UBS has been working regularly with Circus Space as part of their training programmes as a means for interns to work on the 7 core competencies candidates are assessed on while having fun at the same time.  Circus Space offers a unique mix of circus skills including:

• Human Pyramid Building
• Juggling
• Double Dutch
• Stilt-walking
• Diabolo
• Tight-wire walking
• Plate spinning
• Plus many more activities to dabble in!

Both Russ and myself were lucky enough to get stuck in with the UBS interns and try our hand at juggling, double-dutch (skipping for all those who don’t know), stilt-walking and human pyramid building. It was a fantastic afternoon and it is clear to see why UBS and Circus Space have formed this unique partnership to develop the raw business skills and professional qualities needed for a career at UBS.

The UBS team enjoyed papping us all during the various activities and it was a great way to get to know your team mates.  As you can see in the picture on the right, trust is very important when you are relying on a group of people to hold you up!

Fancy following in their footsteps? Make sure you check out the reviews at RateMyPlacement.co.uk and find out more about the opportunities with UBS here.

Thanks UBS for a great afternoon

We have been named in the final 3 of the Barclays ‘Take One Small Step’ Competition for London, which means we now have a 1 in 3 chance of winning £50,000 to help us grow the business!

And to win, we need your help! The winning company will be the one that has the most votes by 9am on the 27th June so we would really appreciate it if you could take a couple of minutes to visit the takeonesmallstep.co.uk website and vote for us!

Simply click on the button below, hit the ‘Vote for this entry’ panel on the right hand side and enter your email address. You’ll then need to click on the link in the automated email that you receive to ensure your vote is counted!

Click below to vote online and text too!

You can vote once online, as well as once via text message. Text RMP to 62555. SMS votes will be charged at your standard user network rate.

It’s not all bad though!  An article in Personnel Today discusses how important undergraduate work experience is, both for students and employers. Maria Floud, senior graduate recruitment manager at accountancy firm Grant Thornton, states that the increase in university fees is making employers reflect on their schemes and realise how important it is to attract students from an earlier age.

“The internship model used as a key pipeline to the graduate programme is very successful. We recently won the ‘Best Placement and Internship’ award by Rate My Placement, due to the focus we put on ensuring this programme to find great talent earlier on.”

Congratulations to Grant Thornton and thanks for our mention – hopefully this will give employers and students the oomph and encouragement to undertake a placement or internship scheme  :)

If you’re a student there is still time to grab a placement or internship this summer so check out the opportunities on http://www.ratemyplacement.co.uk/search

We are also interested to hear your thoughts so drop us a line with your comments below.

Thanks,

The RateMyPlacement Team

According to the Evening Standard, “latest job vacancies show a 61.6 per cent annual increase in job opportunities in the sectors, with some 32,000 needing to be filled”.

However, we all know what the common ethos is regarding graduates – floods of them are entering a market that is facing huge economic difficulty. In order to combat the situation, there are a number of skills that you can develop to set you apart from others. What better way to obtain these than through an Internship or Placement?

The Financial Services Skills Council has produced a list of skills most sought after by employers in the respective industries. Do you possess some of these below?

The Financial Services

• Cultural awareness
• Numeracy skills
• Languages
• Analytical Skills
• Understanding clients’ needs

Accounting and finance

• Common sense
• Tolerance
• Team Work
• Communication skills
• IT

No one can ever stop learning and each experience you take part in develops you as a person. It is clear however, that work experience is perhaps the best way to fast track your development, as well as your chance of securing top jobs. If you were ever in doubt about doing an Internship or Placement, my advice would be to do it! It’s a no brainer and unlike graduate jobs, you may only get one chance – it really is now or never!

January’s question focuses on what a student should do if they have been unable to secure an internship within the sector, what type of skills building activities would employers want to see on their CV, which would enable them to compete for graduate jobs vacancies equally against other students who have completed internships?

If you are interested in the finance sector..these hints and tips from the likes of HSBC, ACCA, and ICAEW may well be worth a read!

