Graduate Success Stories

Name: Andrew
Degree: Business Studies and Information Management
New Job Title: Marketing Research Assistant

"The graduate's story...

Q. In what ways have you benefited from attending University?

A. The biggest benefit of going to Uni for me was finding out what I wanted to get out of life, when I started I didn't know what I wanted to do for a career and Uni gave me the chance to try out new things, find out my strengths, weaknesses and what I do and don't like. Uni gave me more confidence to do things that I wanted to. Another benefit of Uni for me was to make a great set of friends who came from all walks of life.

Q. How did the skills and attributes you gained from your degree help you find work?

A. The Business Studies part of my degree was great because it covered a wide range of skills and disciplines. Information Management was a little more specialised, I didn't want to do Computer Science but wanted to work with Information Systems. I see the job I'm doing now as a natural extension to my degree and am looking to do some further study at some point in the future.

Q. What other work experience or courses did you partake in to improve/add to your CV during university?

A. I got involved by joining societies as this gave me chance to try out lots of new things. I had some of my best experiences when I got involved in things I'd never done before, such as a German language course, becoming President of the Motor Sports society, and getting involved in a Leadership Development Program called Learn to Lead.

Q. Describe your job and your typical working day.

A. Day-to-day, I handle information requests from people across the whole business on all aspects of the auto industry, as well requests for information on our own products. I also have the responsibility to produce research projects on new markets. Currently, I am analysing the activity of our competitors which is challenging but I am really enjoying. Apart from that, there are always new projects coming up, we're about to do some work on the results from a survey we've been running in our national magazines.

Q. What advice would you give to undergraduates searching for work?

A. Just to keep filling in applications and going to interviews. You really do get better with the more you do. I must have had about 30 interviews until I got offered a job and sometimes I did ask myself ?Is it worth it?? but I got there in the end and I'm really pleased with the results.

Q. How did The Graduate Recruitment Bureau help you in the process of looking for work?

A. They sent details of vacancies which matched my preferences, when I liked the sound of one I let them know - GRB liaised between me and the employer, arranging interviews, pushing for feedback and keeping me updated on what the employer thought of the process as a whole. I really liked the fact that it was a very personal service."

Name: Jenny Cummins
Studied: BSC Biology
University: Junior Research Analyst
Role: Marketing Research Assistant

The graduate's story...

Q. In what ways have you benefited from attending University?
A. In terms of my current position University equipped me with valuable research skills, knowledge of microbiology, French and the capacity to synthesise informative documents.

Q. How did the skills and attributes you gained from your degree help you find work?
A. It helped me match the job profile -I benefitted from being taught by brilliant lecturers who encouraged analytical thinking which I now use on a daily basis.

Q. What other work experience or courses did you partake in to improve/add to your CV during university?
A. My year abroad in Paris added an extra dimension to my CV - bringing a language into play and giving me a more international perspective into research and day to day life in a foreign country.

Q. Describe your job and your typical working day.
A. One of the things I like about the work I do is that I don't have a typical day - I could be working on any number of projects at a local, national or international level. There's a large degree of team work and collaboration so communication skills and logical thinking are always involved. The research I do is constantly changing and I'm given new topics on a daily basis so learning and development is a daily occurrence.

Q. What advice would you give to undergraduates searching for work?
A. Persistence! Really, it's easy to lose heart and whilst you might not be doing your perfect job at the moment, stretch yourself while you're there? You'll learn new skills, get yourself fantastic references and make unexpected contacts that may well help when the position you do want finally comes along.

Q. How did The Graduate Recruitment Bureau help you in the process of looking for work?
A. After signing up I got sent weekly bulletins containing relevant jobs. It gave me an opportunity to see jobs that weren't widely advertised and an idea of the kind of posts that were out there. The staff were encouraging and friendly and helped sorting out the practical details of interviews and even pay negotiation.

Name: Alison Eadie
Studied: MSc Mathematics
University: St Andrews
Role: Software Support Analyst

The graduate's story...

Q. In what ways have you benefited from attending University?
A. Throughout my time at university I learned a lot about myself and became a more independent and rounded individual. I developed both socially and academically and am now more able to adapt to face different challenges in my work and life. University isn't just about gaining your degree - of course employers are looking for evidence that you can work effectively, but they also want to know that you are capable to taking on responsibility and that you will work effectively in a team with other members of their workforce. Prior to university I may have been able to prove my ability to learn and to work, but I did not have the maturity and independence to become a valuable employee. These are skills I learned through my time at university.

