'I'm going to pass those tests dead easy'

You can't actually look inside as I have stolen this from Amazon

Recently, the time has come upon us, that we must apply for internships. Now most of us will know, for large companies this is not an easy process. There is a rigorous selection process, involving usually around 3 if not 4 stages. For those of you that don't know, here is what they may involve: 

- Online application

- Verbal and Numerical Reasoning tests

- Skype or telephone interview

- Assessment centre day

Here we will focus on the most dreaded of them all - the reasoning tests. 

Now for many of my friends studying more maths based subjects, there was a general feeling that these would be a breeze. However, many of them have fallen at this hurdle. The questions were worded in a very specific way, a business-like way, or they felt the pressure, they ran out of time, and that was it - game over. Internship opportunity over. 

This all sounds rather worrying doesn't it? Especially for those of you applying for internships from a less maths-based background. But never fear, there is a solution. 

Firstly, depending on which role you are applying for, the reasoning test will vary. So if you're applying for a financial role, the questions will be substantially more difficult than for someone say, applying for a marketing role. But that is to expected as the role you will carry out on the job will require a substantially larger proportion of your time crunching numbers. 

Secondly, the tests are largely from the same provider. Usually when applying for internships, the company will direct you to a sample questions site. It is really important to practise first but  we will come on to that next. Anyway, the questions are likely to come from similar companies if not the same one, as they are usually externally sourced. Therefore, once you get an idea of the questions, if you complete one and manage to work it out, it would be wise to keep these notes/ your workings for when you complete the next one. This will both save you time and prevent a large feeling of annoyance at yourself that you are 'sure you've seen this question before'. 

Finally, the practise really is key here. Don't go in feeling over confident. Invest in at least one book with example questions in, a large range are available from Amazon. As well as giving you tips on the workings of the questions, they will also explain how to approach them and the way to feel relaxed whilst doing them. It's simple things like, you're against the clock, but don't panic because realistically you are not expected to finish the test. It is also important to buy a book that was recently published as changes in psychometric tests are likely to occur and so an older book may leave you ill-equipped for a newer test. 

Additionally, remember that the verbal reasoning test is just as important as the numerical one, as it gives an indication to how you would cope in different situations, letting the company quickly know if you're the kind of person they would be looking to employ. 

*It is also important not to get someone to do the test for you as when you are invited to an assessment centre it will definitely look a bit off if the person who got 70% on the online test now only gets 5... 

If you're applying or have applied - good luck when your tests come up and remember preparation is key. 

Didn't you know about Prospects?

It was a surprise to me recently that my friends weren't aware of the Prospects website. 

This is possibly THE best website for planning your career. 

Prospects offers information on every career you could possibly go into. Along with these it describes the qualifications recommended to entering the sector and if you don't have them how to get them. The experience employers look for. Expected salary after 'x' years in the profession. Where the jobs are available. Links to advertised jobs in that sector available NOW. Testimonials from people in that sector who are recent graduates who explain how they got into it. 

It will tell you about jobs you didn't even know existed. It can help you get a career goal, which will drive on your academic work as well as the experiences you choose to have. 

I know this seems like an advert for this website, but when I was unsure of what career to go into, it let me explore every possible option, built my motivation and let me know how to get to my career destination - all from the comfort of my own home! When you're on the homepage look for 'Options with your subject'. But don't think of these options as a limit, keep looking round the site and you will find there are many more careers you could consider too! 

So go on, give Prospects a go. 

www.prospects.ac.uk 

I'm rich, but I'm sad.. is it worth it?

Again I am taking the opportunity to address an argument I hear every day. People's eyes light up when you tell them a career has a good wage attached to it and even maybe attractive bonuses, sometimes even without knowing what the job entails! Is this the job they really want? Or is the promise of money clouding their judgement? 

Of course, you might be one of the lucky few who goes into a career that they love and are also minted doing it. The rest of us wish you only success (not really but this isn't a bitterness blog is it?) 

But what do you do if you find yourself chasing the money rather than the dream? If you land the job everyone's been vying for but find you hate it? 

Firstly, like most situations, take a step back and remember this is not the end of the world. You've only just started and it is much easier to switch careers now than later on in life. Many people have said to me before to consider the industry I would like to work in as I will probably stay in that industry forever. Well, how do we know which industry we want to work in? We've not worked in them yet! 

My advice here would be, really consider the jobs you are applying for when you graduate. Is this the kind of career you see yourself in? Is it a stepping stone? Do you have an end goal? Don't just go for a job because it pays well - this is the rest of your life we're talking about here, you need to be happy! 