It is certainly true that more people that have done an internship are successful in getting a graduate role. However what is important is the student demonstrates that they have the essential underlying qualities: - Experience of dealing with customers- particularly in solving their problems - Experience of working with others and leading a particular task - An ability to talk about the sector’s challenges – and evidence of reading any quality paper. John Morewood, Senior Graduate Recruitment and Development Manager, HSBC Bank Plc -www.jobs.hsbc.co.uk/14-en/HSBC.aspx

At RSA we would like to see students take part in activities that: - Enable them to develop their team building skills, so they can demonstrate how their individual effort made a difference - Help them to understand their learning and leadership style, so to demonstrate self awareness and how people react differently to situations - Support them in developing skills to overcome objections, so to demonstrate the ability to listen and identify the issues - Enable them to practice their communication and assertiveness.Taking part in activities which enable students to develop and put skills into practice will support students in competing for a graduate role even when they have not obtained an internship. Libby Morgan ACII, Chartered Insurer, Personal Lines Trader, RSA - www.rsagroup.com/rsa/pages/careers/careershome

There are many different activities a student can take part in to help build key skills that need to be demonstrated during interviews with employers. Key skills vital to a successful career as an accountant, or indeed in any business role include; communication, commercial awareness, team work and co-operation, numeracy, leadership and self management. As well as these key skills, employers are also looking for a number of other personal attributes. The following will be useful to think about when planning your applications and preparing for interviews; personal motivation and commitment, creativity and flexibility, planning and organization, and problem solving. If you are unable to secure an internship in the sector, you can demonstrate your understanding of these skills by taking part in activities such as business games run by the professional bodies or employers at your school or university, or by taking an active role as a member of a student society.. There are also many employer workshops on offer, which cover everything from advice on how to write your CVs and applications to developing your presentation skills, these are not only a great way to find out more about the employers and professional qualifications on offer, but a chance to enhance your communication and presentation skills. If you have travelled, taking a gap year or planning to take a gap year, think about the life experiences that you are gaining and how some of these are relevant to your future work career, or if you have a part-time job you should be able to show your commitment, time management and communication skills whether it’s retail or bar work or office based roles. Participating in activities such as Young Enterprise are also enhancing skills and business knowledge. The ICAEW also offer qualifications such as the Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB) which can act as an entry route to the ACA. CFAB is open to all, regardless of academic background or experience. The things you will learn are highly relevant in many business sectors. CFAB provides an essential understanding of the fundamentals of finance, accounting and business. CFAB can be completed in less than 12 months alongside your university or school courses. The modules include: business and finance; management information; accounting (compulsory); law; assurance and principles of taxation. These modules also make up the knowledge exams of the ACA qualification, so you can go to an employer being part qualified for the ACA. All of these activities will help you to stand out from other students, think about the relevance of your experiences and how they apply to the roles you are considering. Louise Mason, Marketing Manager, The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales – www.icaew.com/careers

In the current economic conditions, it’s important to maximise your employability skills and being commercially aware is a skill that all graduates, regardless of degree, need to achieve. When you go to interviews or assessment centres, employers want to test your knowledge on a range of things including the job you are applying for, the organisation and its operations, the business sectors and competitors that operate within it, and your general understanding of the business environment. ACCA has developed a series of articles and podcasts that focus on the elements that make up commercial awareness and how to apply this to different employment sectors. You can download the podcasts from our website at www.accaglobal.com/graduates/media/commercial. You should also try to demonstrate an interest in your chosen career or profession by joining a student society at university, such as Bright Futures, and participating in graduate promotional activities. Joining ACCA’s Accelerate Lite scheme is a good way to stay ahead of the competition and develop the knowledge you need to show employers that you’re serious about a career in accountancy. It’s free to join Accelerate and as a member you can access a range of services designed to keep you up-to-date with accountancy news, trends and graduate jobs. These skills building activities will not only help you get that first graduate job, but they can also help you understand more about the type of career you may want to embark on and the kinds of organisations you want to work for. Laura Murphy, Head of Student Business Relationships, ACCA – www.uk.accaglobal.com

If you have failed to get an internship for this summer – don’t panic! As you can see there are other options out there!

If you are interested in the finance sector..these hints and tips from the likes of HSBC, ACCA, and Citi may well be worth a read!

