The Gradconsult blog

By Rebecca Fielding The transition from education into employment is, and always has been, a rough one for most students. Working full time, with typically 20 days holiday per year, with colleagues from a wide variety of backgrounds, doing work we perhaps weren’t expecting, comes as a shock to most graduates – one that I’m sure many of us later in our career can still vividly remember! Even for those lucky few who secure a role on a structured graduate development programme, the mindset shift required is significant and the changes in personal circumstances can also be huge. Here, I ... read more

By Rhea Chokshi Over the summer, I was lucky enough to work as a Digital Marketing Intern at Gradconsult. As I neared the end of my second year at the University of Nottingham studying Chemistry, I thought about how I could use the skills I’d obtained from my degree and bring my experiences into the working world and within a sector I was interested in. This brought me to Gradconsult, a place where I could gain hands-on experience, work within a team of consultants and develop my marketing skills. The application process While studying, it can be really useful to ... read more

By Rachel Brown I’d love to get your thoughts on setting targets to improve diversity within organisations. Recently, I was encouraged to read that 92% of respondents to a research survey in the UK reported that their organisations are already focused on improving diversity and inclusion. (“Let’s Get Real About Equality: When Women Thrive 2020 Global Report“ published by Mercer in March 2020). A couple of weeks ago, I was pleased to join a roundtable session that demonstrated just that. Organised by Shepherd and Wedderburn for their suppliers and wider network, it focused on Diversity and Inclusion (or Belonging and ... read more

By Sarah Chatterley If I knew back then, what I know now…… It’s been an incredible first couple of months in my new role. My past career has seen me sat at both sides of the TA table (poacher come gamekeeper some would say) for over 20 years. Prior to joining Gradconsult, I created the Talent strategy from acquisition through to development and succession, as Head of People & Resourcing for a rapid scale-up infrastructure company. My emerging talent/early careers strategy, however, was very firmly sat in the ‘apprenticeship’ groove and excluded any graduate consideration. I was blindsided by the ... read more

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 Tim Elgar For some of you – this is easy. There is someone who jumps right into your mind and you can quickly recount why you thrived under their leadership. However, I ask this question a lot as part of leadership development programmes and for the majority it’s a difficult question. Most responses take attributes or characteristics of certain leaders and piece meal them together. Some openly admit they don’t think they have ever had a great leader and find it much easier to reflect on the ‘bad’ leaders they have experienced. Some have never reflected before on the ... read more

By Rachel Brown Why its important your new starters feel “safe”. For many years I have been working with leaders to support them in creating psychologically safe work environments. Employees who feel psychologically safe are more engaged, less fearful, more innovative, and perform better (the list goes on – if you want to know more, I highly recommend “The fearless organization” by Amy C. Edmondson.) 10 weeks ago, I started a new role and was plunged into a completely new type of organization with a very different culture. It got me thinking of the importance of psychological safety for new ... read more

By George Theodorou This post was originally posted on George’s LinkedIn, on the 18th August 2021. You can find the original link, here. Here is a rough blueprint for students to follow in terms of planning their career at university. It’s important to realise these ideas are flexible and you must add context to your situation to work out what’s best for you. These are simply pointers for you to consider. So, here we go – BEFORE UNIVERSITY – SELF REFLECTION – be honest with yourself before you start university. Why have you chosen the course? Will the course lead ... read more

By Tim Elgar This post was originally published on Tim’s LinkedIn page on 11th August 2021. Here is the link Coming up to 6 weeks in now in my new role and with my annual leave coming next week I thought it was a good time to reflect and share some learning. The first reflection relates to being an ‘expert’ and this whole notion. When you start a new job it is a clean slate. You have been hired through a robust (in Gradconsult’s case) recruitment process, but the relationship is new and we have this natural curiosity about whether ... read more

