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Are the most valuable skills the ones they already have?

The better the question. The better the answer. The better the world works.

Problem solving. Creativity. Cognitive fl exibility. Collaboration. Emotional intelligence. Five essential skills for the future of work. One destination.Give your students the employability edge at ukcareers.ey.com/careeradvice

O ur world is changing – and fast. Theworking landscape is transforming sothat some jobs are fading away, othersgrowing, and some roles that don’teven exist now will become familiar.

Technology isn’t only redefining the workplace, butalso the companies and careers of tomorrow. Justthe fact that you’re holding this guide sets youapart. Like us, it means you’re thinking about thefuture. In particular, the future of your students.

We think with change comes opportunity. Bycontinuing to teach your students on how to adapttheir skills, keep growing and keep evolving, they can

succeed within tomorrow’s workplace. We’re excitedto continue to play our part in helping your studentsto succeed. This guide is our opportunity to worktogether to help students hone the skills they have,and develop new ones in demand by employerstoday, so they’re fully prepared for the future worldof work with everything they need to succeed.

Maggie StilwellUKI managing partner for talent, EY

Developing Student Employability – a Teacher’s Guide 2018 | 1

Foreword from our sponsor, EY

Help your pupils findtheir perfect blend attargetcareers.co.uk

University blendstudy the subject you love • join societies• make new friends • experience newactivities

Apprenticeship blendearn money • different levels to choosefrom • learn on the job • add workexperience to your CV

School leaverprogramme blendgain a professional qualification on the job• earn as you learn • develop your skillsworking alongside professionals • potentialto also undertake university course

Gap year blendtravel to new places • extra time to decidewhat you really want to do • take a breakfrom studying • get some vital workexperience

UNIVERSITIES

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APPRENTICESHIPS

GTI Media works in association with AGCAS to provide top qualitycareers advice to university students.

ContentsEditorial and publishingEditor Liz Adams

Designer Nick Winchester

Proofreader Ashley Johnson

CirculationPatty Shufflebotham

Published byGTI Media Ltd The Fountain Building Howbery Park Benson Lane WallingfordOxon OX10 8BA UK

© GTI Media Ltd, January 2018All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproducedby any means including, but not limited to, photocopying or storedin a retrieval system in any form without prior written consent ofGTI. This is subject to the single exception of photocopying bycareers advisers or lecturers for careers counselling. All items soused should be fully acknowledged. The views expressed inarticles are those of the authors and their publication does notnecessarily imply that such views are shared by GTI. While everycare has been taken in the compilation of this publication, thepublishers cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies, orfor consequential loss arising from such inaccuracies, or for anyother loss, direct or consequential, arising in connection withinformation in this publication.

Tel +44 (0)1491 826262 Fax +44 (0)1491 826401www.groupgti.com


AdvertisingCommercial director Jon Mallott

Sales director Simon Rogers

Production director Jane Anderson

Chief executive officerGraham Storey

What is employability? ................................4

The top ten skills that will help students step into a job ..............................................6

Types of experience and how to get them ..10

University and the alternatives ..................12

Apprenticeship case study ..........................14

Graduate scheme case study ......................15

Applications and interviews ......................16

4 | Developing Student Employability – a Teacher’s Guide 2018

E mployability refers to the skills,knowledge and attitudes that helppeople to get a job and to movebetween jobs. The ‘knowledge’ aspectand job-specific skills may seem the

most concrete and receive the most attention –for example in terms of what qualifications arerequired for a particular job. However, while it’simportant for applicants to meet any specificqualification requirements for a vacancy (forexample subject, level of study or grades) thisisn’t ultimately what will get them hired. Candidates’ soft skills, attitudes and experiencesoutside the classroom, combined with their levelof research into the job and employer, are whatmake them stand out from others with similarqualifications. Employers’ recruitment processestypically focus on assessing these, to see whatcandidates can offer beyond the subjects andgrades listed on their initial application. And giventhat the qualification requirements for many rolesare fairly broad – for example a 2.1 degree in anysubject, or two A levels at grade A* to C – therewill often be a lot of eligible applicants.