There really is one mistake that candidates make: insufficient preparation. These can be broken down into: 1. Lack of preparation; Interviewers want to know how well you are going to fit in to an organisation. Applicants need to think of examples which demonstrate this. 2. Prepare examples which are in 3 parts – describe the situation you were dealing with, what you did and what the results were (try to quantify results in terms of task, team and individual). 3. Candidates should think of examples where what you did didn’t go so well; the key thing is what you learnt from the process. John Morewood, Senior Graduate Recruitment & Development Manager, HSBC BANK PLC, www.jobs.hsbc.co.uk/14-en/HSBC.aspx

Applying for jobs is hard work, so once you get that first interview it’s really important that you make the most of the opportunity to show how capable you are in person. Unfortunately, some candidates let themselves down at interview. There are many reasons why this happens, but the top three mistakes made in interviews – and how to avoid them – are: 1. Failure to Prepare – you must undertake some research before the interview and show an awareness of the organisation, the business sector and current issues, and the role you are applying for. 2. Poor Communication – you need to answer questions concisely and succinctly, prepare for the difficult questions and respond to them in a positive way, and ask your own questions to find out more. 3. Lack of Personal Branding – you should be smartly dressed, use appropriate body language, and ensure that everything you say and do is individual to you, authentic and consistent. Once you build up experience and confidence in these areas, the standard of your interviews will improve and so will your chances of getting that job. Laura Murphy, Head of Student Business Relationships, ACCA UK – www.uk.accaglobal.com

The three key mistakes which candidates make in an interview situation are: 1. Insufficient preparation – not researching the organisation in any depth. Company websites make doing this research easy. 2. Not being sufficiently business focused – in dress and in approach to the interview conversations – there’s a need to show enthusiasm, engagement and drive. 3. Having no questions when it comes to “do you have any questions” time or having ones which are only focused on career advancement possibilities for themselves or the social side of work. Gillian King, Director of Education & Trustee Development, The Pensions Management Institute – www.pensions-pmi.org.uk

The three key mistakes which candidates make in an interview situation are: 1. Lack of knowledge of the organisation as a whole and in particular the role; little if any research undertaken which would assist preparation for the interview 2. Inability to provide specific answers to competency based questions. Prior to the interview, thought requires to be given to their existing skills /experience and occasions when they have displayed the behaviours required for the position 3. Arriving with incomplete application form/documentation – for successful individual this can delay the recruitment process. Tricia Crooks, Resourcing Consultant, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, www.rbs.co.uk

The three key mistakes which candidates make in an interview situation are: 1. Lack of preparation for the interview: Look at the job advertisement and make sure you understanding what the key requirements of the role are. These could be building relationships, planning and multi-tasking, producing reports etc. Having notes and examples from your experiences ready to draw on in these key areas if asked by interviewer will make a positive difference. 2. Poor or lack of candidate questions: This is the time for you to show off. The type of questions you ask the interviewer indicate not only the level at which you operate but your understanding and research that you’ve done into the role or the business. 3. Poor timekeeping – lateness! Make sure you know the route, and even do a trial run and be sure of where you need to get to! So many candidates get lost or arrive late. Of course employers are sympathetic to those who have genuine problems and don’t make it on time, but it always pays to check the route! Jo Hussey, Nationwide, www.nationwide.co.uk

From a Citi perspective, the most common mistakes that we see are: 1. Candidate’s lack of research regarding the position they are applying for or about the organisation to which they have applied. 2. Little preparation for competency based interviews. Candidates often struggle to come up with examples of situations they previously dealt with that show their competency in a particular area. 3. A general lack of preparation for questions that they themselves want to ask the hiring manager 4. Negative comments of previous employers and why they left the organisation 5. There have also been occasions when some candidates have been inappropriately dressed for an interview. Michelle McManus, Assistant Vice President, HR Site Head, Citi – www.citi.com

As you can see – many of the mistakes made are picked up by each different companyand in most instances it’s down to basic common sense; good luck for your next interview!

Fresh Look is open to first-year female students from all degree disciplines. It’s a unique opportunity to discover what it’s really like to work in the City – and to ask any questions you might have about one of the most demanding and rewarding careers around.

Click here to apply now!

To catch the video in all of its glory, click on the picture below! Hope you find them useful!

The CIPD’s latest ‘Focus on Graduate Jobs’ calls for government policy to concentrate on “understanding and meeting the real skills needs of employers” in addition to providing better information about the “realistic” employment and salary prospects available to graduates.

In this climate, arm yourself as best you can and take up as many opportunities as possible. Whether that’s through a part time job, work experience via an Internship or Placement or getting involved with your student union. Plus, be realistic about what is actually achievable!

As always feel free to comment

Be quick to apply as competition is fierce; we only have one spot per campus and we’re expecting applications to come in thick and fast.

To find out more information and to apply click here.