It’s peak season for placement applications. If you attended our Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair last week, you’ll know that a placement is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door at your dream company. But once you successfully secure a placement how can you make an impact that will lead to a potential job offer? We asked some top recruiters and here is what they had to say…
Be Enthusiastic
“The most successful placements are undertaken by students who appreciate the vast developmental opportunity that is presented to them via a work placement. Enthusiasm, active listening and the willingness to learn will result in a successful placement experience for both student and host organisation. Depending upon business requirements, students who contribute effectively, learn from others and ultimately impress during their placement year with Almac, leave with a conditional offer of employment ahead of their final year of study.”
Kim McAllister, Talent Acquisition Manager, Almac Group
Go above and beyond
“A student always makes an impact if they go above and beyond to help others. It could be that they offer to help someone who is struggling to get a job finished for a deadline or just something as small as offering to make tea or coffee for your team.
And ask questions! It shows you’re keen to learn and have a genuine interest in the role.
We also love to see our new members get to know everyone in the office by chatting with them at lunch or attending our social events. We’re a tight knit office so it’s important that people feel part of the team and enjoy the culture at Muldoon & Co.”
Olivia Blundell, Trainee Accountant, Muldoon & Co
Be willing to learn
“Having recently had a Queen’s student on our team, we found that having the willingness to train and learn was a great benefit. Get involved in the team and don’t be afraid to put points and ideas forward.”
Joelene Ridgill , Purchasing Manager at Seacoya Group Ltd
Get involved
“The best thing to do is to get involved in as much as possible. At Liberty IT, we have the opportunity to sign up for an unlimited amount of training and attend internal and external tech talks and conferences. Our past interns have participated in hackathons, talked at events and helped out with recruitment. There’s no limit to what you can get involved in.”
Birgitta Swanberg, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Liberty IT
Ask questions
“Be eager and demonstrate a willingness to work by arriving on time and with a positive attitude. Look to develop your skills by communicating with employers within the business; ask questions and make sure you seek out those answers. Show interest in the work by keeping up with new technologies within the market.”
Chloe Brown, Corporate Recruiter, MRP
Teach yourself along the way
“Speak up, ask questions, and research topics. We don’t expect you to know everything, but we want to see you proactively learning and engaging.”
Jared Kearney, Senior Campus Recruiter, Citi UK and Citi Ireland
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.”
Degree Plus recognises the skills and experience you have built up during your extracurricular activities at Queen’s. The two important elements being that you have to take part in the activity while you are at Queen’s and that the activity must not be part of your course.
Here is more on the types of activities that count towards the award.
Eimear Gallagher, Business Operations Manager and Degree Plus lead says: “A lot of people try things for the first time at Queen’s. For any hobby, sport or activity you are interested in, there is a wealth of activities available. You might also be involved in full or part time work, volunteering or networking with employers. It is all available during your time at Queen’s and Degree Plus helps you make the most of that.”
Challenge and stretch yourself
As well as having fun, you can gain valuable skills and experience to impress employers through your extracurricular activities at Queen’s. A future employer might ask you what else did you do at Queen’s outside your degree. They will want to know how challenging and stretching those experiences were.
“Activities that genuinely stretch and challenge you are the ones that you enjoy the most,” says Eimear. “Those are the ones for which you will get accreditation.
She adds: “We also 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.”
Types of activities
Typically Degree Plus activities run the gamut from management and commercial awareness programmes such as Innovation Bootcamp, the Stock Market Challenge, Dragon’s Den, Free Student Membership of the Institute of Directors (100 free places) as well as Leadership Development programmes such as Queen’s Global Leadership programme, Inspiring Leaders, and Leadership in Practice (UOTC). Other activities include Students’ Union enterprise and volunteering programmes and Language Centre extracurricular courses. Extracurricular placement and internships also count towards Degree Plus. However, if a placement is embedded on your degree course then it cannot be used as part of your Degree Plus application.
Please note for 2020/21 some Provider Verified activities are not running while some are being offered remotely. To find out more, check our menu lists on the Degree Plus website for updates.
If you are applying for Degree Plus yourself via the Combined Experience route, then the two activities cannot be the same type of experience. You should combine two activities that developed different skills. For example, a part -time job in the supermarket and a language course, or volunteering in the community and participating in a sport.
How much time do I have to spend doing the activity?
The amount of time it takes to complete an activity depends on the intensity of the activity. At the minimal end it might be 12-15 hours right up to 200 hours over a year or two. The time invested depends on the activity and the nature of the activity.