By Georgia Lee To set the scene. I’d just completed my second year at the University of Nottingham studying History and had been looking for an opportunity to get my first real taste of the world of marketing. Coming from a degree unrelated specifically to marketing, I had been fortunate enough to participate in a Digital Marketing course within my university. However, I was yet to gain real hands-on experience within the sector. That’s where Gradconsult comes in! Following an application process including a virtual interview I was offered the role and was set to start in the next few ... read more

By George Theodorou What a start to life it has been for me at Gradconsult! From helping Amber to deliver two sessions on my first day, including ‘Think Like a Recruiter’ and a digital assessment centre simulation, to starting in the middle of RISE6 cohort’s recruitment process, things have moved quickly during my short time here! Being fully involved, right from the off, has enabled me to settle quickly and to enjoy my work – making me feel like I’m actively contributing to the fantastic work being done here. It has been a fantastic start, which has been made possible ... read more

If you have any interest in the tech industry, you’ve probably heard of the ‘design thinking’ concept. Harnessed by the likes of IBM and Apple, the Stanford-designed methodology for creative problem solving has taken the business world by storm. But while it’s undoubtedly been transformative in influencing the way tech products are developed, and for wider FMCGs too (PepsiCo is a big proponent), the process has the potential to be beneficial to every industry – and indeed, it’s particularly suited to the world of education. We know that Higher Education institutions face a multitude of challenges today. In addition to ... read more

By Rebecca Fielding The Autumn semester has always been the period that graduate recruiters across the land pack up their stands, laptops and goodies to head out on a grand tour of the UK’s premier inns (other chains are available), bouncing from one careers fair, networking dinner or presentation to another. It can be great fun and exciting to chat to potential new hires, but also exhausting, inefficient, costly and bad for the environment. This year offers us the opportunity to break with tradition and do things differently. And I expect things are going to look and feel very different ... read more

By Harriet Swift Picture this: you’re finishing your second year of University had secured a six week internship in HR/Recruitment which would allow you develop both professionally and personally. But then it falls through last minute. You’re left with a six week gap in your life which, if you’re anything like me, puts you in cold sweats. This happened to me in June and I knew I needed to fill that void in my summer holidays. In case you hadn’t already guessed, I’m not the kind of person who likes to waste those long University summers… However, fear not, LinkedIn ... read more

By Ollie Tarrant Picture the scene – a nervous, sweaty 18-year-old sitting in the front of a Vauxhall Astra, on the lean, mean streets of St. Albans, about to sit his driving test. It’s perhaps not surprising that, from this description, I failed my test first time around. Since then, I have moved from St Albans to Sheffield for university, and have stayed here since (nearly 5 years now!). I have been working at Gradconsult for nearly 2 of those years and during that time have not really felt the need to drive. I was able to get to the ... read more

By Mike Grey One of the recurring themes in our work with careers services across the UK is supporting them to identify how their employer engagement provision can evolve existing transactional relationships into strategic partnerships with target employers. As employability has moved higher up the agenda across UK HE, the appetite to deliver more meaningful activities with employers has increased. A recent government report revealed that students are just as likely to talk to academic staff about their future career plans as their university careers service: It is therefore vital that academics engage with employers and work in close partnership ... read more

By Rebecca Fielding Whether you are a graduate employer seeking to increase (nay double) your available candidate pool, or a university wanting to improve the number of your graduates entering highly skilled graduate employment post-graduation there seems to me to be one simple solution that no-one is really talking about. It’s simply learning to drive. A recent (January 2018) report commissioned by the Department for Transport, conducted by the University of Oxford and the University of the West of England, Young People’s Travel – What’s Changed and Why?, has demonstrated a significant and sustained decline in the number of young ... 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

By Annie Gainsborough It isn’t long since I started my job here at the wonderful Gradconsult. I was over the moon to be successful, but it wasn’t the only offer I received. While this may sound like a fortunate problem to have (and indeed it was!) it did present certain issues. My experience went something like this: Like many job hunts, the process had been arduous and dragged over a period of months. I’d carefully sought out jobs based in my beloved Sheffield matching my strengths and experience. Then as always it was no mean feat finding the time to ... read more

