Hi, I’m Luca and I’m a Legal Professional at Baker McKenzie.
Why are you excited to come to the Autumn Fair?
As a Queen’s alumni myself, it was at the Autumn Fair that I met the team at Baker McKenzie and what eventually led me to eventually apply to the firm so we’re excited to show you what’s on offer and who we really are as a team.
What opportunities will you be showcasing at the Fair?
We don’t just have legal roles on offer at Baker McKenzie, there are opportunities for students to get jobs across a range of departments here, such as marketing, finance and IT and many more.
What is the best thing about working at your organisation?
Aside from the opportunity of working for a global law firm, the best thing about working at Baker McKenzie is the people. Everyone is so supportive and welcoming and is really committed and driven to seeing you succeed in your career. There’s also lots of opportunities for you to personally and professionally develop yourself through the various training and development programmes on offer and as well as this the firm is very social and it’s really fun place to work.
Why should students visit your stall?
I think students should visit our stall to hear more about the opportunities on offer at Baker McKenzie. As well as this, it would be a great opportunity for you to meet the team and learn a bit more about our culture.
How would a student impress you at the Fair?
Students can impress us at the Autumn Fair by knowing who we are and what we stand for. Aside from this, we want you to be your true authentic self and a tip from me would be to have any questions ready about the work we do or the opportunities on offer.
Baker McKenzie are proud sponsors of our Autumn Fair
I’m Jenni and I work as part of the E Discovery Team here at Allstate Northern Ireland. I recently just finished my Master’s in Software Development at Queen’s University in Belfast.
Tell us about your role.
So my role is basically working in conjunction with Legal Department on evidence request. Most of my team are based in the US, so it’s great chatting to them on a daily basis, even if it is virtually. I love the fact that I’m getting the opportunity to learn something new every single day at Allstate.
How did you get your current role?
So I went into the Master’s Degree with no real technical background at all. The course is brilliant in that it gives you a broad range of new technical skills in a relatively short space of time. The course covers a really wide range of technology and that gives you a really solid basis to work from then and the confidence to learn new technologies when you go into a workplace. Allstate has a really wide number of roles available as IT does in general. So there really is a fit for everybody. I applied for Allstate’s graduate programme because it gives you really fantastic first steps into a new career and it provides a world-class training program for technical and soft skills.
What interview tips do you have for students/ graduates?
So for any interview you want to prove that you not only have the tech skills to be able to work there but also the right attitude. From a tech point of view you want to be able to show that you’ve got a real interest in technology so having some projects and that you’ve done outside of uni work on your CV is always really helpful. From a non-tech point of view you want to make sure that it comes across that you’re really curious, you’re really willing to learn. Also do a wee bit of research on the company before you go into the interview. The interviewer wants to make sure that you really want to work there and also for yourself, you want to make sure that the company is going to be a good fit for yourself. So it’s important for both you and the company that you’re going to fit in.
What soft skills are most important in your role?
So I would say that soft skills are just as important as tech skills in the work place. So good communication and being a team player is key. During our course we did some different group projects and this really increased our experience of working within a team which ultimately improves communication both in-person and in a virtual environment as well which we are also used to these days.
What training did you get when you started the role?
So here at Allstate there’s an amazing graduate training programme which focuses on both technical and soft programme which focuses on both technical and soft training which really helped to cement what we had already learned at Uni. The trainers were really fantastic and you felt like you could ask them anything without feeling silly. Our soft skills sessions were great too and they focus on things like time management, presentation skills and building your confidence. We also then had training within our own individual roles that we were
working in. So here at Allstate there an amazing culture of respect and if you ever have an issue or you’re unsure about anything there’s always somebody about that will help you.
How have the people in your organisation inspired you?
I think what is so special about Allstate is the culture. I really feel like I’m respected, supported and like my opinions matter. Allstate do a lot for their employees from things like employee days out, social events or even things like mental health workshops. Allstate also provides us with a lot of volunteering opportunities which allows us to give back to the communities in which we work and we live. In the office here we also have a collaboration area and we’re really encouraged to go down and use it to have a chat, a coffee or even a game of pool, which is lovely. We also have a peer-to-peer reward system which really makes you feel valued.
Why would you recommend students and graduates apply to your firm?
So I would definitely recommend applying to Allstate. The diversity of roles here is huge and there really is a place for everybody. There is a reason that Allstate Northern Ireland has been named Digital DNA’s Workplace of the Year again this year. It’s got a fantastic benefits package and there’s a great work-life balance here. It’s got flexible and hybrid working options which really help support family life. We also have access to a wide range of world-class learning platforms and we’re really supported and encouraged to take steps to further your career.