If you are including participation in a sport as one of your two Combined Experience, for example, we want to know that you di more than passively turn up. It’s all about how much you engaged and what you got out of the experience as a result – this should all be reflected in your application form.
To find out more about Provider Verified activities for the year ahead, don’t miss our Degree Plus Festival on 11 November
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.
If you missed our inspiring lessons from leaders and workshop on strength-based interviews, on Day One, here are key takeaways. Don’t forget, you can catch up on all our past event here:
Takeaway 1:There is psychology behind the graduate application process
Sarah McKeag, Associate Director, from EY Belfast, who also sponsor the event, gave an insightful talk on their strength-based recruitment process. They engage the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology to help assess students. It’s not as scary as it sounds. Sarah explained that strength-based recruitment is not about the experience you have had, but about your potential as a leader.
“The different between strength and competency based interviews is that competency can be learned. Strength-based assessment is all about your natural energy and enthusiasm. The challenge for students is how they portray that energy during the virtual recruitment process, she said.
Takeaway 2:Some of the key strengths employers look for
Sarah listed the ten strengths EY assess against – have them in your mind during the graduate recruitment process:
Accountable
Analytical
Agile
Adaptable
Curious
In the know
Number savvy
Resilient
Strong communicator
Team Player
“We are not looking for students to have reams of work experience or to have done work experience with us or another accountancy firm,” said Sarah. “In our assessment centre, we will give candidates a situation or a task and we will ask them how they feel about that. We may give them a number of tasks and ask them to choose their preferred five. We may give them a group activity. Afterwards, we ask them to evaluate what they would do differently,” said Sarah.
Takeaway 3:How you cope during lockdown could help get you hired
Being adaptable and resilient is huge for students who we have onboarded in last six months. This year, many students started uni in a different way than they would have envisaged. Things are changing for us all. It’s how you manage that change process,” says Sarah.
Takeaway 4:Teamwork matters
“Listening to colleagues, make them feel valued and supported. Everyone has an important role to play. We are one big family. Leadership and Teamwork is about integrity and treating colleagues and our teams with respect whilst modelling and expecting excellence by helping others fulfil their potential.” said Sara Venning from NI Water
Takeaway 5:Challenges keep work interesting
“I’ve been Chief Executive for siz year. I love my job I love that no two days are the same. I’m always learning something new, constantly innovating and problem solving, and I love that what we do makes a difference to people’s lives across NI,” said Sara Venning from NI Water
While Natasha Sayee from SONI Ltd added: “I am passionate about what I do. If it’s challenging, then I bring my best every day. If it forces me to drive hard, then it is something I will stick with.
Takeaway 6:You can’t be an island
“To be truly successful, you need to take your passion and use it to collaborate with and motivate others. Passionate people are fierce; we are strong. Don’t do a solo run, find your squad, you will achieve so much more together,” said Natasha Sayee from SONI Ltd.
Takeaway 7:Go in strong in a virtual interview
“Plant yourself like an oak tree and allow yourself time to blossom,” said Natasha Sayee from SONI Ltd.
If you missed Day One of our Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair, you missed some golden nuggets of advice about graduate recruitment. Lucky for you, we’ve pulled together some top tips below. If you want more expert help navigating the graduate recruitment landscape, don’t miss Day Two of the fair.
“Your career can be a winding path, take opportunities that come your way. You might find your first job isn’t your dream job but it will allow you to grow into a role that is your dream job.”
Mary McLaughlin, Queen’s Careers Consultant.
2. Networking is a key stage of research
“Networking is so important to learn about the career paths of other people and to where they are. It can help you determine if you are a good fit but also help you learn about other jobs you might not otherwise have heard about.”
Diane Masson, Queen’s Careers Consultant
3. Virtual Fairs have the same principals as traditional fairs.
“The principals of a virtual fair are the same. It’s about networking with employers. Finding out about the work culture as well. Is it an organisation you would thrive in and develop and grow? Does it sit with your own values and your own interests? It’s also about finding out about job search and recruitment. Asking questions about when employers recruit and how they recruit. What are those cycles, do you know when their deadlines are? What is there selection process? A Fair is opportunity to find out about those things. It is unlikely that you will leave with a job, but you will leave armed with information. The more informed you are, the more equipped you are to make good career decisions. And the better informed you will be about how to perform well in the selection process.”
Diane Masson, Queen’s Careers Consultant
4. MyFuture contains a wealth of opportunities
“Jobs that are advertised on MyFuture are from employers who are targeting Queen’s students, so employers who are on MyFuture want YOU.