This is the second blog from our 2018 Microgrant winners. Sebastian Cordoba, PhD student at De Montfort University, was awarded £440 for research into understanding the psychological, linguistic and social experiences of people who don’t identify as men or women in the UK. Read his story below. I am soon starting the third – and last – year of my PhD in social psychology at De Montfort University. My research focusses on the linguistic, social, and psychological experiences of those living in the UK who do not identify solely as men or women: non-binary and/or genderqueer people. I am particularly ... read more

This is the first blog from our 2018 Microgrant winners. Victoria Reay, of Lancaster University, was awarded £200 for working on a project to see how electronic patient records affect the way clinicians work together. Read her story below. My PhD is going to examine how using electronic records shape the way that hospital work is done in the NHS. This idea grew out of personal experience. I was working as a doctor on an inpatient unit in a hospice in Cumbria, when our record keeping system changed from paper to digital. Instead of writing a patient’s notes on paper, ... read more

I am Zac, I’m in Year 10, and I just completed a week of work experience with Gradconsult. In my week at Gradconsult, I have learned a lot of helpful skills that will surely help me now and in the near future. On my first day, I got a complete tour of the Workstation, and then attempted (and failed) a baby picture quiz to get to know the staff. Later that day, I organized the Gradconsult library, and made an excel document so the office knew where all the books are. I then went for lunch with Ollie and Amy ... read more

We at Gradconsult are delighted to announce the six researchers who beat hundreds of other applicants to win our second year of microgrants to help further their good work. Initially established in 2017 to aid new researchers and early career academics by giving them a funding track record, Gradconsult’s microgrants have been formed to give some of the UK’s finest researchers extra help to make a case for larger funding bids. As a business that works hand-in-hand with many universities, clearly seeing the effect of research in higher education, we want to do our bit to start the momentum for ... read more

By Carlene McCalla So, you’ve come to the end of your studies and you’re just on the brink of your working career. You’ve jumped through various hoops and faced the most gruelling interview processes. After numerous setbacks and a few uncompromising rejections, there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel! That’s it, you’ve finally secured your first professional job! Now, there may be a range of things going through your mind on the morning of your first day, ranging from what to wear, to pondering about the atmosphere and culture of the organisation. It’s understandable that these things may ... read more

We’re delighted to share the third blog post in the series of updates being produced by our 2017 Microgrants beneficiaries. The following post is from Lina Brand Correa, University of Leeds, whose work concerns how energy is related to society and the economy, with a special focus on human well-being. It has been almost a year since I applied, and was lucky enough to receive, one of Gradconsult’s microgrants. A lot has happened in that time, both personally and academically. Although my personal experiences over the last year would certainly be more captivating –perhaps even good enough for a soap-opera-type ... read more

Is running on-campus events an art or a science? Actually, I’d argue it’s a martial art. It requires preparation, discipline and taught techniques but also mental agility, quick reactions and creativity. From careers fairs to panel presentations, alumni talks to pop-up coffee carts, university campuses are awash with events designed to inform, advise and attract students. Careers services, graduate recruiters, and marketing teams spend huge amounts of time, money and effort second guessing student behaviour. It’s big business and hard to master. So, ahead of our On-campus Events workshop on 8th March, here are the critical qualities you need to ... read more

By Jane Clark The traditional university milkround has come and gone for this graduate recruitment cycle. An intense period for graduate recruiters travelling up and down the country on delayed trains and planes, laden with cumbersome boxes, bags and penguin stands. For those recruiters hiring high volumes of graduates, the assessment centre schedule is starting to wind down and for some recruiters, the hiring target has been met and it is now time for that well-deserved holiday. But beware, in my experience, there is still a way to go. Here are three major themes at this time of year that ... read more

I made the move into early careers from experienced hire recruitment almost ten years ago and quickly realised how differently I’d need to work. It was clear that my strongest allies would be my target university careers services, and that a long-term approach to the relationship would be my best bet. Over the years I’ve worked hard to build relationships with my target universities and I’ve been rewarded with strong pipelines to some of their best and brightest. I’ve also recently worked within a university Careers Service team and it was such an eye opener being on the other side ... 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