Q. How did the skills and attributes you gained from your degree help you find work?
A. Through studying mathematics I developed my ability to analyse situations and to regard problems in a methodical and logical manner. This ability is desirable to employers as it can be adapted to situations which arise in many different jobs. I also learned how to describe difficult concepts to others and how to present my work in a clear, easily understood manner. Another important skill I learned through my degree is that of effectively prioritizing my work. During my degree I was often faced with conflicting deadlines and I needed to learn how to manage my time in order that the work was done to the best of my ability. Whatever degree you do, you will find you have learned important skills and developed attributes which will give you the edge over other potential candidates.

Q. What other work experience or courses did you partake in to improve/add to your CV during university?
A. During term time, I participated in a number of sporting activities and was a member of various clubs. On my CV these show my commitment and responsibility. The clubs were also a great way of meeting new people and improving my networking skills. During the summer break between my 2nd and 3rd year I worked as a team member on the front counter at KFC. This gave me experience in dealing with members of the public in a busy, fast paced environment. It also taught me the importance of working together in a team and gave me experience in the responsibility of handling money.
In the summer following my penultimate year I participated in a Summer Research School in the Department of Mathematics. This involved working in a small group to explore a number of mathematical problems and presenting the results for the various funding bodies. Through this I improved both my oral and my written communication as well as my research skills and time management.

Q. What advice would you give to undergraduates searching for work?
A. It is important to thoroughly research your chosen career path and to examine your strengths and weaknesses with regards to this field. Have a look at the various magazines and websites aimed at job searchers in order to ensure you are not falling into the common job-hunting pitfalls. Leave plenty of time for filling in application forms and make sure you keep a copy of your completed applications - this is useful not only to look over when you come to interview stage, but also it allows you to adapt your answers for future application forms and thus save yourself a lot of time and effort. Before sending away the first few CVs and application forms, have them checked over by a member of the careers service. This will ensure you are presenting yourself in the best possible manner and giving yourself the best chance of success.

Q. How did The Graduate Recruitment Bureau help you in the process of looking for work?
A. I found GRB very helpful in my search for work. They took a record of what type of jobs I was interested in and sent me e-mails of relevant job suggestions. Whenever I decided to follow up a job I was given the information I required about the company and they were happy to act as an intermediary with the company in order to negotiate details such as travel expenses. The recruitment consultant concerned contacted me both before and after my interview in order to give me last minute tips and to discuss my performance and thoughts on the company. This gave me the opportunity to talk over any issues I had in order that they might be resolved. I was able to discuss my options with GRB in the same way as I could with friends and relatives with the advantages that GRB knew the job market and the current recruitment processes. 
 

Name: Charlotte Rankin
Studied: MSci Mathematics, 2:2
University: Royal Holloway, University of London
Role: I started as a Support Analyst, and am now a Credit Analyst.

How I got the job:
I responded to an email from GRB and after Steve had gone through the position in more detail, I asked to be put forward for interview. The whole process involved passing a numerical reasoning test, then having two interviews and a personality test. I remember being so scared about how serious it sounded, but when I actually came for the interview it was really relaxed, though that could have been because I passed the numerical test!

What I love about it:
The people I work with and always having something different to work on.

My first day:
After arriving at ten, I was shown round the building and introduced to the department before getting my email set-up and start taking a look at the systems being used. We headed off to a team lunch, and then the afternoon consisted of an introduction to my work on Retail and a brief look at some SAS Programming before going home.

Typical Day involves:
A check through my email to see if there is anything new to look at, then if it's close to the start of the month, I'd normally finish off my reports before getting on with any ad hoc analysis that's been requested. We often have the Commercial Services team requesting bits of analysis and as they work directly with the dealers, accurate and up to date information is essential. There are a number of monthly reports I have to do for Retail; to check the performance of the scorecard and also update sales and vintage information overall and for the main dealers. As the analysis is always dependent on the current state of the portfolio it's always changing. I might have to ask other people for information about processing, or maybe find a new way of getting the data as I need it. This means the work is always varied, but everyone's willing to answer questions and give you some SAS code to do what you need to. A large part of my day is spent either coding in SAS or de-bugging my programs to get something to look the way I want it to. It's not often a program runs perfectly first time! A big part of it is learning the methods for analysis, and what we look for in the data to make summaries and suggestions for improvements.