“You can find placements, internships, Global Opportunities and even insight days, which will enable you to find out about the organisation. International students can access Student Circus to find work in the UK. You just need your QUB email and password to access a range of opportunities. You can set filters for industry and sector and get job alerts specific for you.”
Diane Masson, Queen’s Careers Consultant
5. Read the small print on a job description
“Read the information about a job and the detail. You might dismiss a job without reading the detail and if you read the information, you might discover it is applicable to you.”
Diane Masson, Queen’s Careers Consultant
6. There are loads of places to find jobs
“Websites like Prospects, Target Jobs, GradIreland are a great resources. You also have industry specific sites like Gradcracker – which is STEM sector specific. Company websites are also a good resource. Big graduate recruiters have lots of info on own websites and of course you can also find lots of information of the Careers Service website.”
Diane Masson, Queen’s Careers Consultant
7. It’s never too early to look for jobs
“Don’t leave to last minute. That applies to both your job search and the application process. It is never too early to start your research. That is what this virtual fair is all about. Research sectors you want to work in.”
Diane Masson, Queen’s Careers Consultant
8. Knowing yourself is half the battle
“Knowing yourself and identifying your skills is really important. Think through your experiences and how those are going to help in your career.”
Mary McLaughlin, Queen’s Careers Consultant
9. Don’t downplay your skills
“Sometimes we have a tendency to downplay our skills. Think through part-time jobs and what type of skills you learned. Those are skills any employer will want to have. It’s not just that you stacked shelves at the supermarket, for example, you also communicated with your colleagues and helped others on the team. Those are skills that make you a great fit for any role.”
(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:
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.
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.
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.
Whether you are graduating this year or just want to bank the award early, Eimear Gallagher, who heads up Queen’ s employability programme, is here to answer all your burning questions.
What is Degree Plus?
“Degree Plus is about encouraging you to get involved in extracurricular activities in and around Queen’s, but also to give you the opportunity to get a reward for that; to get an accreditation from the University and have it recorded on your Queen’s QSIS record,” says Eimear.
She adds: “At graduation, in addition to your Queen’s parchment confirming your degree, you also get a Degree Plus certificate. That is confirmation from the University that you completed an activity or activities and it will name the specific activities you have undertaken as well.”
What counts towards Degree Plus?
“There are a large number of activities to choose from, the last count was over 180. There are two different routes – Provider Verified and Combined Experience,” says Eimear.
It’s open to all students, both postgraduate and undergraduate, and you’ll get a Degree Plus, Graduate Plus or Researcher Plus certificate at graduation, depending on your study level.
For enquiries about Graduate and Researcher Plus, please contact The Graduate School.
“There is no compulsion to do it,” says Eimear. “It’s for people who want to differentiate themselves and to stand out from the crowd; stand out from others with whom you’d be competing in graduate labour markets.”
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
Queen’s Law graduate Norma Taggart just secured a graduate position as a legal analyst with FinTrU Belfast after a rigorous virtual recruitment process. Here is how she did it.
Norma Taggart
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the recruitment process as employers are forced to shift away from in-person interviews to online recruitment methods. Many businesses have had to quickly become accustomed to online recruiting by using video software and telephone interviews instead of the traditional styles of interviewing. This new approach to recruitment can be daunting to a student or graduate who has not been exposed to this process before.
However, if the idea of online recruitment intimidates you, I recommend viewing it as an opportunity to upskill rather than as a challenge. By going through the online recruitment process, I have learned how to use numerous video call software, such as Zoom and Bluejeans and have developed my ability to adapt to a changing work environment. As the world becomes more tech savvy and firms are transitioning to remote working, these technological skills will become highly sought after. Students and graduates that have a proficiency in software such as these will stand apart from the crowd.
I gained first-hand insight into this process as I have recently secured a graduate position as a legal analyst with FinTrU Belfast after completing their 6-week FinTrU Legal Academy. FinTrU is a multi-award winning financial services company that gives local talent the opportunity to work on a global stage with the largest international investment banks. The company conducted three stages of recruitment in order to fill the positions, thus I went through virtual recruitment as opposed to the traditional recruitment process. Although it was a daunting idea at first, I have learned valuable tips and tricks to nail a video interview and get the job.
How to Get the Interview and Succeed
The first step in succeeding in the virtual recruitment process is to utilise the Queen’s Careers team. The Careers Department have been an invaluable resource in preparing me for both recruitment and the world of work. The Careers Team support students and graduates with all aspects of career planning and decision making. They offer practical, tailored advice for every step of your career journey. My advice is to seek their help long before you need to start applying for internships, graduate jobs or placement.