What is employability?Employability is about having strong soft skills and a professional attitude, as well as relevant qualifications.These are likely to become evenmore important in the job marketof the future.


The future job marketLooking towards the job market of the future,it’s soft skills and appropriate attitudes thatare likely to remain in demand, long after themarket for a particular body of knowledge ortechnical skill has disappeared. You may haveheard the term ‘fourth industrial revolution’,referring to the merging of physical anddigital worlds and concurrent automisation ofeven relatively skilled white-collar jobs. Ofcourse, no one knows which jobs will stay, goor emerge over the next 20 or 30 years, but itseems likely that there will still be demand forworkers with very ‘human’ skills such ascommunication or leadership while areas suchas numerical or process-driven work can beautomated.

First steps to employabilityThe good news is that many of your studentswill already be developing the skills they needto get hired and remain employable in achanging job market, be it through ironingout a disagreement among hockey teammembers or plucking up the courage to talkto prospective pupils and their parents as astudent rep at a school open evening. All sortsof activities can help develop the right skillsand attitudes, so, if they’re not already doingso, simply getting involved in something thatinterests them outside the classroom is a greatfirst step. And reflecting on past experiencesmay uncover a bank of skills they didn’tknow they had.

Employability matters for university-boundstudentsBecoming employable is a pressing matter forstudents who want to start work rather thango to university. However, there’s no dodgingthe matter for those who want to get a degreefirst. They’ll still need to find work eventually,and would be well advised to start buildingtheir skills as soon as possible.

Students may need to apply for internshipsor other forms of work experience in theirfirst or second year of university, and findthat they have to draw on experiences gainedwhile still at school on their applications.Additionally, at university they may find thatit is easier to build their employabilitythrough extracurricular activities or part-timework if they already have related experiencefrom their schooldays – for example theirchances of getting onto a university sportsteam are likely to be higher if they’ve alreadytrained hard in that sport while at school.And of course employability depends onsimilar skills and experiences to those thatwill impress universities on a UCAS personalstatement.

Finding out moreSee page 6 to discover ten popular skillsemployers seek, page 10 to read aboutdifferent types of experience that can helpstudents develop their employability andworkplace understanding, and page 16 to findout how to showcase them in applicationsand interviews. Plus on pages 14 and 15 youcan read about how two recent EY employeesdeveloped relevant skills while at school oruniversity, and why they are important intheir jobs. You can also find more extensiveinformation about employability, skills andrecruitment on the TARGETcareers andTARGETjobs websites, and lots of helpfulresources on the future of work on the EYwebsite.

Candidates’ soft skills, attitudesand experiences outside theclassroom, combined with theirlevel of research into the job andemployer, are what make themstand out from others withsimilar qualifications.


S oft skills – aka transferable skills –are high on employers’ wishlists.Testing for these skills typicallyplays a key part in the recruitmentprocess, whether students apply as

school leavers or as graduates.Employers usually devise a list of skills

required for a role, then use applicationform questions, assessment centres andinterviews to assess whether candidatespossess them. Some will be job-specific, butmany are broader soft skills – this isparticularly the case for roles aimed at thosestarting their first job.

Crucially, recruiters look for evidence thatcandidates do possess the skills that theyclaim to have. In some cases this will be testeddirectly – for example giving candidates agroup exercise to complete together to testtheir communication and teamwork skills.But in others they will need to give specificexamples of times when they have displayedthese skills. As such, making students awareof this as far in advance as possible will givethem the time they need to build their skillsand fill any gaps.

Lists of skills sought vary from employerto employer, but the ten outlined below arevery popular ones to include. Also see the boxon page 9 for an example of a specificemployer’s requirements – in this case EY.

The top ten skills that will helpstudents step into a job Whether your students want to start work straight away or go to university first, these ten skills will help them get hired.


1. CommunicationEven in technical jobs, good communicationskills are vital, both to be understood and tocome across as professional. Written andspoken communication skills are assessed atdifferent stages in the recruitment process.Employers will look out for decent spellingand grammar in candidates’ online applicationforms, and at interview they’ll want to see thatthey are capable of expressing themselves. Ifapplicants are invited to take part in anassessment centre, the group exercise istypically a test of how well they cancommunicate as a member of a group: canthey take what other people are saying onboard and also offer their own contributions?