The first few months of any graduate programme from September to December are busy. From induction to line manager briefings, the first placements and inevitable first bouncers working out they are in the wrong place. January is often the first chance to come up for air and do some thinking about the year ahead. The programme structure, budget and core topics will most likely have been set for some time, but there are a few key questions I’d encourage all graduate developers to ask as we all plan and prepare for 2018: • Has the business environment, leadership, strategy or ... read more

With year-end activities and lengthy to-do lists, Christmas parties and celebrations in full swing, you may have missed, or may not have had time to sit down and read, the DfE’s new 36-page report on Career Strategy, released on 4th December. It’s the government’s long-awaited plan for raising the quality of careers provision in England ‘Careers strategy – making the most of everyone’s skills and talents’. So here at Gradconsult we have compiled a summary for you of the key things you need to know. We’ve purposefully not made this a critique, political or opinion piece, just a summary of ... read more

We’re delighted to share the second blog post in the series of updates being produced by our 2017 Microgrants beneficiaries. The following post is from Nathan Case, Lancaster University, whose work aims to make the general public aware of possible sightings of the Northern Lights. Back in May this year, I visited the Gradconsult office (or GC Towers at it’s better known!) as one of five recipients of the innovative “microgrant” scheme. The scheme, which enables new researchers and early career academics to get experience of writing and managing funding bids, provides small but very welcomed pots of money to ... read more

By Kylie Cook Originally published on LinkedIn Every week, on movie night, my husband asks me what I want to watch, and every week I shout SHREK 2 at the top of my lungs. I don’t know how it started, but it always makes me chuckle on account of me being very easily pleased. My demands for the cinematic delight of everyone’s favourite CGI ogre are rarely indulged, but I know the film pretty well nonetheless. What’s the point? Well, there’s a bit where Donkey and Shrek are talking about people being like onions and having layers*, and I think ... read more

By Jane Clark Originally published on LinkedIn I wonder how many of us really practice what we preach? OK – so let’s clarify that question a bit more. What I mean is, I wonder how many of us find the time in our busy working day lives to take a pause, and get to know more about the people we work with daily and how we can support each other more? There are lots of different models, methodologies, frameworks and complexities to help us solve some of these questions, and it’s making use of the right tools at the right ... read more

By Ollie Tarrant My route to Gradconsult has been somewhat unconventional, but at the same time, wonderful. I left the University of Sheffield with a law degree, knowing I wanted to come back to the Steel City to work. I applied for, and was successful with, a job at a local small business, only to have the position pulled a week or so before I was due to start. Despite my disappointment, I decided to go to the business induction day, even though I no longer had a business to be inducted into! I went with the low expectation of ... read more

In May 2017, Gradconsult announced the five successful recipients of our microgrants for early-careers researchers, to support them in developing their research, pursuing publication and creating impact. We’re delighted to share the first of a series of updates from these individuals. The following piece is from Andy Fletcher, Durham University, who is making headway with his research looking at links between music and mental health. Music increases wellbeing. Some people have a fair idea of how and why this works for them but the reasons differ between individuals. My PhD sought to disentangle some of the connections between music activity ... read more

By Mike Grey Originally published on LinkedIn In many of the training courses that I deliver, I like to use an icebreaker where I ask participants: “What did you want to be when you grew up?” As you would expect, very few had dreams of working in careers, placements, employer engagement or graduate recruitment…… as it turns out our industry is home to dozens of squeamish people that abandoned dreams of a being a Vet and a fair few humanities graduates that never really mapped a career journey in their time at university. However, most go on to share that ... read more

