The Gradconsult blog

By Mike Grey There’s no doubt that students are brilliant. You are brimming with skills, ideas and potential. So why is this not always fully reflected in graduate recruitment processes? I often talk with students about the Dunning-Kruger effect in relation to their performance in graduate recruitment processes. It has prompted powerful reflective discussions, supported them to develop their self-awareness and often encouraged them seek help from careers professionals to develop their competence in making graduate job applications. What is the Dunning–Kruger effect? The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias stating that people with low competence at a task often ... read more

By Rebecca Fielding We’re well into the graduate recruitment season and in the coming months quite a few graduates are going to find themselves in the position of having multiple job offers. And despite a general Brexit-related economic gloom, all signs seem to me to be pointing to an increase in the number of graduates finding themselves in the position of multiple offers – particularly in high demand areas such as Teaching, Engineering and Software. Why do I think multiple job offers might be on the increase? • The ISE (Institute of Student Employers) graduate recruitment volumes have increased in ... read more

If SMEs were in the dating game they would be the ones we would take home to meet our mothers. Genuinely caring about their business and employees, and not ones to play the field with other universities, these organisations are the keepers we should want to get in bed with. Far from showy fly-by-night corporate behaviour we can sometimes see, SMEs can offer real opportunities in record time. Big corporates may turn our heads with their gifts and promises of large graduate intakes but, in the cold light of day, the conversion rates often make it clear that the same ... read more

Originally published in Issue 1 (Autumn 2017) of ‘The Student Employer’ Magazine by ISE. By Amy Collins and Rachel Seignot Bright Network research suggests graduates see a prestigious reputation and a fast-growing, innovative image as the most important criteria in an employer. But what other, more practical, aspects are they looking for? As recent graduates who have taken a wider look at the graduate recruitment market whilst working at Gradconsult, Amy Collins and Rachel Seignot explain their decision-making process behind applying for graduate jobs. When first considering graduate job applications, we both created a ‘checklist’ to narrow down the myriad ... read more

By Rachel Seignot I have just wrapped up my five week internship with Gradconsult and as predicted, it has flashed past. After some coaching from the GC team I’ve learnt how to redirect my arrow to shoot with a clear target. If like me you’re heading into your final year of University or have recently graduated, then you have some big decisions ahead. Here are my top GC insights to help you! At the start of my internship at Gradconsult I knew one thing about my future career path: I wanted to get onto a graduate scheme. They promised real ... read more

I hate goodbyes. They are never easy, but they are particularly difficult when you work in a close-knit team with people you care about. Today, I am picking up the Gradconsult quill for the last time and signing off duty. I’m leaving the green Sheffield pastures and heading for the big smoke to start my career in the music industry. I’m left feeling both excited about what is to come and sad to leave the team who over the last 18 months of my journey have become more than mentors, coaches and colleagues. 583 days ago, I, Chikka, a fresh-faced ... read more

Graduated and still haven’t found the right job? Fear not, because some quality Gradconsultery has gone on in #GCTowers this week and we’re very happy to showcase three opportunities ready to be snapped up! With many of the large businesses having passed their deadlines, why not take a look at opportunities a bit closer to home with SMEs. Why you should consider working for an SME… SME stands for small and medium-sized enterprises. They make up 99% of all businesses in the UK and are a great start on career ladder if you want real accountability. SMEs typically have less ... read more

I really didn’t know what to expect from an internship, having heard tales from friends on grad schemes of rigid induction schedules, endless reams of printing and walking a marathon in coffee runs. Thankfully I can report that my first week at Gradconsult could not have been more different (well maybe except the number of coffee runs, but I promise they were all entirely for my own benefit). The week started as expected: receiving an induction pack with a “what you will be doing this week” training schedule, a tour of the office and getting to know the team over ... read more

  That’s right folks, 127 days later and I’m still rocking my star spangled GC boots (well, not literally but I do have a serious spring in my step!). If you hadn’t guessed by now, it’s Chikka here, dusting off the keyboard. The debut days of September seem to be nothing short of a distant memory. So much has happened since the start of my career with Gradconsult. I hadn’t realised just how much I had accomplished over the last 4 months until I took a second to breathe. I honestly wasn’t hyping it up in my last blog when ... read more