Lots of activities can help students toimprove their communication skills –performing and public speaking are obviousexamples, but a part-time customer-service jobor volunteering with children or old peoplewill help develop their ability to communicatewith different people and age groups.

See page 16 and the TARGETcareers websitefor advice on how students can present theircommunication skills in the best possible light inapplications, interviews and assessment centres.

2. TeamworkThere are all sorts of different roles that peoplecan play within a team while still making a vitalcontribution. Students may already haveexamples of times when they have workedtogether with others as part of a team, such asduring a part-time job, project work at schoolor involvement in team sports. Encourage themto reflect on how they helped their team tosucceed, whether that was through encouragingothers, organising matches, coming up withfresh ideas or monitoring the team’s progressand alerting everyone else to potential problems.This could give them great examples that theycan use on application forms or at interview.

3. Negotiation and persuasionStudents may feel that they’ve never had thechance to try negotiating, but that’s notnecessarily the case. Perhaps they’ve sorted out aconflict within a team, successfully negotiated abetter deal or a discount on a purchase, wonsomebody over, persuaded their parents to letthem study a particular subject or found acompromise solution to a problem. They may bereassured to know that it’s not about fitting a‘tough negotiator’ image – negotiating involvesbeing able to see somebody else’s point of viewand calls for a flexible attitude. If they havegood communication skills and are a goodlistener, they are part of the way there.

If students need further opportunities todevelop their negotiation and persuasion skills,any team activities are likely to provideopportunities to do so – for example team sportsor drama. A part-time job as a sales assistantcould be particularly helpful for studentsinterested in careers that draw heavily on theseskills.


4. Problem solvingEmployers seek candidates who can take alogical, analytical approach to working througha problem and can see it from different angles.Group exercises may be used at an assessmentcentre to test this. For example, candidatesmight be invited to read a case study that setsout the problems facing a particular businessbefore discussing a range of possible solutions.There may also be questions about times whencandidates have solved a problem – eitherindividually or as part of a group – onapplication forms or at interview. Again, mostextracurricular activities are likely to throw upproblems that need to be solved. Personalprojects can also be a great source of examples– for instance if students are teachingthemselves programming languages or doing upan old car or bike.

5. LeadershipVery few new starters will be given amanagement role immediately, whether theyjoin as school leavers or graduates. Butemployers often look for leadership potential,even if it’s not needed straight away. Studentsdon’t have to have been captain of a sports teamor head boy or head girl to convince employersthat they’ve got what it takes. Being involved inteam activities and being a good team membercan indicate the potential to be a good leader.For example they may find themselves needingto motivate others, delegate tasks or keep otherson track to meet a deadline, all of which willgive them good examples to use on applicationforms or at interviews.

6. OrganisationEmployers are interested in how candidateskeep their lives in order, prioritise when they areunder pressure and remember deadlines andcommitments. Recruitment processes sometimesinclude an exercise designed to simulate a busyworking day with multiple demands oncandidates’ time, or questions about how theyorganise themselves and juggle commitmentsunder time pressure. Students can givethemselves a head start by reflecting on howthey currently organise themselves and whetherthere are any techniques or technologies thatcould help them improve this. Having regularcommitments outside of school hours can alsohelp develop students’ organisational skills, asthey’ll need to find effective ways to juggle thesewith homework and revision.

7. Perseverance and motivationEmployers want to know that candidates willstick at something when the going gets tough.It helps if they have an example of a timewhen they had to deal with a setback, orcommitted to a challenge and seen it through.Sport, music, drama or dance activities outsideschool could all be good examples of this, ascould caring for animals, fundraising orholding down a part-time job while keeping upwith their studies.


EY’s future skillsAll employers seek slightly different skills,though they tend to relate to the abovethemes. As the working world changes, so dothe skills employers need from their people.Here are five of the most important ones EYthinks you’ll need.

