The Gradconsult blog

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

We’re delighted to say that our head of employee wellbeing, chief chicken eater and executive cuddle strategist Ned, has been selected for Benchmark Recruit’s Pet pin up calendar! Ned was delighted with the news, and wanted to thank the team at Benchmark Recruit for recognising his hard work, as well as his fans and his family for making it all possible. He has insisted that fame will not go to his head, and that he will continue to serve diligently in the office, cheering everyone up and being generally adorable. Congrats Neddy!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

Looking for some light reading on a crisp autumn day? Check out our latest newsletter and find out what we’ve been up to over the past few months!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 Jane Clark Originally published on LinkedIn Last week, I found myself returning to university after 20+ years to pursue a Doctorate in Business Administration. A big decision to make and a big commitment – but I’m ready for it and up for the challenge. I have been discussing this for a while with my mentor, friends and family and after doing lots of research on the different courses and options available, I began to narrow down my choices on how I was going to pursue this. I remember talking to Rebecca Fielding very early on upon joining Gradconsult about ... 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 Ollie Tarrant At 11:10pm on Tuesday 26th September, I received a message from Rebecca (six days before I was due to start working at Gradconsult) inviting me to the launch conference of the Small Graduate Recruiters Club (SGRC). I was eager to impress my new (apparently nocturnal) boss, and to understand more about the field I was going into. The following morning, not quite knowing what to expect, I arrived at the Chimney House in Sheffield’s Kelham Island. After meeting with six of my soon-to-be Gradconsult colleagues, as well as some local businesses people from Sheffield and further afield, ... 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

School’s out for the summer! Grab a pina colada (or whatever you’d rather) and take a look at our summer newsletter, put together by our wonderful summer intern Rachel Seignot.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

We were delighted to sponsor the AGR Work Experience Programme award and honoured to present it to Laing O’Rourke at the annual Student Recruitment Conference a few weeks ago. They thoroughly deserved the award for their fantastic offering of work experience opportunities across project sites, factories, depots and offices. A work experience placement with Laing O’Rourke will typically last for one or two weeks and is aimed at those who have an interest in civil engineering and construction. They were also shortlisted for the School Leaver and Apprenticeship Strategy award, which was designed by none other than our Gradconsult team! ... 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

Gradconsult are pleased to announce the five researchers who beat hundreds of other applicants to win our grants to help pursue their research. Established to help new researchers and early career academics get a ‘foot in the door’ with funding bids, Gradconsult’s microgrants have been designed to give individuals a track record to go on and secure larger funding bids to conduct research in their field. As an organisation that works closely with many universities and sees the value of research in higher education, we want to practice what we preach. We invited the winners to GC Towers here in ... 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

A final reminder to anyone interested in joining us for a few months (and beyond?) as a summer intern – applications close on Monday! (https://gradconsult.workable.com/jobs/440758) And secondly, we’re heading into our final week of accepting applications from early careers researchers/post-docs/academics and PhD students for our microgrants programme. If you need help getting onto the funding ladder you should consider applying – the deadline is 31st March so there’s time yet! Find out more here: http://bit.do/GCgrantsread 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

September is upon us, the days are getting shorter, and I’m going back to university! It’s been a whirlwind week, but after a chat with the lovely boss-lady I’ve found myself enrolled part-time at Sheffield Hallam University, just across the road from GC Towers. I’ll be studying for an MSc Human Resources Management over the next three years, and I’m really excited to gain academic knowledge following my two and a half years working in HR and recruitment with the fab Gradconsult team. The new notebook is ready and my pen is poised (because I’m old fashioned; none of this ... 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

You might have noticed a super shiny and wonderfully colourful logo right at the top of this page that wasn’t there last time you visited… yep, we’ve been very busy! You know what they say about the new year – out with the old, in with the new – and so, we’re over the moon about finally sharing our new brand with you. We turn four this year (I know – time for big school!) and we wanted something a bit more fun and vibrant. Essentially, a brand that is a better fit with our company culture. If you’ve seen our office, or worked with us already, you’ll know what I mean. If you ... 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