Don't give in to the peer pressure of people around you saying how much they earn, trying to compete, feeling like if you go into a low paid job that it isn't ok. Make your own career path, for what you want, not to please other people. 

You might think, it's all very well you saying this, but of course it's important to be rich. 

I would agree with you, it is important to have money. But everyone has a different definition of what is rich, and everyone has a different definition of what they want from a job or how hard they are willing to work. 

So what should you take away from this? 

1) Plan what you want from your career. Undoubtedly it will take you places you never expected but you can at least try and steer yourself in the direction you want rather than just taking a job in an industry you have no interest in because it pays well. 

2) Give it a chance. I'm not saying if you don't like your new job leave after the first week, but if you really feel it's taking you down a path you don't want, change paths. 

3) Prepare. Gaining work experience in different industries will help you to decide what kind of route you want to take, and knowing that before you apply can save years of stress and worry. 

4) It's ok to change your mind. People always change their minds. It is much easier to change your mind earlier, but at any age people change careers and lifestyles, it isn't impossible. Don't feel like you're letting anyone down, you're just doing the right thing for you. 

5) If it doesn't happen straight away, that doesn't mean it will never happen. Hang in there, take opportunities. 

Most importantly of all, it is human nature to compare yourself to other people. But you must remember, what makes someone else happy might not work for you. Therefore, do what is right for you, money or no money. Some people might be happier the more money they have and that's fine. But as far as I'm concerned money may as well be worthless if you aren't getting what you want from your life. 

What's my bar job worth?

I recently started a bar job at uni and whilst being a great little earner to feed my shopping habits, it's also got some other perks that may be overlooked. So whilst Mum and Dad might say you "need to concentrate on your studies", or you just think you've got too much reading to do (but you're not doing it are you, you're watching Iplayer and eating biscuits), you could be missing out on the benefits of a part time job at uni: 

1) Widen your connections. 

From people that pop in for a drink to the people you work with, you create contacts in people that know you well, because they work with you a lot, and therefore are perfect to get in touch with in the future for work. Saying that, sometimes it's nice to just get away from the people you see all the time and you might make friends for life in a part time job. 

2) It's still relevant work experience! 

Some may say a bar job offers no value when you apply for a "real job", but that is just not true. It shows you have something about you, going out and getting a job to support yourself. It also shows you're interested in more than just your studies. You do gain useful skills, for instance, team work, organisation (planning your degree work around your job), plus many more. 

3) You learn how to pull a pint 

I don't mean you literally learn how to pull a pint, as this could apply to any part time job at University. I mean you learn basic life skills, such as getting yourself up in the morning for work. Interacting with new people. If you've never worked a day in your life before, you will be a lot more nervous the first day you do go to work than if you've been going to work for a few days a work for the past two years, or even just a year! 

4) Try and stay in the job

I'm not saying aspire to work in a bar forever, but not packing it in too quickly could be the best thing you ever do... By showing you have worked somewhere continuously for a couple of years, you will be able to show dedication to a job, as well as overcoming hurdles. There are some graduates that can't say they have stayed in a job for longer than a few months; that doesn't scream reliability. Don't be that guy. Give it a proper go. 

Like I said earlier, this isn't just about bar jobs, but any job at uni. Remember any experience is good experience and the value placed on a part time job by employers is vastly underrated. 

Student of the Week - Lucy Kerrigan, London Internship

This week's student really shows how much you can gain from just a couple of weeks on an internship. After contacting companies herself, Lucy was lucky enough to gain some amazing degree-relevant experience. Here she tells us more...   

"I’m a Marketing and Advertising student at Sheffield Hallam University and over the summer I moved to East London to work with a Digital Production company based in Shoreditch. I joined the company at a crucial time in the development stages of the IOS app, Lively- currently just days away from going to the App store, which feels very surreal.

I worked fairly autonomously to begin with, which was surprising. I gained different skillsets which didn’t only branch off from the Lively project, but also other small projects within the company, mostly software related such as Photoshop and the basics of coding. I met some really inspiring people and I think that’s important no matter what you do or where you go. My daily itinerary varied from week to week. I gathered insights from international BETA users, creating a usability promo video, attending meetings , conferences and workshops and writing press releases. I quickly realised how important gaining these perspectives were, it is quite easy to miss minor or even major bugs without a fresh pair of eyes.