Here at Allstate our values are extremely important. It is how we represent and conduct ourselves and not only as colleagues, but also towards our customers. Honesty and integrity is one of our core values. This is where we show honesty towards our customers and our integrity to do the right thing. We also have a core value of inclusive diversity. This is of course bringing in people from multiple cultures as not only as colleagues, but also as customers and this brings forward great ideas, drives innovation and is very important here at Allstate. We also have engagement as one of our core values. This is of course being engaged with each other to help along our shared purpose and to make sure that we are achieving our goals here at Allstate.
How inclusive an environment is your organisation?
Allstate is a very inclusive organisation. We welcome people from all different backgrounds and cultures and we encourage team engagement across these different cultures. This helps bring an inclusive environment for people within Allstate and for new people joining Allstate also. This also helps with our shared ideas and our different perspectives within our teams. It also can help with having a different out look on our goals, both within our team and also within our areas. So it is very important to have a good inclusive environment here within Allstate.
What social events bond you as a team?
Allstate host multiple events within different business areas across the organisation and these events are a great way of not only meeting new people but also getting to know your team better and your business areas better. Some of the events that I have been to have been pizza and barbecue meetups that have been provided for by Allstate. I’ve really enjoyed these events. I thought they were great for getting to know people from my team better and there’s also events that are hosted for across different teams and across the whole organisation. So there’s different events for different communities of practices, such as Dagrad community of practice which I am a part of and there’s also events that are for the whole organisation such as the sports and social events which I’ve also attended. All have been a great way to meet new people and to have some fun.
How easy is it to progress and carve out a career in your organisation?
When you first join Allstate as a graduate, you get introduced into all the different types of roles and areas within Allstate and that you have the potential of joining as a graduate. This is a great way of exploring all the different areas that are available and also finding out what you like and what you would find most interesting in going into as your role within Allstate. Once you’ve decided on your role, you’ll then be put into the two-year graduate programme. This programme is there to help you with your skills and help you with your ability to move up the ranks within Allstate. It offers you different types of promotion opportunities as well as different levels of training such as technical and soft skills training throughout as well.
What personal attributes are you looking for in recruits?
One of the key personal attributes you can have within Allstate is being a team player. You work within your team and you’re there to help share ideas, be collaborative and bring together solutions to problems you may have within your team and achieving goals within your business area. Largely you will work with other teams also within your business area and they’ll all be working towards a shared goal. This is why it’s such a key value within Allstate to be a team player as Allstate is always striving towards a shared purpose and therefore it requires teams and employees to work together to achieve Allstate’s goals.
Hi, my name is Clodagh Nugent and I’m a part of the talent acquisition team at Allstate Northern Ireland. So I started as a placement student, I then worked part-time and returned as a graduate and I’m now a junior consultant in entry-level talent.
Why are you excited to come to the Autumn Fair?
Queen’s University offer fantastic curriculum and careers services to prepare students for the world of work. Allstate Northern Ireland are passionate about investing in the talent of the future and always interested to meet ambitious students ready to kick start their career. Allstate have a strong partnership with Queen’s University and actively recruit students with great success so much so that we’re delighted to be acting as one of the sponsors for this Careers Fair this Autumn.
What opportunities will you be showcasing at the Fair?
Allstate Northern Ireland offer various entry level pathways including 12-month placement opportunities across IT disciplines. We also offer placement opportunities in our corporate functions such as human resources, marketing and graphic design although these will be offered into the new year. We also recruit a high number of IT graduates across a variety of technology roles and we also offer an IT insights programme and potential summer internships to first year IT, Maths and Physics students.
What is the best thing about working at your organisation?
So I’m afraid there probably isn’t enough time to cover all the benefits that Allstate Northern Ireland offers, but my favourite part about working here has to be the the social aspect. So I think joining a large company in an entry-level role, it’s important to have a support network there, such as Allstate graduate community of practise. We also offer a lot of employee resource groups such as Sports and Social, Embrace Awesome, Women in Technology, Allgreen, Allcare; so there really is something for everyone.
Why should students visit your virtual and or online stall?
I’m excited for this Careers Fair to be in a hybrid capacity, so myself and other Allstate representatives will be available in person and virtually throughout the day hoping to offer some careers advice and direct you to potential opportunities with us such as IT placements and graduate roles with start dates across 2023 and they will be advertised around October so looking forward to seeing you there.
Hi, my name is Bethan and I’m a Full Stack Developer at Allstate Northern Ireland. Prior to that I studied the Master’s in Software Development part-time.
Describe your current role.