Mostly I’m a cynic. I don’t ponder if the glass is half full or half empty but work on the assumption that the glass will break, someone will cut their hand on it, I’ll be sued and sent to prison where I won’t even be the prison pin up because Harold in cell 72 has a frankly stunning wig collection. However there is one time of year that strips back all those feelings and reminds me what happiness is all about. I bloody love Christmas and this week I was put in charge of the office decorations. It’s about to ... read more

Do you remember last Christmas? Not the song, the season. It seems like a long time ago but it was less than two months. At Gradconsult towers we made merry and went a bit mad on the decorations but it was Christmas and we all go a bit mad. Thankfully now the decorations have been down for a while and we can all start to focus on work. Oh, hello Easter. When did you get here? The Christmas decorations were really a project I was behind. Christmas has a special place and the symbols make more sense. A fat man ... read more

Outside the throes of a fevered dream or a 1980s conservative party conference, where would you go to find salsa dancing, real ale and two local radio drive-time presenters? The Gradstock twitter feed. It’s an eclectic mix. Some of the followers are following back (good twitter etiquette is always appreciated) after we got a bit bold and made the first move. However some came from the same place as those shoes you see hanging on power lines or UKIP. Actually nobody really knows where they came from but there they are. But as with Gradstock itself, the policy of the ... read more

I thought it had happened again. This week the office had a new addition that most offices don’t, deckchairs. I assumed my idea for business hammocks in the office was being considered and the deckchairs were a semi trial run.  Deckchairs, by the way, are nowhere near as confusing to put up as all those 1970s sitcoms told me they are (damn it Terry and June). Sadly the deckchairs are not going to be a permanent addition to the office. They have been bitten by the bug and are off to seek their fortune in London. Like Dick Whittington but ... read more

This week a packet of crisps spoke to me about potential, and the idea that my legs wouldn’t be so cold if I set my trousers on fire. Once the fire service left I went back to check on the dangling snack bag. Still there.  In my mind the crisps existed in two states: one where it had leapt and the other where it had fallen. The jumping crisp is a mighty adventurer who wanted to find out everything the world outside its glass prison had to offer. It had moment of courage and decided to embrace something new. Unknowing ... read more

When it rains good things, it pours good things. This week is rained good things so hard that Noah would have stuck his head out of the window and shouted “Really? Again?”. The week featured the BBC, international clients and going live ( although not the old Saturday morning TV show with the silver fox himself, Philip Schofield). Woman’s Hour on BBC radio 4 isn’t a programme I’d listened to before this week. The truth is I’m not a woman and an hour is longer than I can usually focus on someth….I found a balloon! On Wednesday our MD, Rebecca ... read more

And so the decorations are down, the same five songs have stopped being played and the last mince pie has been dealt with. The New Year is here and 2015 is going to be, frankly I have no idea what it will be but since that never stopped anyone else, I’m going to give you my predictions for 2015. And I’m going to try a few methods to do it. Tea leaves Since we make our tea in the cup, this method proved a bit unreliable (hope that doesn’t become a theme while trying to predict the future). I made ... read more

“If you have it you don’t need it. If you need it, you don’t have it. If you have it, you need more of it. If you have more of it, you don’t need less of it. You need it to get it. And you certainly need it to get more of it. But if you don’t already have any of it to begin with, you can’t get any of it to get started. Which means you really have no idea how to get it in the first place, do you? You can share it, sure. You can even stockpile ... read more

“Is the milk off? Not at all. Would you like one lump or two?”  The day we changed to UHT milk. I’ve just opened the 5th window on my rather awesome Marvel comics advent calendar (please don’t tell Batman or anyone over at DC; I don’t need that kind of heat). Nothing surprising about that in and of itself but, just like that tin of prunes that somehow came loose from an international prune relief cargo plane, it struck me. If it’s the fifth of December, that means I’ve been working at Gradconsult for over two months. I genuinely had ... read more