Things I'd wish I'd known when I was at uni!:
How five weeks plus bank holidays really doesn't compare to a 3 month summer break, with a month extra at Christmas and Easter! Also, how frustrating and time consuming a job application is, especially when asked over and over to describe a situation where you managed to do something in some way. It is less stressful and a lot more rewarding to be interviewed when the questions are based on who you are and what's been put on your CV.

 

Name: Jacob Rukin
Studied: MMath Mathematics, First Class Honours
University: University of Southampton
Role: Senior Credit Analyst

The graduates story....

How I got the job
I sent an e-mail to Steve at the GRB about another job which they were advertising on one of the myriad graduate recruitment websites. It turned out I'd already applied for that job independently, but he recommended that I be put forward for this job. And what a wise recommendation that was, because a couple of tests and interviews later I got the job.

What I love about it
It's a cliche to say that it's a cliché to say that it's the people that make the workplace, but it's true on both levels of cliché. It's quite a young department, with lots of recent graduates, and even the more senior people - both in terms of age and position - are thoroughly genial. In short: it's a nice informal atmosphere.

In my actual work, with experience, it's the freedom which I have come to appreciate most. Freedom to develop in the directions that interest me, freedom to approach analysis largely as I see fit, and freedom to manage my own time. I've had plenty of opportunities to learn, which is important to me - in part through training courses, but also through consulting various resources and experimenting in the process of doing my work. More latterly, it's been satisfying to be able to help other analysts in what I might optimistically call my areas of expertise.

My first day
My car had broken down the weekend before I was due to start, so I had to get a lift in on my first day, and in the confusion I managed to forget the paperwork I'd been sent. It was an inauspicious start at best; thankfully it did get better. I don't think I did any work that day, but was introduced to everyone in the department, given a tour of the building - and found someone to car share with for the rest of the week.

Typical day involves
In general terms, my day-to-day job involves drawing conclusions from data, be it a couple of hundred observations or millions of them. But that doesn't mean that I'm using sophisticated statistical methods all day every day; there are opportunities for that in the department, but clever statistics aren't for me. My task usually is to extract and check data - ordinarily the smaller part of my job - then work with it to some end. That might be something as simple as identifying a trend, or as open-ended as searching for criteria to identify subsets with a concentration of a given property.
That's not all there is to my job though: results have to be communicated to the relevant people, be it in writing or verbally, and it's not uncommon for other departments to be involved in some way.

Things I'd wish I'd known when I was at uni!
It would have been nice to have had a better idea about the sort of companies that actually want mathematicians; to know that finance isn't necessarily an awful place to end up, and more about the varying roles that fall under the 'analyst' umbrella. And to know that when adverts ask for a degree in a general area (numerical?, scientific? or even any?) there are often vastly preferred degrees within those areas, and that that's where agents come in useful.

 

 

Name: Stuart Kemp
Studied: Masters in Physics
University: Durham University
Role: Technology Consultant

The graduate's story...

Q. In what ways have you benefited from attending University?
A. Attending University has provided me with much more than an academic grounding. During my time at Durham I have taken on various roles, such as football club captain and member of my College Executive Committee, which has given me the additional skills that employers look for.

Q. How did the skills and attributes you gained from your degree help you find work?
A. My employer was particularly interested in my fourth year Masters project. The work gave me lots of opportunities to show that I had the skills they were looking for, from the essentials such as programming to the more subtle such as self-motivation and logical problem solving.

Q. What other work experience or courses did you partake in to improve/add to your CV during university?
A. I completed two summer work placements; one at Nottingham University doing astrophysics research, and one in Amsterdam doing optical research. Throughout my time at University I took part in a course run by PriceWaterhouseCoopers that provided me with generic management skills. This was useful as I was aware I had to sell myself as more than a scientist.

Q. Describe your job and your typical working day.
A. My job is in technology consultancy for government agencies. The work will mostly involve programming in C+.