In my current role, I work on a cross-functional global team with teammates across the US, India and Northern Ireland. As a Full Stack Developer, I’m working with technologies such as React, JavaScript, Spring Boot and Java. The area I’m in has been working on a new auto insurance product that is designed to transform the way Allstate does business. It’s been really exciting getting to see the changes that I work on, the stories and features that I’m assigned right through developments and seeing them in action as they’re incrementally rolled out to select customers.
How did you get your current role?
Before I started the Masters in Software Development at Queen’s I had no previous computer science or technology experience at all. So the conversion course was instrumental in giving me those fundamental skills in programming and software development that enabled me to get the job with Allstate. I was also able to go to the EEECS Careers team to get to tailor-made advice on how to change roles into the Tech sector, on how to prepare for assessment centres and interviews which was really valuable and made me feel really prepared when I went up for my interview with Allstate.
What interview tips do you have for students/ graduates?
One of the things that came across really clearly to me in my interview process with Allstate was that they were looking for candidates from a range of backgrounds who would work well with others. It wasn’t so much about how technically knowledgeable you were but about how you would approach challenges. The assessment centre and interview were designed to let you show your skills in problem-solving, working as a team and communicating with others. One tip I have for students and graduates would be to practise using the STAR technique where you describe a situation, task action and result as this is a really good method for highlighting your skills.
What soft skills are most important in your role?
I would say some of the most important skills in my role are teamwork and how you communicate with others, the ability to give and receive constructive feedback, problem-solving and approaching challenges flexibly. These were all skills that I was able to practise and develop throughout my course at Queen’s. For example, working on programming assignments or on my group project in software development.
What training did you get when you started the role?
When I was offered the job with Allstate I was invited to join a specialist 12-week Full Stack Development training programme. This was a training programme that was part-time instructor lead or online group training and part-time working embedded with your team at Allstate. My colleagues were all really supportive of the time I spent in training and of also training me up within the team. It was also really nice to have a whole group on the same training programme where we could practise skills such as mob programming and group presentations and really learn how to work as a team of software developers, so the training was really excellent in preparing me to join my team full-time.
How have the people in your organisation inspired you?
One of the things that I really like about Allstate is that we have a graduate community of practice. This allows everybody who are early on in their careers to come together through virtual or in person events and get to know people working in other areas. We also get information sessions to help us decide what direction we might want to go with our career. It’s really good to have these opportunities to network with other people in other areas and to find out how your peers are getting on in the company.
Why would you recommend students and graduates apply to your firm?
I would encourage students and graduates to apply to Allstate as it’s a great company to start your career and learn and develop throughout. I’ve been with the company just over one year and in that time, they’ve introduced a 3-year graduate development scheme that helps graduates in their early stages of their careers to continue to learn and develop. Having been here one year I’ve now been able to gain a promotion and I have a clear direction for my career for the next two years at least.
The application window to land a top summer internship is open, so we asked Denise McKenna, HR Business Partner from KPMG Belfast about why an internship is a smart addition to your student CV.
Denise McKenna from KPMG
Why should you do an internship?
It will definitely help to boost the work experience section of your CV. It will give you something productive to do during the summer months. You could even save some money. Much more than that though – an internship is your way of trying on that outfit before buying it! An internship will give you a chance to see what your future career could look like and then you can decide if its for you or if you want to leave it back and try on something else!
At the end of our internship programme, 80% of students are offered a graduate career – so your internship could be the first step on your career ladder.
An internship will also give you a chance to learn ‘on-the-job’. You may get the opportunity to put into practice what you are learning at university – sometimes this can really help you to connect the dots and see how various aspects play out on real client projects. On the other side, your area of study could be completely different but in this case you will learn a lot about how transferable your skills are to the dynamic world of professional services.
What are you looking for?
Top Talent.
KPMG want to hire talented and ambitious students from all degree disciplines and all backgrounds. The only requirement is a strong motivation to join our leading professional services firm and to experience what life is like in the No.1 Internship Programme (as awarded by GradIreland).
We have opportunities in Audit & Assurance, Tax Consulting, Deal Advisory and Management Consulting, so there really is something for everyone and you can apply to be based in Belfast or Dublin.
How do I apply?
In order to apply for our Internships, all you have to do is go to our website, www.kpmgcareers.ie and submit an application form. The application form asks you to outline your previous education and work experience. Take your time and input your facts correctly – you’d be amazed on the number of people that don’t get the basics right! Also the long questions at the end of the form may seem painful but they help you to stand out from the crowd and this is how we get to know the real you.
Another important aspect of the application form is extracurricular activities, whether you’re a hard hitting boxer or a chess champion, we want to hear about it! Involvement in extracurricular activities shows skills and attributes that KPMG values in its people, so they should be included in your application form if they are important to you too! We also have a special place in our heart for Academic Awards, so if you have any achievements that you’re particularly proud of, there is plenty of room on the application form for those!