Cognitive flexibilityBeing able to quickly shift your thinking fromone concept to another. Reading a lot andseeking out new experiences can help developthis.

Emotional intelligenceEmpathising with others and managing one’sown feelings. Maintaining a level head, self-control and a positive outlook.

Complex problem solvingBeing able to respond to something complexwith accuracy and sound judgement.Assessing what is and isn’t important.

CreativityLooking ahead, innovating and seeing things indifferent ways. Able to challenge the status quo.

CollaborationWorking well with others and embracingdifferent styles and approaches. Being sociallyand culturally aware.

Find out more atukcareers.ey.com/futureskills.

8. Ability to work under pressureStudents’ academic records will giveemployers some idea of whether they cancope with stress – but so will any sporting,work or performance-related achievements.Activities such as taking part in competitionsor matches, working in a busy environmentsuch as a restaurant, performing in front ofan audience or public speaking all providegood examples of being able to deliver thegoods while under pressure.

9. ConfidenceNo one wants an interview candidate toswagger in through the door, but a bit ofconfidence will help them along. Studentswill feel more confident at interview ifthey’ve kept a copy of their application toread through beforehand and thought aheadabout the kind of questions that might comeup. It will help if they’ve spent some timeresearching the employer and its competitors,too. It’s highly likely that at some pointthey’ll be asked why they have chosen toapply, and it will be much easier for them tocome out with a self-assured answer ifthey’ve done a thorough job of finding outwhat the role involves.

10. Commercial awarenessStudents applying for jobs with businessescan put themselves in a strong position byunderstanding what each business dependson to make a profit. Even if they’re applyingfor a public sector position, it will help themto have some understanding of the financialconstraints the organisation is workingunder.

A good way to develop commercialawareness is simply to take an interest inwhat businesses and organisations do andhow they work. If students apply forapprenticeships or other vacancies,encourage them to find out about the

employers, for example by checking out theirwebsites and finding out what reputable newssources have to say about them. Who aretheir customers and who are theircompetitors? They don’t have to become anexpert but having a basic understanding willgive students confidence and help them tocome across as well-informed.

It’s not just formal work experienceplacements that can help studentsincrease their employability. There arelots of options that can help them gainthe confidence and skills that

employers seek, and get a better feel for whatthey enjoy and the careers that might interestthem. They may already be taking part insome of these activities without realisinghow beneficial they can be.

Options for gaining experience include:• Formal work experience placements. Often

up to a week in a location arranged by aschool or independently. Typically unpaid,this is an opportunity to learn about theworld of work.

• School leaver careers fairs and employerevents. Fairs offer a chance to meet lots ofemployers in one go, while single-employerevents give a deeper insight into oneparticular organisation – for example via anopen evening at its offices.

• Employer’s insight days or weeks for schoolleavers. Some organisations that run schoolleaver programmes offer students thechance to spend a day or more seeing forthemselves what working there would belike and meeting employees who havejoined straight from school.

• Extracurricular activities. Being part of asports team or another club or group suchas a theatre group or choir. Involvementin the Scouts or Guides, or Duke ofEdinburgh award scheme.

• Volunteering and fundraising. Studentscould walk dogs for an animal charity,volunteer as a retail assistant in a charityshop, help with outdoor conservationprojects, collect funds or support youngdisabled people on activity days. You canfind out more about volunteeringopportunities for young people fromVolunteering Matters and vInspired.

• Competitions. Encourage students to entercompetitions in areas that interest them,for example design, writing, maths orbusiness. They can also try their luck inthe TARGETcareers School Leavers’Challenge.

Types of experience and how to get themDiscover the different forms of experience students can gain and how to find them.


• Entrepreneurship activities. Employers arekeen to take on candidates withentrepreneurial flair, so it’s well worthstudents honing their skills whether or notthey go on to set up their own venture.They could try the Young EnterpriseTenner Challenge or seek help from ShellLiveWIRE and apply for a start-up grantfor a business idea that supportssustainable use of energy and resources.