Originally published in Issue 1 (Autumn 2017) of ‘The Student Employer’ Magazine by ISE. By Rebecca Fielding If you’re new to the world of student recruitment I’m here to give you a great big welcome. You have joined an innovative, collaborative and fun sector at an exciting time. And I can say that as someone who has worked in it for 17 years! Every year seems to bring new challenges (apprentice levy anyone?), exciting technological developments (AI and virtual reality – eek) and a deeper understanding of the important role our profession plays within people’s lives (candidate experience, fight for ... 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

Video interviews follow many of the same best practice guidelines as face to face interviews, but candidates should be aware of the differences of being on camera. Here are some top tips to help ace that video interview – Lights, Camera, ACTION! Practice – on camera. It may be that you are an avid user of Facetime or Skype and are very comfortable talking on camera. However, it isn’t for everyone and feeling self-conscious is very common. One good tip is to just switch on your camera on your phone or Ipad, record yourself talking and then watch it back. ... read more

Last week, four of the Gradconsult team attended the annual AGR Student Recruitment Conference. It was Jane’s first conference with us, and it’s safe to say she loved every minute! We spent three days down in blustery Brighton, both leading sessions and attending workshops. Changing world of university partnerships @gradconsult with @FDMGroup, full session. #AGRconf17 pic.twitter.com/PqzvzWIL9n — AGR (@AGRorg) June 7, 2017 Mike delivered a fantastic session with Kate Croucher from the FDM Group on the changing world of university partnerships. They spoke about how the lines are blurred between careers services and employers as universities are getting more involved ... read more

  We are delighted to be hosting eight new roles at Faradion Limited, a leader in the research and development of next generation rechargeable batteries for the utility, automotive and consumer sector. They have recently received £1.3million funding to develop ways of reducing the cost of electric vehicle batteries by using sodium-ion technology, and are so are expanding their team.   Please click the links below for details of the vacancies and information on how to apply.   Battery R&D Technician (3 roles, Sheffield) Qualifications required: STEM/related BSc, or equivalent industrial experience Material Process Engineer (Sheffield) Qualifications required: MEng/MSc in Process or ... 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

Today, the worthy winners of Gradconsult’s first ever microgrants scheme are being informed of their success. Established to help new researchers and early career academics get a ‘foot in the door’ with funding bids, our microgrants are providing them with a track record to go on and secure larger funding bids to conduct research in their field. The five admirable winners who were chosen from a huge pool of strong entries will be given their prizes at an official event to take place in May, when they will be invited to Sheffield to meet the team and celebrate their achievement ... read more

As tea time was rapidly approaching, I was supposed to sit down and write something about my day with Gradconsult. What to mention? What was the key point of the day? What did I learn? To help me answer these questions, I had to remind myself of why I came to Gradconsult in the first place. Surprise, surprise, it was for career advice. I hadn’t been to University (worked in the media sector after my A-Levels) and recently moved to Sheffield from Poland, so I was looking for guidance, some information, and a well-informed source that would be able to ... read more

We are over the moon to announce that our GC Microgrant scheme is now open for applications! We want to put our money where our mouth is – we see the great value that quality research adds to our Universities, and as an SME working in early careers, we want to support individuals starting their career in academia or research to get a foot in the door. If you have less than three years’ postdoctoral experience and want to kick start your funding record, or know someone who fits the bill, use the following link to find out more and ... read more

Christmas was near, and up in the towers, GC was preparing, for the last festive hours The prosecco was popped, the mince pies were flowing, some started dancing, though Mike wasn’t going. The party was hopping, the crackers were cracking, presents were plundered, the empties were stacking. Then from the corner, a sound unexpected, knock knock knock, to the door it directed. The boss sauntered over, and flung open the door, she couldn’t believe, who was out in the hall. From his boots to his hat, the man was a scene, of red white and black, though his elf was ... read more

It is hard to believe that a week could go so fast, but unfortunately it has. I have enjoyed my week here at Gradconsult immensely, and not just because of the free lunches! All the team were lovely, and I really got to know the fun side of office life. The office is in a large building, and the room itself has a fun blackboard wall for people to write their ideas and inspiring quotes, and now it has my wonderful Christmas tree on too. As well as helping the team with the day-to-day running of the business, I have ... read more