If we like what we see, we will invite you to an interview. We say interview but really it’s a short 30 minute chat about your experience so far and some competency based questions. No assessment centres or hoop jumping required!
So if you are interested or want to learn more, come chat to us at the Spring Careers Festival or drop me a note at denise.mckenna@kpmg.ie
Mark McCormack, Head of Tech at Aflac Northern Ireland on his journey to tech leader.
‘We build tech for human beings – real users that have problems to solve.’
Mark McCormack, Head of Tech at Aflac Northern Ireland on his journey to tech leader
How did you get into tech?
I graduated in 1998 with a degree in Zoology. I always had an interest in science at school. I studied the sciences at A-level. Took that on through to university and kind of built on that learning and knowledge as I graduated and got to the end of my degree, I faced that question that many people face is basically, ‘what’s next?’.
If you haven’t gotten a degree that has a very direct career path in front of you that can be a challenge sometimes, and so maybe the romantic part of me at one point thought I might study lions in the Serengeti or something… But unfortunately, David Attenborough wasn’t calling and so I had to think about what I might do next. And I’d always had an interest in computing … in computers, and I could see the advances of technology and where that was going.
There was a conversion course running that was taking non-IT graduates and teaching them how to be software developers. I got enrolled into the very first pilot program of that initiative program called the Rapid Advancement Program or RAP. That was fantastic that that took graduates from a whole range of different disciplines and give them some skills in terms of how to be a coder, how to program and languages that maybe aren’t used so often today.
As I moved into some of my first jobs and careers, I’ve been over 20 years in the tech sector here in Northern Ireland, based almost entirely in Belfast. Throughout that whole time, I worked with smaller companies, local companies and the tech sector of work for very large corporate organisations.
Before joining Aflac two years ago, I worked at Citigroup. I led the Chief Technology Office at Citi and worked there for 11 years.
What’s been your most valuable career lesson?
It’s not just about the technical side of things, not just about the engineering and the coding and all of that sort of thing. It’s about the people that you work with, it’s about working in teams, and you know, collaborating, sharing information, and solving problems which are too similar to how we work in many different industries as well, and so there are loads of parallels regardless of the background that you that you’ve come from.
I mean, going back to my early career and kind of coming from the university, I was kind of thrown in there into a course to teach computing skills with people from the whole range of different backgrounds – with law degrees, with engineering degrees, with marketing degrees, with English degree … like a whole broad spectrum …. I think that has been a really interesting part of the success of those programmes because what you bring together is a very broad range and a diversity of thought. And you have people that can represent a whole range of different ways of thinking, and they’ve come from different backgrounds with different knowledge, and they come together to work on, you know, problems. I think that’s incredibly valuable, and I think that today when we think about IT and tech, there’s so much more to it than just the ones and zeros and the data.
There are so many fantastic opportunities in the sector because, at the end of the day, we build these systems, and we build these platforms and we build this technology. But we’re doing it for human beings at the end, right? We’re doing it for real users that have real problems that you know, we want to try and solve. So that kind of breadth of understanding is just incredibly valuable.
What skills are important in the workplace?
Adaptability – because it’s all about how you can adapt to what the world needs. And if you look even at this small country here, that’s kind of what we’ve done. You know, once we were the linen capital of the world, once we were the rope making capital of the world, once we were the shipbuilding capital of the world and we don’t do any of those things anymore so much now. Now, it’s about world-class studios and being one of the cybersecurity hubs of Europe and one of the tech centres in Europe as well. And this is a place that can adapt and change what we do to whatever the word means. So, it’s all about as if you come to Northern Ireland, you see us now, and you want to see us in a year or five years, we’ll probably be doing something different, and we’re better to build a Centre for advanced technology here in Belfast. So, we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved.
And those other two words around resilience and reinvention. You know, we want our people to be able to grow, adapt, change, and reinvent themselves. And I suppose I don’t need to tell anyone that lives here and often about resilience. You know, we’ve had our fair share of some tough times, but I think as we grow, develop, and go through that, we look forward to an incredible amount of positivity and optimism about what we can do and can achieve from here. So, I love working here, I love being part of the community here in Northern Ireland, I’m very proud of what we can do from this place. I think it all comes down to the fantastic education system that we have and the wonderful people that we have from here because, for me, all the way work with computers, it’s really about the people that I work with – That’s what motivates me, and that’s what I enjoy doing. You know, we solve problems together, we collaborate on things, and we work together as a team.