When things weren’t so busy in the office I was able to explore London while uploading content for the app- dream job? However, it wasn’t all play and no work. Armed to the teeth with business cards and working a stone throw away from ‘The Gherkin’, obviously I felt like I was on The Apprentice, except I was in the weaker team. It was pretty challenging to market/pitch an app that wasn’t even finished yet. I really hope I never get rejected so much in such a short space of time again, I just wanted to run home and listen to Busted.

It did get better though, I was invited to a Google Campus convention which meant I could build contacts and talk about potential placement prospects face to face, steering well away from the hustle and bustle of emails, phone interviews etc, which I was already too familiar of. Above all, I wore a trendy name sticker and got free crisps. This was a particular highlight for me, not the crisps, but the contacts I made. I have a few safety nets heading into my second year and preparing myself for my third year in industry.

Of course when I returned from London (and straight back to my beloved costa coffee) my mum had gone a bit insane as a result of my absence. She’d bought a blackboard biscuit tin and written on the side ‘EMPTY L’. Although, after a cup of tea and a catch up I was let in on the secret that the biscuit tin wasn’t actually empty at all, It’s not always what you know it’s who you know, right?" 

Lucy raises some interesting points here about networking, which with upcoming events at universities all over the country will definitely be a topic I will discuss further. More than anything though, Lucy really demonstrates the fantastic opportunities that are available if you are just willing to put yourself out there. To be able to list experiences such as this on your CV will be sure to impress an employer, so give it a go yourself! The best ways to contact an employer may be by email, but a focussed email, targeting that company in particular. If you don't hear back, try a follow up telephone call so they can see you are serious. It doesn't have to be a really well known company, but every company should have something to offer.

If you would like to be featured here or know somebody who should contact us via twitter @StudentCTheory 

How many applicants?!

My confidence received a knock recently following a conversation with some colleagues. One of them had just finished interviewing for a new position at a different company he works for and was relaying some anectdotal notes on the interviewees. Along with the usual comments you get about these kinds of things, there was one figure he kept reminding me of that really put some fear into me.



Source: welovelocalgovernment.wordpress.com



For this entry level position, with a salary of £14,500 and no promise of it increasing rapidly, for which applicants are required to be educated to degree level, there were no less than 120 applicants. 120. As someone who consistently preaches that the employment level for students and graduates isn't as dire as people make out, this really shocked me. But for that reason, I decided to get to the bottom of it and here is what I discovered. Take from it what you will but after reading it I don't think that figure will scare you quite as much anymore.

1) 60 of the 120 applications went straight in the bin due to a spelling mistake.

It seems unbelievable that that many graduates would seriously even send off an application without checking it and checking it again. This tells you something, those applications aren't serious, at the most they're speculative and they are not the applications employers are interested in.

2) Of the remaining 60, at least half hadn't adapted their CV.

This job, like all jobs, requires you to have thought about the skills needed for it and requires you to have read your CV recently to make sure you demonstrate those skills. By not changing their CVs these applicants showed this wasn't the field they were interested in as some of them had even left in key phrases like, 'great customer care skills', which was completely irrelevant for the role and suggested they had been applying for other jobs in other areas.

3) This leaves us with 30 applicants.

These applicants were drilled down depending on their knowledge and skills and 10 were invited for interview.

Although I recognise that 30 applicants is still A LOT of applicants, it is a great deal better than 120 applicants. This shows how silly mistakes can leave you without a chance and that extra check really is important. Even if you say, 'but I've read it twice', get somebody else to read it, just like an essay they will always pick out mistakes you didn't see.

It also shows that a lot of graduates still aren't sure what they want to do. By trying to make that decision early you will improve your skill set ready for when you have to make that all important application. Surprisingly actually wanting to do a job  comes across in an application and an interview, and your enthusiasm is likely to land you the position you want.

Don't let figures like this make you shy away from applying for jobs or become run down. Plan ahead, use these tips and really do your research into what an employer is looking for. Remember, there's usually a reason behind a shocking statistic, and the reason usually makes it a lot less shocking.

Student of the Week - Fallon Bates, Climbing Kili

When we talk about work experience, charity work doesn't always necessarily spring to mind. Ok maybe you think of some volunteering, or working in a charity shop, but what about climbing a mountain? Here we hear from Fallon who used her time this Summer to do something a little bit different... 

"I am an undergraduate, just going into my second year of English in Education. This summer I took on the immense challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro for Hope for Children. The trip took place between the 9th and 18th September. However, the real journey began last October, when willing students like myself decided to head over to a general meeting about the climb. Reflecting back on this I honestly don't think any of us knew what we was letting ourselves in for. 