I was fortunate enough to work as a student assistant in the Student Guidance Centre where I witnessed first-hand the amount of work that goes towards helping students get ready for the world of work. I took part in CV workshops and one-to-one CV sessions with experienced Career Consultants where I was able to tailor my CV to the industry I was applying to. Your CV is the first impression you make to an employer; therefore, it is important it is up to date and well laid out.
The Graduate and Placement Fairs organised by Queen’s Careers Team are an excellent source of information for students and graduates. I recommend going to as many as you can throughout your time at Queen’s as they give you insight into both the industries you are interested in and the ones you are not. For example, I did an undergraduate degree in Law which often has a very traditional career path associated with it. The Graduate Fair, alongside employer panels, insight days and employer presentations organised by the Careers team, allowed me to become more open-minded to different career routes available and develop my skill set beyond strictly legal skills. Therefore, when the opportunity arose for me to apply for a career in the financial services sector, I knew I was capable of adapting and succeeding as an analyst.
MyFuture also can act as a vital tool in your job search as it is constantly updated with new opportunities and it is where you can book Career Consultations with experienced members of the Careers Team. Participating in different employability programmes and events will make you more of a well-rounded candidate and show employers that you are not afraid to go outside your comfort zone. The Careers Team are there to help you in every stage of your job hunt, therefore I recommend taking advantage of their help as soon as possible.
Tips for Virtual Recruitment
The virtual recruitment process for the FinTrU Legal Academy consisted of an online application where you expressed why you want to work in the financial services sector and for FinTrU specifically. The second round of the recruitment was a telephone call and the final round was a video interview conducted over a software called Bluejeans.
I had never done a live video or telephone interview before. It was daunting as it is difficult to convey the same enthusiasm over a phone or webcam than when you meet the recruiter in person. Technology can also be temperamental so I was aware that a lot could go wrong. To combat these concerns, my top tip for the next student taking part in virtual recruitment is to be prepared. The more prepared you are, the less stressed you will be and the more you can focus on the task at hand.
In preparation for the interview, get familiar with the job description and the specific skills they are looking for in a successful candidate. You can familiarise yourself with the company and its employees by attending graduate fairs, industry insight days and employer panels. Using the STAR method, identify times throughout your career where you have used or developed the skills in the job description. This will show the interviewer that you have a number of transferable skills that will benefit their company if you were to get the job.
On the day of the interview, log onto the software early to download it and test your internet connection. Confirm that your camera and microphone are working as soon as you agree to the interview. I made the mistake of waiting until it was time for the interview to click the link to join. I then had to download the software which made me stressed before the interview even began. The more you do to mitigate stress before the interview, the more comfortable you will feel.
Set up a space in your house where you will not be disturbed and ensure that the lighting is appropriate. If the interview begins and you realise that they cannot see you properly, this will put you on edge and you will lose your concentration on answering questions. If you are in a well-lit area without distractions, it will also show the hiring manager that you are professional and taking the interview seriously.
You should not memorise answers to questions as this will come across impersonal and rehearsed. One of the benefits of a virtual interview is that it allows you to have your CV and notes beside you. Utilise this to your advantage and have your preparation close by. Employers will go through your CV in depth so make sure you have it nearby so that you can reference it in answers.
Do not forget to dress to impress. Even though the interview is being conducted online, employers still expect you to look presentable and interview ready. This is good practice for when you get the job as clients and senior management will expect the same level of professionalism when you are working alongside them, whether that is online or in person.
One obstacle associated with virtual recruitment is that it can feel impersonal. It is difficult to express your enthusiasm for the job when it is over a webcam. You cannot shake the interviewer’s hand over a webcam; therefore, it is essential that you monitor your body language. It is important to sit up straight and look into the camera when speaking and not at the screen. Ask a friend or family member to run through possible questions with you over a Zoom call so that you can get feedback on both your answers and the impression you make with your body language.
Know your chosen employer inside out and stay up to date with the industry. I attended numerous employer panels where I was given the opportunity to ask questions about the world of work and the skill sets needed to succeed. I was told to stay informed with the industry I want to go into by reading the news, following relevant outlets on LinkedIn and keeping an eye on exciting developments in the area I was looking to qualify in. By doing this, you can display your enthusiasm for the industry by asking the interviewer relevant and informed questions.
Join Norma at the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair on22 Oct for more top tips.