Those qualities, those skills that you can build, regardless of what your educational background is, regardless of what your degree is, it’s those abilities to communicate to work hard to you know, demonstrate empathy, to bring problem-solving skills. Those things are universal, so whether you work in IT, in business, in engineering or a medical setting, these are the qualities that kind of separate us from the computers in a sense and bring you to know that uniqueness to the things that we can do.
What advice do you have for graduates?
I’d say build your network. This is because they’ll help you grow your understanding of the world of work. They’ll give you advice, they’ll give you some support. You can even do something as simple as building a good profile on LinkedIn and connect them with a few people that you know and getting introductions to some other people who maybe work in some companies that you’re interested in. You’ll find that people who do work in the industry are open to sharing their knowledge and their experience tells you about what it is like to do work in an office or to work remotely, or to work for a big company or to work for a small company? The culture of that organization and what you can expect? You know, those are the things that you’ll learn, and you’ll find that you know people from here are open.
And also, the other thing I would say is always be learning. You know, for me, if you’re not learning, you’re not enjoying yourself because it’s the ability to learn and adapt and to pick up new skills is that makes work exciting. And I’m working alongside great people as you do that is really what it’s all about.
What advice would you give your my 21-year-old self?
I suppose if I go back and ask myself that, I will say try and be as fearless as you can be. There’s a lot of things in life we hold ourselves back because we’re worried about what people might think of us, or how we might come across, or we don’t know anything. And because we don’t know it and don’t know anything we might not try. And I think in this part of the world where maybe not be on the front foot as much as we could be, and I can tell you all like we are as good as anyone in the world. We’re as good as anywhere in the world to do the things that we can do. I’ve worked with teams in eight or nine different countries across the globe, and I can tell you that pound for pound, we’re probably the best place in the world, particularly for technology, particularly for problem-solving, but for doing so many things, so I would encourage us all to be myself about that age to be more fearless and to get out there and get involved in things. Because we are as good as else and we’re just as capable. So that will be my advice to a young Mark McCormick younger, better looking, more McCormick. I’ll tell him to try and stay good looking, but I don’t know if we can.
Dermot Murray, Senior QA Engineer at Version 1 gives his top tips on embracing workplace systems and tech.
Dermot Murray, Version 1
Why would you say enthusiasm to embrace tech is important in graduate roles?
It’s very important. Just in terms of the kind of innovation and bringing a fresh perspective to companies. So, like graduates are at the forefront of theoretical thinking. And what we’re looking to do is actually apply this knowledge into the real life and into the work industry. So, like if you take for example, a lot of kind of, you know, hardware and software, you know, the iPod Touch, for example, let’s say you know, it’s quite redundant nowadays because things change very quickly. And what we’re looking at is innovation and more efficient ways of working in industries, so, you know, one thing that companies can fall in the trap of is, you know, being reluctant to change. And actually graduates can be the catalyst for leading change. An example I can give would be, you know, the pandemic, for example, working from home. This is the kind of new normal that everyone’s really in, but you know, your university experience user being at the forefront of this, and how did you adapt and overcome these challenges? You know, the initiatives you use brought in terms of communication, engagement, socialising? These are all the things that need to be transferred into the industry. And these are things that we’re looking for. So it’s extremely important for enthusiasm and embracing change.
In what ways does your business rely on tech to maximise performance?
So it’s no surprise that for Version 1, it’s absolutely essential. So, we are consultancy, and we do specialise in supporting the digital transformation for clients. So we bring people through a journey using various technologies, what we try to do is use the cutting edge to deliver for our clients. But internally, so that’s the probably technical side. But you know, what we actually do ourselves is we use it to communicate and standardise. I’ll give a few examples of, you know, some of the kind of tech initiatives that we do, we have a podcast, you know, once a year one in which we have conversations within the industry. On our website, we’ve got webinars, blogs, white papers, news articles, and these are things you know, to engage with the industry and engage with many different people, social media platforms, that Instagram that I’m on right now, we’ve also got Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. You name it for contact. And internally, as much as maybe you know, us, us and university, we’re using teams to communicate with clients. And finally, then, you know, we’ve got like a SharePoint with a widevariety of tools, for using timesheets, you name it, so absolutely essential, yes indeed.
How would you go about proving ability to use common programmes and apps in an interview?
That’s a good question. It’s hard to kind of slide that into the question, how you’re phrasing that. I think the star approach is quite interesting. So, you know, kind of being concise and what that really is – situation, task, action and result. And maybe within the action, you could incorporate these kind of common tools and what you’ve done. So maybe an example that I could give would be that, say, one of your modules, and you’re required to do presentation, will, the action in which you can provide could be, you know, using PowerPoint efficiently and effectively, to relay the information to your peers, to you know, everyone, like the ultimate result being you know, like you achieve top marks. And also, there’s definitely ways of fitting into the question tools in which you know, you can, you know, provide results for if that makes sense.