Q. What advice would you give to undergraduates searching for work?
A. Don't get depressed by having lots of rejections (or indeed a lack of responses!). I made about 10 applications to various places, received one interview and have a job I'm looking forward to starting. Keep an open mind as you may find a job you will enjoy in a place you don't expect.

Q. How did The Graduate Recruitment Bureau help you in the process of looking for work?
A. The GRB reviewed my CV and drew my attention to vacancies based on my key skills. This was great as they only sent me details of vacancies they knew I would be interested in, which cannot be said of many recruitment agencies. The GRB run a personal service and it was nice to have a regular person to speak to. The GRB involve themselves at every stage of the process, from first contact through to interview advice and company background.

Name: Heather Stobbart
Studied: Biological Sciences 
University: Birmingham University
Role: Account Executive

"After being sent an email informing me that the GRB were searching for Student Brand Managers (SBMs) in Birmingham I quickly applied. I had read a few articles on 'how to start a career in marketing' and I knew that having the job title 'SBM' on my CV could only be a positive thing.

Once the new academic year began I sent a generic email out to my friends to see what they thought of the GRB and if they thought there should be any changes to the wording of the email. I went on to email my entire year, then all undergraduates in my department and then moved on acquiring email addresses whenever I could.

The role taught me numerous skills, it involved writing marketing copy (or text) to sell the GRB, choosing when was the best time to target students, run focus groups and liaise with careers departments and course secretaries. Time management was also essential as I had to fit the work in with my studies (and social life!) although this was not too difficult as I could work for the GRB when the time suited me. I also worked with other members of the GRB at careers fairs promoting the GRB's services directly to students, talking to other students face to face was initially daunting but three years on and I can honestly say I enjoy it.

Recently I was chatting with one of the staff at the GRB about how I wanted to be involved in the marketing sector when I graduate, he sent my CV to a huge marketing company and placed me on the GRB's 'Hot Graduates' list. After seeing my CV (which the GRB also looked at and improved for me) I was invited to an interview in central London which although was a little scary, went well. Now I've been offered a graduate job training to be an Account Executive at an international media agency on a decent staring salary, specialising in digital marketing.

Having a job to start just weeks after my exams finish is a brilliant feeling, it makes all my hard work at university, during employments and work experience feel like it's paid off. I'm sure I wouldn't have been in such a fortunate position if I had never started working for the GRB."

 

Name: Steve
Degree: 2:1 - Computer Science
New job title: Graduate Information Systems Scheme

"1. The quality of communications from your staff were second-to-none
2. The good nature of the team, their abilities to give advice and suggestions, pointers and encouragement were superb
3. I felt valued, and in the loop at every stage of the process
4. The speed at which I was contacted with news and updates regarding my application was exemplary
5. The match between my skill set and the job which I have been offered are perfect - somehow, after only a few minutes of chatting, what I wanted had been identified and the wheels put in motion to get me the job

I cannot thank your consultants enough for all the work they put in to finding my graduate job. The quality of their work is a great asset to your business.

I also hope that the fact that I've recommended your service to everyone who will listen proves how highly I rate the experience as a whole. In all honesty, its been one of the easiest processes (and best 2 minute forms) I've ever been though.

Its clear that with staff such as those I've been in contact with, GRB will only continue to go from strength to strength."

Name: Hiten
Degree: Information Management and Business Information - Msc - Merit 
New job title: Graduate Management Trainee

"I'll keep this short and sweet. Fresh out of uni, you were the first job agency I joined. You sent me loads of relevant vacancies, for which I applied to. Got my first interview and secured the job! I think you were a good help, and gave me a personal yet professional service. Thanks very much."

Name: Ollie
Degree: 1^st - Physics
New job title: Safety Consultant

"In all honesty, I have not a bad word to say about my experience with GRB. The Consultant who dealt with me, was at all times very friendly, helpful and informative. The other people that I spoke to (albeit briefly) were courteous and polite. I would like to thank you all for making the process of job-hunting (which can be a nightmare) as pain-free and easy as possible."

Name: Amanda
Degree: B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering

"Thank you GRB for helping me find a job!!!! The consultant was very helpful and encouraging. I really appreciate the support I got, and it has made my job hunting experience less daunting. Looking forward to starting work. Would definitely recommend you to my friends."