• Part-time jobs. A part-time job such asworking in a shop gives students customerservice and time management skills andhelps to develop their commercialawareness. Doing a paper round orbabysitting calls for responsibility andresilience. Employers like evidence thatthey can be relied on to turn up whenexpected and stick at what they’re meantto be doing till they’ve seen it through.

• Personal projects. If students have designedand made something under their own steam,such as a DIY or craft project, a website or ablog, they may well have developed theproblem-solving and creative skills thatemployers look for.

• Positions of responsibility. These could includebeing a head boy or head girl, sports captain,house captain, school council member orhaving a leadership or committee role in aclub. Even taking prospective pupils andparents on school open evening tours andchatting to them can help build up their skills.

How to find experience with employersStudents who have a rough idea of the types ofcareers that might interest them may wish to gainexperience with employers. As well as internetsearches and using websites such asTARGETcareers, encourage students to talk tofamily members and friends to see if they knowof suitable employers. Local newspapers,community publications and online businessdirectories are also useful sources of information.

Some organisations have information ontheir websites about work experienceopportunities and how to apply for them. If theydon’t, students can make contact by phone oremail to say that they’d be interested in comingin for a few days’ work experience, check if thisis possible and ask about the preferred way ofapplying. They may have an online applicationform, or request a CV and covering letter.

It’s important to find out who to send CVs to,how to spell the person’s name and what title touse (eg Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr). Covering letters shouldbe no more than one side of A4 and should statebriefly why the student would like to do workexperience with this particular organisation andsuggest dates when they are available. They canalso highlight any relevant skills or experience orgo into detail about something mentioned brieflyon their CV that would be likely to be of interestto the employer.

Students may already be takingpart in some of these activitieswithout realising how beneficialthey can be.



University and the alternativesThere’s a great deal of choice for students who want to continue studying beyond school or college, including opportunities to combine this with paid employment in a relevant industry.

F urther study and paid work don’thave to be mutually exclusive. Findout about opportunities to join anemployer on a programmecombining work and study, as well

as the different ways to get a university degree.

UniversityUniversity study comes in a range of shapes andsizes. If students don’t fancy a typical degreebased entirely on campus there are someappealing alternatives. Some courses include aplacement year in industry, or occasionally aneven longer amount of time. For example,Nottingham Trent University offers an optionto study for a business management degree byspending two out of the three years of thecourse working for an employer. There are alsoprogrammes such as degree apprenticeshipswhich involve working as a full-time employeeat an organisation and studying part time – seebelow for more details. Plus there are plenty ofFE colleges running degree courses, whichoffers an alternative option for students whowant to stay close to home.

ApprenticeshipsApprenticeships offer a chance to work towardsqualifications through an employer whileearning, and have the qualifications paid for.

For example, an apprentice might work in anentry-level job for four days of the week, andstudy at an FE college on the fifth day. Theyusually take one to four years to complete.

There is an official national framework forapprenticeships, which sets out the level ofqualification associated with different levels ofapprenticeship. Employers can claim grants foroffering apprenticeships and the system isoverseen and regulated by the government.

There are currently four levels ofapprenticeship: intermediate, advanced, higherand degree. They all involve a work-basedlearning programme and lead to nationallyrecognised qualifications.

Intermediate apprenticeships are level 2qualifications and are equivalent to GCSE passesat grade A* to C. Advanced apprenticeships arelevel 3 qualifications and are equivalent to Alevel passes. Higher apprenticeships lead toqualifications at level 4 and above. Level 4/5 isequivalent to a higher education certificate,higher education diploma or a foundationdegree (the first year of a degree).


Degree apprenticeships involve gaininga university degree while you work(level 6 – bachelors degree – or above).It’s a great way to get a degree andextensive workplace experience while

avoiding university debt, though on the flipside the course will be chosen by the employerand participants will need to balance workand study.

To get onto a higher apprenticeship ordegree apprenticeship students will normallyneed a level 3 qualification such as A levels,an advanced apprenticeship or NVQ level 3.They’ll also need to have a level 2qualification such as an intermediateapprenticeship or five good GCSE passes(grade A* to C).