What examples can you use of innovating to maximise technology?
One example could be for a solution, there could be an alternative tool or technology that could be used, or maybe you could extend in a technology. So for example, that’s you know, we’re on a Teams meeting, Microsoft Teams, and we’re trying to kind of collaborate together, you know, some project, there’s a tool – Slack, which can actually be used for sketching. And that’s quite useful for like, you know, drawn with feedback, kind of in sketching, going through walk walkthroughs so you know, instead of using teams, maybe you could migrate your kind of communication to Slack. The point on expanding then is, you know, using it in additional scope as well, slack also has like a kind of app directory as well. So you can add in polls, you know, chatbots news feeds. And there’s different ways of just, you know, not kind of following what is set in front of you, but actually using your initiative and, you know, embracing the tech really, and, you know, leading on further so I suppose.
How would you advise a student to show their passion for tech when they don’t have a tech background?
So, I suppose from my perspective, I have to put myself out of the mindset of being in tech. But that’s, I think, a good way of kind of, you know, showing your enthusiasm can really be through hobbies and interest, really. So that’s dependent on the person, but I’ll give you an example, maybe of a few kind of hobbies and interests that I have, you know, if I’m reading a book, for example, you know, I’m interested in reading, specifically, one of the books I’m reading right now is on the stock markets, flash boys are called, and it’s on high frequency trading, and the kind of idea of being closer to the stock market servers. Think sports, you know, we’ll play a bit of football. And I’m kind of using, you know, stat sports. So it’s kind of integrate and, you know, heart monitor, kind of initiatives and all that stuff. And then Sports Science again that podcast I’m interested in, there’s one, dark net diaries, but just kind of cybersecurity focus. So even though I’ve kind of got my technical job, if you picked up the side, there’s a whole wide range of kind of, you know, industry within tech and these tech tools in which you can like, kind of, take your hobby, and maybe think of, you know, some kind of innovation in tech tools that you can use to, you know, showcase that. So, just a few points of my interest might not be to impress everyone here.
How can you show that you have the ability to adopt and use technology in an interesting way?
Yeah, so I think you could maybe think about how you can use it an interesting way, think about, like, what you’re currently using stuff for the think of like, you know, your smartphone, for example. It’s got so many applications in which you can download, as I mentioned, with your hobbies, you know, Strava, being able to, like, you know, detect your matrix of roaming, for example, everything, these are kind of, you know, common applications that you don’t really think that you’re using, but you’re actually using, think of maybe, you know, smart appliances, for example, around the house, you might have kind of smart TV, or smart lamp, and how you can actually then, you know, showcase that and help people. So I’ve got family that always asked me ‘Dermot, how do you do this, do that.’ And I’m always kind of demonstrating to them, but also by kind of, you know, using this tech, you understand it more, and you can actually demonstrate it to other people. And that really helps with your show of skills with kind of, you know, leadership, it helps for what the industry is really looking, you know, you’re looking a community of practice people who share, collaborate and transfer knowledge together. And just by getting cool, and getting stuck in really kind of corny, it’s not.
How can you embrace technology and help others to do so?
I’ve really touched on that and for example, of maybe helping, you know, that’s, you know, like, update the latest software on his phone or laptops, for example, some security plan says, and my mom dad’s face, you know, helping them kind of just stuff yet. And that’s kind of you know, one of the things really just by getting involved and getting stuck in even necessarily you don’t quite understand that at the time but by getting involved in that tool, and helping other people you know, you’re helping yourself as well. And I think it’s just kind of a stage of getting involved really is the best way to do that.
How important what would you say, is practical experience of workplace technology.
So, I do think it’s kind of very important, you know, you’ve got the theory behind it, and you want to kind of, you know, put it practical. So that’s the kind of stuff you know, with uni, you’d want to take into the industry and kind of get stuck in. And that really is the word kind of get stuck in. I never imagined myself kind of growing up to be a software tester. But getting involved in the IT industry, you see kind of what opportunities arise. And not even just within the kind of tech sector, think about the other different industries, in which you don’t necessarily know what you’re getting involved in, but by you know, utilising tech tools and, you know, embracing innovation, think of that as the bigger picture rather than, you know, specifically just tech related, but innovation. Going back to kind of, you know, tech, there’s a lot of open source tools that you can use, and they will be free to use in terms of, you know, try and find the right things, there’s a lot of free trials of stuff. So for example, maybe like Photoshop or video editing skills, if you need some experience, but then in industry, or within a kind of, you know, hobby that say, I don’t know what but you can maybe use that for like 30 days or seven days, and that might be sufficient to kind of pick up your skills. Finally, as well, like, there’s, if you’re going technical, there’s, you know, Azure has free courses for students, and it also has a free account where you can get, you know, up to 200 pounds, etc, you know, that kind of sandbox and play with kind of technical tools. And, yeah, I think as well, one important thing is even like the practicalness of social media is so important, and a lot of kind of students and people forget, you know, how important it is for companies. So even just, you know, you’re you’re getting full freight and with kind of social media, and that practical way of applying your skills.