Whether it be a grad scheme, internship, or a ‘regular’ job, for many graduates stepping onto the career ladder the main goal is getting there (wherever there may be for you). But what happens after you’ve arrived and settled? How will you react when your priorities change? And how will you cope when the ‘new’ becomes… well, the norm! You might not have all the answers right now, but keep these questions in mind to help you recognise the warning signs if the going gets a little tough. You will undoubtedly experience a range of emotions as you grapple with ... read more

Yesterday was World Mental Health Day and as a result there were lots of fantastic articles and blogs online about managing your mental health and wellbeing. In particular there was a lot of content aimed at students in University. Universities are usually pretty good places to discuss mental health. There seemed to be a real culture of acceptance, particularly in student groups, societies and the Students’ Union that created a safe space for talking about mental ill-health, something I hope I contributed to during my time as an Officer at Sheffield Students’ Union. This feeling of being supported didn’t always ... read more

Everyone from apprentices and graduates to Executive Directors have an interest in career development and personal progression. Interestingly, I have often found that this conversation tends to focus on progression from one role to the next, or the ‘route through/up’ an organisation, and rarely on lateral moves at the same level, or more critically on the development stages of the role you are in. In order to broaden these career conversations I have developed this five-stage model to articulate career development in-role. The five stages are: New in role, Learning, Competent, Stretching and Excelling. Hopefully you, like many people I have shown this to, will recognise these stages, find it ... read more

At the recent AGCAS Conference in Chester, one powerful statement by Bob Gilworth (Director of the Careers Group) stuck in my mind. I am paraphrasing but the general thrust was: ‘Careers services do not need to do more, they need to do less but do it better and measure impact’ This to me could be the perfect mantra for the modern day careers service. There are always hundreds of potential initiatives that could be launched that would be broadly positive for the student experience and have a marginal impact on employability outcomes, the trick is identifying those that will have ... read more

It’s a dreary, wet September day and I am about to deliver the most wonderful of training days. I am full of energy and about to start my presentation. Everything has been prepared. This has been months in the making. Verifying the schedule, double- and triple-checking the content, practicing my presentation. This is the moment. I step onto the stage. My host makes the most witty of introductions and I’m delighted the participants greet me with applause as I take the stage. I have the remote to move the slides. Click. Click. “Houston, I have a problem!” Everything has frozen. ... read more

Resilience has been a buzzword in education for years now. Advocates say that young people need to develop the ability to cope with difficulties themselves, rather than expect others to solve their problems. But critics argue that it is used as a catch-all term that removes responsibility from institutions and fails to address the problem of worsening mental health in students. I have been working as a welfare officer for the past year, and I have rarely seen the term used to encourage self-improvement in an effective way. I have seen students told by their tutors, counsellors and other support ... read more

The Cover Letter conundrum Today, I am going to attempt to teach you how to tame a beast that has been wreaking havoc in the recruitment world. This beast leaves many a candidate dazed and confused over how they could have applied for so many jobs with no success. Yes, you guessed it, I am talking about the Cover Letter. A modern day conundrum for even the brightest of the graduate bunch. In my first year managing recruitment processes and sifting applications, this is where I have seen a tremendous number of applicants fall down. I can only imagine the ... 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

Recruiting graduates is not the sole privilege of large corporate employers. 90% of graduates consider working for an SME as a viable option, there is some great talent out there that can have a fantastic impact on your business. Graduates recognise that SMEs can provide a broader scope of work and responsibility more quickly than is typical at larger employers. However, before you even think about how you can recruit a graduate you need to ask yourself why you are pursuing this option. Is it to fill a skills gap or to bring new talent into your organisation to succession ... read more

    Set your cake makers to occasion and run to the garage for the last set of forecourt flowers because this week brings a date bigger than one featuring Barry White, Marilyn Monroe and the Star Wars theme being played by the London PhilharmoniC. It’s Gradconsult’s fourth birthday, and we sat down with the MD of GC, Rebecca Fielding, to talk all things consultery from past, present and future. When did you first have the idea of Gradconsult? “The right place at the right time” Like all the best ideas there was never a grand plan. After I had ... read more