Sponsored degreesThere are two types of sponsored degree. Oneis effectively just a different, older name for adegree apprenticeship – that is, a programmeon which an employee will work for theiremployer, study for a degree part-time andhave their tuition fees paid for them.

The other is an arrangement by which anemployer provides limited financial support tostudents who have gone to university in thenormal way and are studying a subject thatrelates to the employer’s business. Typicallythe student will complete work placementswith the employer during universityvacations, and may need to work for thesponsor for a minimum period aftergraduation. This form of sponsored degree ismost frequently provided by engineeringcompanies.

School leaver programmesThe term school leaver programme is quitegeneric. It describes programmes thatcombine earning and learning – and withtuition fees covered by the employer – butthere is no need for the content to fit aparticular framework. You might see the termused to describe a scheme that is technicallyan apprenticeship, or as a catch-all for allearning-and-learning opportunities open toschool leavers. However, in practice it is quiteoften used by employers in accountancy andrelated areas who take students after their Alevels or equivalent and put them through anextensive programme of work and studydesigned to qualify them as charteredaccountants. These are frequently attractivepropositions, as participants tend to end upwith the same professional qualifications inaccountancy that graduates joining theorganisation would work towards – and insome cases at a younger age. Programmestend to last around five years.


I ’m in my second year of the five-yearbusiness apprenticeship programme at EY,working towards the ACA chartered

accountant qualification. I knew I wanted towork in finance and gain the ACA qualification,and that this is the same qualification thatgraduates take. By the time I’m 23 I’ll havefinished the programme and will be eligible foran assistant manager position, whereasgraduates the same age will be several yearsbehind. So it made sense to start work straightaway, avoid university debt and get extra yearsof experience.

I have 15 exams in total and have a fewweeks off work at a time to go to college andlearn the content for each one. I also attendcourses on topics such as client interaction,coaching new starters and using relevantsoftware. I have support from a buddy in theyear above who can help with exams, and acounsellor who helps me tailor my careerpath.

My jobIn assurance, I work with clients to confirmthat all of the balances in their financialstatements are not materially misstated,whether this be through error or fraud. I’mbased in Canary Wharf and spend about 40

per cent of my time there and about 40 percent on clients’ sites conducting audits. Mymain clients are in Windsor, which I commuteto, and in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent,which typically involve a week away stayingin a hotel. I spend around 20 per cent of mytime in training, either in college in London oron courses in different parts of the UK.

Analysing and organisingTo work in audit you need a good eye fordetail and cognitive flexibility, which is a keyskill EY seeks. You need to be able to analysethings and not accept them at face value – if aclient has committed fraud then it is likely tohide this. It’s also important to considerwhether there is a better approach to aparticular task and discuss it with someonemore senior if you think there is.

I also need to be very organised. I starteddeveloping this skill at school, as Iparticipated in netball and athletics teams andpublic speaking competitions, which meantthat I had to prioritise my time. When I joinedEY I strengthened this skill by observingcolleagues. For example I noticed thateveryone carried a notebook, so now I alwayswrite everything down, even if I think I willremember it.

Jade Garner, 19

Employer: EYJob: apprentice in financial services assurance Programme: business apprenticeshipprogramme A levels: geography A, economics A*, maths B;AS business studies A

APPRENTICESHIP CASE STUDY


I ’m one of two graduates in the first intakefor EY’s new cyber security programme.My projects can involve advising clients on

how to restructure IT architecture to help thembecome robust against attacks, assessing acompany’s ability to face day-to-day threats,looking at internal controls on staff access tosystems, and helping companies adapt to thenew data protection legislation and becompliant with regulations.

My current project is working for anational insurance company, conductingsecurity assessments on third parties, towhom it outsources work, to ensure theyhave appropriate security controls in place.It involves travelling to clients all around theUK, spending between one and three days ineach location. The project requires me towork independently – while there are otherson the project, I travel to the third partiesand conduct the security assessments on myown. Often I meet with a company’s chiefinformation officer or chief informationsecurity officer, or sometimes the whole legalteam! While the majority of the work isindependent, there’s plenty of support,including an engagement coach on theproject who makes sure you know whatyou’re doing.