How can you demonstrate that you have developed key workplace skills, and technology?
Yeah, so the demonstration then is kind of, by providing and showing examples of how you’ve kind of came up with that, I think, like, by demonstrating as well, you need to kind of understand, firstly, that it depends on the role. Or at least, like, there’s a lot of opportunities in which you can actually, you know, enhance your skills, I would give examples of, you know, on LinkedIn, if anyone’s involved aon LindkedIn, there’s a lot of webinars in which you can kind of do get involved within tools and tech and understand kind of components. As well as that specifically within your industry. I think like one or two personal references, which I used to be Udemy. And it’s good for kind of, you know, harnessing and developing skills, and then being able to present them and relay them back into work back into my CV and back into kind of, you know, day to day skills as well. So there’s a lot of opportunities out there. And there’s a lot of kind of free things that you can view online and just taking upon each of the applications as well, such as meetups really, like might be a bit hard during the pandemic, but embracing the change, maybe you know, Slack or, you know, Teams might be a good solution for that. So webinars. Yeah.
What soft skills would you say go hand in hand with tech skills?
There’s, there’s a lot really like, one thing to think is, is well, that, you know, technology skills are just tools of making your soft skills more efficient than effective. So like numeracy skills, for example. I mean, that that’s really given within the IT industry, you know, you could talk about coding performance or all aspects, but not just specifically with the IT industry, like you can think about, you know, your communication skills with putting this many times but social media, using teams, you know, creativity skills as well. creativity to complex solutions, like my job is doing quality assurance, and it kind of plays into analytical thinking and problem solving. And by problem solving, you have to be very creative on you know, there’s a lot of constraints to the problem and how you fix that. So there’s there’s definitely ways to express willingness to learn as well. So embracing the technology which is the key point of everything, being able to, you know, go into new skills and new tools and test new systems up correctly. And even gone non technical within the IT industry, you know, there’s a lot of project masters and kind of, you know, Scrum masters etc project manager sorry that, you know, we really focus on organisation and there’s a lot of kind of tools that are available to you know help kind of do that, calendars, JIRA for, you know, management. So, they’re inextricably linked, really in my opinion.
What would you say you should include in the IT skills section on your CV?
Yeah, that’s a good question. I suppose it’s dependent on the possession and the industry, I mean, you should really do your research on kind of, you know, what type of roles you’re applying for, and kind of think about that, I think, but whenever you were talking about the common applications in the office 365 suite, you know, there’s always, you know, opportunity ability to kind of show that, and that’s, you know, applicable across any industry. Think about the bespoke software on which you can use, might go back to, you know, if you’re doing some design with somebody with a website in Photoshop could be useful, you know, five years from now, that could be a tool your skill to be included. But going back, then definitely have a look at the industry standards in which you’re applying for. So if I go back to my kind of key position, I’d be looking for kind of buzzwords with selenium, kotlin, cucumber, postman, Java, just you know, as an interfere. And if I just see that within an application, that would pique my interest, and you know, like, that would be the same thing that you need to think then is going to position like, take up the industry standard tools, and learn a wee bit about that. So whenever you go into, you know, an opportunity or an interview, you’re able to kind of, you know, demonstrate ‘Yes, I know what that is certainly’. Also, it’s always nice to kind of add in any certifications that you’ve got within your university – Udemy courses, as well as other mentions. And definitely, as well, like, you can also maybe use going back to the kind of soft skills that you’re mentioning, you can maybe then use IT skills to support your soft skills. So I’m good at communication. Here’s a reason. So evidence based as well so it’s ready and can be used really.
Interested in Version 1? Version 1 are currently recruiting. You can find details of their current vacancies on the Gradfest2021 site.
Graham Ryan, Strategic Resourcing Manager at Version 1 gives his top tips on navigating the graduate recruitment and application process.
Graham Ryan, Version 1
How can I use my LinkedIn profile to stand out?