The idea of climbing a mountain was a distant thought at the time, so everyone put all their efforts into raising £2,650 for charity. Charity and fundraising work is something that, although can be very hard at the time, is so self-rewarding when you are reaching goals throughout the year. Not only will it look amazing on my CV or any further education applications but the other transferable skills I have acquired will be useful in all areas of my life. I have learnt that if you want to get something you have to personally interact with individuals, societies and associations. Making phone calls and writing handwritten letters at first seemed very daunting, but the more you put yourself out there, explain to people what you are trying to achieve the more confident I grew. The times when you hear 'Unfortunately we cannot help you in your efforts, but we wish you all the best in your pursuit' at first was so down heartening and put a dampener on any ideas of goal margins. I feel this could be relate-able to how the job market may be when I graduate and have been able to draw on the idea that if one organization or individual rejects you then the only option is to never give up and move on as someone will be there willing to accept you. 

Now getting down to the real deal: CLIMBING KILIMANJARO, Although I could ramble on about the excessive walking, monotony of scenery and the general fatigue that the whole trek brought with it, I will refrain. I'd like to speculate and reveal what I gained from the experience itself. 

From the get go on the first day when we was delayed at the gate for two hours the team spirit was extremely high and we was all eager to begin our trek. I found that there was such a mixture of backgrounds and age ranges in the group that in normal situations may have been hard to interact with, but saying that everyone got on so well and gelled like a family. The climb brings you out of your comfort zone, you have to articulate to people how you are feeling, any anxieties you may have and generally socialise to keep yourself motivated. No matter where you ended up in the climb: right at the front, leading the group, huddled up in the middle, or even staggering at the back there was always a friendly face to talk to. With these sort of expeditions you just have to put yourself out there and go for it. As you can imagine everyone has habits, saying and turns of phrase that they use which when with constantly can become annoying. The trek really works on your patience and tolerance of individuals and a group as a whole. The team inspired me with their overall positive attitude from waking up til going to bed every day, 

The main aim of each day was to make it to a new camp, and each camp was completely different to the last. The only common denominator in place was the dreaded pit loos. Considering our group was highly dominated by females any sort of class and glamour had to be tossed aside for six days. I'm actually glad to express that the foulest memory of the whole trip was the toilet facilities. The little things whilst you are away really make you appreciate what we have in modern society. By actually experiencing first hand what the porters and guides use on a regular basis gives you more insight and not only a realisation of their culture but other cultures from around the globe which aren't as up to date as that in the United Kingdom. At camp we always had high energy food prepared for us, where loss of appetite and stomach bugs were often passing through groups, the determination of all team members to finish our food was strong. Setting up our space within tents took a lot of organising, delegating of areas for each person and creating space for people to manoeuvre comfortably within the night. 

In my opinion, the trip was definitely not about physical strength (although it did help), it was more to do with the stamina of the mind. Every day, hour, minute and second you had to keep yourself going. It helped me to set personal goals independently. Too often in the past I have allowed others to just set me tasks to do and I try my hardest to complete them. The approach I took was that the only person that you can rely on to get you to the place you want to be is yourself. Although the group really encouraged me, and working on my own was a struggle, whenever I got past a phase I felt so much more proud of what I had accomplished. 

Overall, this amazing opportunity which was given to us from the University if York by RAG has changed my life completely. I am so grateful for the people I have met along the way (trekkers, guides, porters and travelling companions alike). The stimulation of the climb for allowing me to realise that I can actually determine my own path and any outcome I want in my life, I really don't have to blag everything on a whim and prayer. I definitely know that all these skills, methods and approaches I took to getting up and down the mountain safely, all in the aid of charity will be something I can take with me on my journey of life. Although, they will all be really important and essential to my career path I feel the main aspect of the trip that has really changed me is how much I have grown as an individual." 

Fallon is exactly right in what she has said in terms of this isn't just about something to put on a CV but this has helped her grow as an individual. Doing something like this really does build your determination for life in general. However, some of you may still ask, well why would an employer care? Putting in an application that you have climbed a mountain for the benefit of others is something that will definitely make you stand out from the crowd. If you imagine an employer sifting through a pile of similar CVs, the person who has that extra something will be the one going through to the next stage. It will also provide a fantastic talking point between you and the employer. But before you even get to that part it shows a level of independence, organisation and determination that a graduate who hasn't made the same effort as you will struggle to demonstrate. 

Opportunities such as this are available through Universities but also independently and through external organisations.