Graduates: An Assessor's Assessment

Andy Renouf is a Graduate Recruitment Officer for Corus, focusing specifically on co-ordinating the various projects that are associated with graduate recruitment, and most importantly, having first-hand experience of the assessment centre process and of interviewing candidates from the "other side".
 

Vinay: "What do you feel is the main problem currently facing graduates?"

Andy: "Competition. Due to the economic climate, it is very common for many graduate recruiters to cut down the number of graduates they take on, if any at all. This coupled with the graduates who haven't found a job from previous years leads to greater competition for a smaller number of roles. I firmly believe that graduates need to be more strategic with which firms they choose, so they still find the right firm for them, but do not become so fussy they miss real opportunities."

Vinay: "What should students or graduates then be doing to ensure that they make themselves more employable?"

Andy: "Very simple, doing something that most don't do, and using it to show the recruiter how useful they will be. For example, most students I know join some sort of society, but they'll never be involved in the running or organisational aspect of the society. When I was at university, I always made sure that I got involved in the management side of a society, as this gave me further exposure to situations that would benefit me when I went out to get a job."

Vinay: "What else would you consider to be a useful way to maximise your employability during summer holidays, or a gap year?"

Andy: "Any type of work experience or volunteer work that shows either exposure to your chosen industry, or a position of responsibility. Showing pro-activeness to go out and do something like this, and showing how your skills are transferable to the job you're applying for will always put you on the right path."

Vinay: "Do you find that students sometimes don't realise the importance of these types of activities?"

Andy: "Very much so. I've seen too many graduates, brilliant at the book stuff, but have very little clue about professional life itself. They'll say things like 'I don't see where this fits in the real world', but that's because they've never been in the real world! When I went to university, I got given the choice of a straight 3-year course, or a 4-year sandwich, and I took the sandwich course straight away. For all the theory in the world, there's nothing like real experience to put things into context."

Vinay: "And if you had one piece of advice to graduates for when they get a job or work experience?"

Andy: "Don't think you're better than others! Be sensitive to your environment, and have the self-awareness to adapt to the environment you're in. People skills are a must in the world of work."


Interview conducted by Vinay Trivedi, Director, The Career Agency

Advice for Graduates Graduating Next Summer

The Assessment Centre

Most graduates facing their first assessment centre for a graduate training job will feel fearful and deep anxiety. But why?


Our fear comes from the fact we have no experience of an assessment centre, no idea of what the interviewer will be like. And many of us will accept the fact that this is just the way things are. Yet this fear is the main reason why so many of us will fail at our first attempt. We simply will be too fearful of the resulting effect, and hence most will go to two extremes - either close up and become invisible to the recruiters, or perhaps worse, become too visible, trying too hard to get the recruiter to notice you, and in turn, ruining your chances by displaying yourself as a overbearing, overpowering figure.


But like an exam, what if you were prepared for it? Your fear level would dramatically reduce, because you know what to expect - what the recruiters are likely to ask, how to actually work on the group problem solving task, how to present yourself like a professional. If you knew how to approach an assessment centre, you would feel far more confident, and get the job you really want the first time round.


Using the advice from HPD, understand clearly what is required of you, and what you need to expect. Like the saying goes: "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail."


Vinay Trivedi, Director, The Career Agency

Knowing Your Short Falls

It's in our human nature to focus on our strengths - nobody really enjoys looking at what their flaws are, whether it be in their looks, their clothes or their ability in sports. But we need to understand where we are weak in order to become better, and this is never truer than in the work place. Your partner will compensate looks for a sense of humour; your friends will let you wear shoes and tracksuit bottoms if you are a great listener, and the guys in the team will let you off if you put in one-hundred percent. But in the world of work, if you don't know your weaknesses, we're likely fail.

You have to know where you lack ability, and work your hardest to overcome this. You may be the finest accountant alive, but if you are meek and quiet, no one will ever know that fact. On the other hand, be brash and no-one will want to work with you.

Those who want to become Managers, Partners and even Directors of multinationals; have to develop and nurture the perfect package - the all rounder. And a part of being the all rounder is about understanding & managing yourself emotionally, as well those whom you lead or work with, and sometimes even the boss. Indeed, we have to learn to manage the boss first.

I would recommend any student to write a list of their top 3 shortfalls - and construct a way to overcome them through learning, experience, or even shadowing someone. This way, you'll be channelling your development constructively.


Vinay Trivedi, Director, The Career Agency