Training and qualificationsSo far I’ve taken the CIMA Certificate in BusinessAccounting to give me a general understanding offinance, and the COBIT 5 Foundation ITManagement and Governance qualification. Forthe former I had an intense week of collegelectures shortly before the first exam, thenanother exam each quarter for which I studied athome. COBIT 5 involved a two-day residentialcourse with an exam at the end of day two.

Communication skills are keyI specialised in finance and security in the finalyear of my maths degree, which was useful as Ineeded either a relevant degree or other relevantexperience to be eligible to apply. But that’s notwhat got me the job; EY looks for people whohave the ability to communicate, whetherconnecting one-to-one or in a big group, andclearly articulate their point. You can learntechnical skills, but if you can’t speak to peopleor work in a team, that’s a problem.

At university I was president of the poloclub, which helped me develop these skills. Aswell as speaking to the team, I had to seeksponsorship from different companies and workin partnership with a polo club to use itsfacilities and get lessons and coaching, as theuniversity didn’t have its own polo facilities.

Andy Bassett, 23

Employer: EYJob: cyber security consultant Programme: advisory consulting programme –cyber security Degree: mathematics, Royal Holloway,University of London, 2.1; graduated 2016

GRADUATE SCHEME CASE STUDY


T ackling application forms andinterviews is much easier ifcandidates make time tounderstand what the employerdoes, identify the skills it seeks and

consider why they are a good match. Theadvice below is written with apprenticeshipsand similar opportunities in mind but is alsouseful for university-bound students. You canfind much more detail at targetcareers.co.uk.

Researching the employerEmployers usually provide information abouttheir roles, requirements and applicationprocess on their websites. If there is a jobdescription or person specification, this is agood starting point. It’s also sensible to do aweb search to discover what other sources sayabout the organisation – for example if it hasbeen in the news recently.

Justifying choicesEmployers often ask variations on the followingquestions on application forms or at interview:• Why have you chosen a career in this

particular area? Students should think abouttheir work experience, volunteering andextracurricular activities to help explaintheir career choice. What do they enjoydoing, what are they good at and how dothese relate to the career in question? Forexample, a student applying for a softwaredevelopment apprenticeship might discuss a

Applications and interviewsSuccessful job applicants take care at every stage of the recruitmentprocess to show that they are a good fit for the role and the employer.

Raspberry Pi project they’ve enjoyedworking on. See page 10 for more on thedifferent types of experience that they candraw on.

• Why this employer? Candidates need toexplain why the work, training and careeropportunities on offer appeal to them, sogood research is vital.

• Why this particular programme? Someemployers offer several different schemesand may ask why a candidate has selectedone over another. Applicants should beaware of all the options so they can explaintheir decision.

Backing up claims about skills‘Competency questions’ are often asked onapplication forms or at interview. These askcandidates to give an example of a time whenthey have used a particular skill, for instance‘Tell us about a time when you had tonegotiate with someone’. Pages 6–9 give anoverview of typical skills sought, butcandidates should also research which skillsthe employer in question wants, to helppredict questions.

When giving examples from teamactivities, students should write in the firstperson (‘I’, not ‘we’) and explain how theycontributed to the team’s success. Did theyhelp solve disagreements, organise anactivity or have a specific role such as teamcaptain?

Get in touch!

If you would like to find out more about Inspiring Futures and Futurewise, please [email protected] phone +44 (0)1491 820381

inspiringfutures.org.uk @IFFcareers

Inspiring Futures is aleading provider ofcareers information,advice and guidancefor young people.

We have been supportingstudents to make informedcareers and education choicesfor over 75 years.

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Futurewise supports young people to explore their career aspirations andmake informed decisions:

• About subject choices (A Levels, Highers, IB or equivalent)• To understand how their strengths, interests and personality fit together• To consider university options & alternatives to higher education

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Developing Student Employability - · PDF fileThe top ten skills that will help students ... See page 6 to discover ten popular skills employers seek, page 10 to read about ... oft