Okay, so first, depending on what you’re interested in from a business point of view, you know, follow the companies or [graduate] programmes…writing blogs, as we know, for the last couple years is a huge thing, you know to comment back on people you are following that are in your area that you either want to get into, or you’re in at the moment. But also don’t forget the personal side, your own interests, things like that don’t feel that LinkedIn is purely just from a business point of view. If you write a blog on something you’re interested in, that’s not necessarily in the area, you know people, you know, people like that and people are open minded, but definitely get involved, certainly from a blog point of view and liking and sharing material.
How do I build valuable work relationships in a virtual environment?
Okay so, when you’re coming onboard and starting in a new role you have to make a good first impression – that’s key. Regular catch up sessions with the business, don’t be scared to have chats with different people across the business. Gain trust from others by keeping up communication.
So, if I was going to do one thing today to make me stand out in the recruitment process, what would that be?
Just one of the key things here as far as research, you’ll find a lot of people do this but when you’re Googling a company just go in news tab, find out the recent stories so you don’t get caught in interview if a company has had a recent win they ask you about. Have a look at the news tab of Google when you are going for an interview in a company, it’ll give you the recent news just in case it’s brought up and you never know it might not be brought up, or the candidate could bring it up, which would be obviously very impressive, if someone did that.
What is the etiquette for virtual meetings? Should I keep my camera on, should put my hand up to contribute and when should I use the chat feature?
So obviously always camera on, unless you’re told otherwise. Certainly, camera on in interviews settings and meetings. The chat is used throughout, some people raise their hand on Microsoft Teams for example or else just write a comment if it’s a question or something like that. Don’t be afraid of what the right thing to do is, all the tools that are there, so put up your hand or write in the comment section… don’t overthink it. Don’t overthink it, don’t be worried about it. There’s no right or wrong way.
If I don’t like my job how long should I stick at it?
You might get better opportunities to move into different roles in the company. The opportunities are not going to be handed to you then, and you know if you get in, put your head down. Mightn’t be an area where you want to end up or stay, but just work hard on it and all of a sudden you’ll see the opportunities come at you, without a shadow of a doubt.
What are the top skills you’re looking for in graduates?
So in terms of technical skills first anyway in terms of that so like software engineers, it’s a big thing at the minute, data analytics, business analysis, DevOps engineers their level of skills and soft skills, well maybe we can upskill on themselves, you know, depending on the company, certainly development is a key area that we’re looking at.
What support will I get starting a new job working from home?
You’ll get senior leaders in the business who are really impressed when graduates reach out to them. People are easily accessible nowadays – I know it’s not face to face but everyone’s online – a quick catchup for a 5-10 minute chat – you know it’s there. It’s seen as a really positive thing for senior leaders.
What do you love to see in a new recruit?
Attitude, someone who’s very driven, open-minded. If you come with all the knowledge but a bad attitude a wrong attitude. Certainly, someone who comes in fresh and ready … It’s just a good idea to try different things and to get involved in different things based on the different projects and different teams and to hit the ground running.
What can I do to make myself more employable?
Okay so, so, upskilling. Use the time to upskill if you’re out of employment. We’ve seen in the last year people taking up banana bread and people have done stuff with their career as well – just explain what you’ve been up to as well.
What is the most common mistake you see in interviews?
Like at the end of the day an interview – it’s, it’s a conversation with a stranger. When you’re having a conversation with a stranger on the street you don’t just shut up shop. Treat it as a conversation that the interviewer’s trying to get more information out of you. So if you don’t know something or you’re unsure – get them to reword the question, what I would say certainly if you don’t know you don’t know. Be aware of the waffle – it’s natural because of nerves. But in terms of an engineer because it happens it’s actually taken for nerves as well as the press that every given question, but just think about it from that aspect. First impressions are key you will get some hiring managers that will listen to what their thoughts are, you know – have a smile like we do on a face to face smile and a strong handshake. Be yourself. Because if you come in with a shop. You know it’s just hard to come back from that.
Where can I find opportunities?
Ask your mates who’ve been through it recently or their siblings – you’ll be amazed at the different companies, you’ll get by reaching out to your friends and things.
If you Google news on a company how can you drop it into an interview without it sounding rehearsed?
You just say for example, there’s always a situation, when you get an opportunity to ask questions. Just say I noticed you won that or you’ve acquired this company – can you tell me a bit more about that? Bring it forward in the interview and wait until the end.
What could I ask at the end of the interview?
Keep away from the question to ask for salary and things like that. Another thing you could say is, how would ideally a person succeed in this role? How could I shape this role? Rather than “what are the benefits?” Another thing to say is just, just not to curse. I know it sounds easy, but just to be conscious of that.
Interested in Version 1? Version 1 are currently recruiting. You can find details of their current vacancies on the Gradfest2021 site.
