquake detection technology in Colombia, an IAESTE placement is a guaranteed way to boost your career. 

https://www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/outside-uk/iaeste

BSG Civil Engineering Ltd

BSG Civil Engineering Ltd is a Premier Civil Engineering Contractor, delivering all Multi Discipline Schemes.

Carson McDowell

Carson McDowell is Northern Ireland’s most dynamic law firm.

https://www.carson-mcdowell.com/

CDE Global Ltd

CDE Global is the world’s no 1 wet processing equipment company.

https://www.cdeglobal.com/

Citi

A global bank providing financial services.

https://www.citigroup.com/citi/

CK International              

CK International is one of the world’s leading waste baler manufacturers.

Clear Pharmacy

Clear Pharmacy is a family run group of community pharmacies

CME Group

The world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace.

https://www.cmegroup.com/

CommScope

CommScope helps design, build and manage wired and wireless networks around the world.

https://www.commscope.com/

Cygilant UK Ltd

Cygilant provides Cybersecurity-as-a-Service.

Department for the Economy

The Department for the Economy is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive.

https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/

DPS Group Global

DPS Group is a global consulting, engineering and construction management company.

https://www.dpsgroupglobal.com/

Dunbia         

Dunbia is a red meat processor that sources and manufactures beef, lamb and pork products for retail, commercial and foodservice markets locally, nationally and internationally.

ESO Solutions UK Ltd

ESO offers an integrated suite of software products for EMS agencies, fire departments, and hospitals.

https://www.eso.com/

EY (UK)

A multinational professional services network (Accountancy Firm).

https://www.ey.com/en_uk

Farrans

Farrans Construction is an established building and civil engineering contractor.

https://www.farrans.com/

fDi Intelligence

fDi Intelligence, a service from the Financial Times, is the largest FDI centre of excellence globally.

https://www.fdiintelligence.com/

FinTrU

Multi-award winning Financial Services company providing resourcing solutions for Global Investment Banks

https://www.fintru.com/

Fox Contracts

An award winning Northern Irish based Civil Engineering company

https://www.fox-contracts.com/

Graham Construction

A large award winning UK construction company. 

https://www.graham.co.uk/

Harbinson Mulholland

Award winning accountants rooted in Northern Ireland,

https://www.harbinson-mulholland.com/

HMRC

The Non-ministerial department of the UK Government responsible for the collection of taxes and other forms of support within the UK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs

IBM

American cloud platform and cognitive solutions multinational technology and consulting company

www.ibm.com

iManage

Large software company focused exclusively on professional work product management.

www.imanage.com

Infosys

Global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting.

www.infosys.com/

InterTradeIreland – Career Boost

Provider of practical cross-border business funding, intelligence and contacts.

www.intertradeireland.com/

Invest NI

www.investni.com/

Invest Northern Ireland is Northern Ireland’s regional economic development agency.

Jacobs UK Ltd

http://www.jacobs.com/

Jacobs is multidisciplinary engineering company that operates globally. 

Jameson Graduate Programme

Part of the Irish Distillers Company.  It is the largest distiller of Irish whiskey.

https://www.jamesongraduateprogramme.com/

Jones Day

Commercial Law Firm

https://www.jonesday.com/en

Kainos Software Ltd

Large NI & UK based software company.

www.kainos.com

Kingspan Group

Building Materials company based in Ireland.

https://www.kingspan.com/

KTP@QUB

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) at Queen’s University Belfast

https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/graduate-support/employers/Knowledge-Transfer-Partnership-(KTP)-at-Queen’s/

Lakeland Dairies

Irish Dairy Co-operative and manufacturer of application specific food ingredients.

www.lakeland.ie/

Marks & Spencer

Large major multinational retailer.

www.marksandspencers.com/

Marsh and McLennan

Marsh & McLennan is the world’s leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people.

https://www.mmc.com/

McAleer & Rushe

McAleer and Rushe is one of the UK’s largest design and build construction companies

McCann FitzGerald

Leading Irish Law firm

https://www.mccannfitzgerald.com/

MCL InsureTech Ltd

A high-quality provider of services to the insurance industry.

http://www.mclinsuretech.co.uk/

Mott MacDonald

Consultancy Firm

https://www.mottmac.com/

MRP

Sales & Marketing Innovation That Fosters Business Transformation.

Musgrave Limited

Irish Food Wholesaler

Options Technology

The leading provider of cloud-enabled managed services to the global capital markets.

PA Consulting Group

Consultancy Firm

https://www.paconsulting.com/

PAC GROUP

A UK-based leading provider of a diverse range of electrical and mechanical engineering applications and solutions.

https://www.pacgroup.co.uk/

Philip Morris Limited

An American multinational cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company, with products sold in over 180 countries.

https://www.pmi.com/

PM Group

International Project Delivery Firm    

https://www.pmgroup-global.com/

Puppet

Automation software development company

https://puppet.com/

PwC

Accountancy Firm

https://www.pwc.co.uk/

Randox Laboratories Ltd

Randox provides clinical diagnostic solutions to laboratories worldwide and is dedicated to improving health on a global scale.

Rapid7

Rapid7 powers the practice of SecOps by delivering shared visibility, analytics, and automation to unite security, IT, and DevOps teams.

https://www.rapid7.com/

Specialisterne

A socially innovative company where the majority of employees have a diagnosis on the autism spectrum.

Synergy Learning

Experts in creating learning with impact. Premium Certified Moodle Services Provider & Platinum Totara Partner.

Terex GB Ltd

Terex Corporation is a global manufacturer of lifting and material processing products and services delivering lifecycle solutions.

https://www.terex.com/

Thermo Fisher Scientific

An American provisioner of scientific instrumentation, reagents and consumables, and software and services to healthcare, life science, and other laboratories in academia, government, and industry.

https://www.thermofisher.com/uk/en/home.html

TLT NI LLP

Commercial Law Firm

https://www.tltsolicitors.com/locations/belfast/

TPICAP

TP ICAP plc is a global firm of professional intermediaries that operates in the world’s financial, energy and commodities markets

https://tpicap.com/tpicap/

TriMedika Ltd

Company developing innovative medical devices.

Version 1 Ltd

Version 1 proves that IT can make a real difference to our customers’ businesses.

WuXi Biologics

WuXi Biologics is a Chinese headquartered organization that provides open-access, integrated technology platforms for biologics drug development.

https://www.wuxibiologics.com/