Three of the Gradconsult team have had the honour of being chosen to deliver TEDx Talks in recent times. If you have not had the chance to view them, they are all included below. We hope you find them interesting; feel free to share them with your colleagues, clients, students and graduates. I would personally like to thank all the people that have sent such lovely comments to me since my talk went live last week. Here is my TED Talk delivered at the first ever TEDx Coventry University reflecting on a decade working in placements and employability. Introducing Expectation ... read more

The telephone interview is on the way out and, as you can see, Debbie Harry is not best pleased! Unfortunately, she does not have much influence in the world of graduate recruitment. To quote her directly: ‘Oh why cant we talk again, Oh why cant we talk again, Oh why cant we talk again. Don’t leave me hanging on the telephone’ Calm down Debbie, you are repeating yourself! “Debbie, we called you for your prearranged telephone interview last week and it went straight through to answer machine and wasted so much of our time. Instead, now we will do a ... read more

If I could just do one simple thing to improve my graduate recruitment process, what would you recommend? I’m asked this question regularly. And whilst I am not so naïve as to believe there is ever one silver bullet that works for every employer or sector, I have identified one simple thing that makes a massive difference and is under-used. I’ve done it myself for over ten years with great success. This change to your process can have a positive impact on your employer brand, candidate experience and student employability. What is this bright idea I hear you cry? Tiered regret emails. Yep, nothing ground-breaking or complex. No ... read more

Before you start telling me I am an egotistical maniac with narcissistic tendencies, this article is NOT about me. It’s about a guy called Mike Grey. Apart from being distantly descended from the bloke that gave the name to the famous tea, he has rather taken the University Placement world by storm over the past decade. #fact On Friday last week, other’s in the industry made sure he knew about it. Mike scooped the award for Outstanding Contribution at the National Undergraduate Awards ceremony. Mike led the EC Futures Team at Coventry University from its inception in 2011, through to ... read more

Blog post by Rebecca Fielding, original on LinkedIn: click here Last week the shortlist for the 2016 Northern Power Women Awards were announced and I’m over the moon to make the shortlist. It’s got me thinking about the women who have influenced or inspired me. It was tough but I’ve got it down to my top 5. Here I share how I made these connections and what I learnt, in the spirit of what the awards are all about; connecting, inspiring and celebrating power women. I hope this encourages you to make new connections, look around and learn from the power women in your life and career….. 1. ... read more

#fact. It is really hard writing your CV. It is so painful. But why? Why does it hurt so much? Why doesn’t it just trip off your fingertips onto the keyboard and into a magical, awe-inspiring document? Why, why, why? I was reminded of this difficulty recently when asked to review someone’s CV. I had forgotten just how hard it can be to write your own CV. It is so hard because it requires a great deal of self-reflection and talking about yourself in a way that is objective yet attractive to future employers. This means you need to engaged ... read more

  No, not contextual recruitment and not even employers scrapping degree or UCAS requirements. That is mere small fry compared to the impact the upcoming Apprentice Levy will have on the early careers market! With the government announcing ambitious targets to increase apprenticeship starts to 3 million by 2020, it was only a matter of time before the methodology to fund this grand plan became clear. From April 2017, all employers with a wage bill exceeding £3m will pay a levy of 0.5%. For many corporate employers this equates to millions of pounds of new tax liabilities that can only ... read more

Hi I’m Matt, a final year student at Sheffield Hallam University and much to my delight this week I got to spend the day at Gradconsult! Following my jam packed day I wanted to give a bit of a glimpse of a day with Gradconsult which for me ranged from conducting a practice assessment centre to talking with the team about how much they loved cake.</> Kicking it off… My day started at 9.30am where I was introduced to the team and campers. Almost immediately I dived straight into my first task- marking CVs. After being so indulged in my ... read more