Category Archives: For Graduates
by Juliet Hayes Looking for jobs, like many things in life, can be super difficult. I’ve been there, trying to find something that both interests me, and is related to my degree. But sometimes, that’s just not what you end up doing. Those circles definitely can have overlap, but it might take time to find precisely in which career or job that overlap falls. Take me for example – I’ve got a BSc in Geography, and an MSc in Environmental Management. My three current passions in life are geography, helping people, and the careers field. Who knows where I’ll find ... read more
by Amber Bytheway I’m in my late twenties. I work as a Project Consultant for an award-winning early careers and talent consultancy in Sheffield. I am very fortunate, working at a SME that I have the privilege of working and learning from all my colleagues in Gradconsult. A rare statement, I know! I also have the benefit of working with this hugely knowledgeable team whilst being able to work from anywhere in the country I choose. The founder of Gradconsult not only knows my name, but I see them every week, have support from them whenever required and am always ... read more
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 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 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 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
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 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
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
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
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