Application Advice

May 3, 2013

Welcome to the Application Advice page.

Various members of the college have documented their interview experiences with various companies on the following pages. Companies covered include : Deloitte, KPMG, PwC , Ernst & Young, BT, Hewlett Packard (HP), Rolls Royce and more , but please share your own experience by sending details to Steve Gregory.

General tips

Eve Piggott is Deputy HR Director of an NHS Ambulance Trust and has kindly provided these tips for applicants.
Eve is also willing to answer questions or give specific advice directly.
If you are interested, please contact Eve Piggott via email.

Attending events is recommended – e.g. 'Technology decoded' is held in November for Comp. Sci and by attending this you have a much better chance of getting a job/internship (event for other departments are also available).

More literature may be found at the Durham University Careers Advisory Service

Company-specific advice

British Nuclear Group

  1. Fill in application form online - Pretty standard really; Personal details, Qualifications, Previous employment, Referees.
  2. Online Tests - There are loads of practice ones online (the Uni careers service have a range if you ask them). I had to do a numeracy and a verbal reasoning test.
  3. Telephone Interview - This was competency based. It wasn't too long and consisted of questions generally begining with "Give an example of a time when you...". They ask about things like leadership, team work, how you handle conflict or persuade people.
  4. Assessment centre - I didn't have a formal interview at this. Instead they asked me to prepare a short presentation on myself and on the nuclear industry. They then had a few minutes to prepare questions. Just a small bit of advice for this: if they give you a time limit for a presentation - stick to it! - they will time you and stop you dead on the time. I also had a few role play exercises such as a meeting with a troublesome employee, with me playing the manager ,and a board meeting with other candidates. There is very little you can do to prepare for these - but be yourself - if you are false they will know. The assessors are trained to see right through it. The last thing we had to do were some business exercises. They gave us information about a fictional company - letters, financial information etc ,and we had to prepare a report on the strengths, weaknesses etc of the company.
    This is just for BNG as it was the first and only company I went through the process for but I know from all my friends it is very typical of most graduate recruitment schemes. What might vary is what they ask you to present on in the Assessment centre ( one friend had to pick one of the company's products and present an idea of improving it )so it will depend on the type of company. The exercises will be different too. Some companies will ask candidates to take part in team building exercises, like building bridges from limited materials etc.
    I went through this whole process in a about 5 weeks but that is exceptionally quick. Most companies will take a few months and may even have more than one round of assessment centres but they all follow a very similar format.

For more info, contact Steve Gregory

BT

For more info, contact Sarah Archibald

Tesco (Commercial-Technical scheme)

Tesco did two waves of applications for this function, one at Christmas and one in the summer. This is usual for them unless they get a lot of good people at Christmas but this year just one person got through at Christmas. For this scheme you needed a chemistry or product development type degree and something I was told is that half of the applications they get go straight in the bin, because they are from people without one of those required qualifications, so there's no point wasting time applying for them in the hope you might get through anyway - YOU WON'T !!.

1a. Application form.
1b. Psychometric test asking you to put yourself in the shoes of a member of Tesco staff in various departments and then pick the multiple choice option as to how you would deal with different situations. You had to do this as soon as the application was sent, before you got a verdict.
2a. Interview - there were about 15 people left still for my scheme at this stage. We were all interviewed by a technical manager. Questions were generally competency, why you .... etc.
2b. On the same day we also had to do verbal and numerical tests.
3. Assessment Centre - we had to arrive the night before and had dinner with the HR staff in charge of the scheme and a graduate currently on the scheme. Then the next day we had to give a pre-prepared presentation, do a few group exercises/ debates, a couple of role plays wth another candidate and an individual exercise from which you had to present your ideas to a manager. There were 7 people left at this stage.
4. The result. Everybody got a phone call the next day with their outcome.Turns out 6 out of 7 of us got it.
For more info, contact Steve Gregory

Sainsburys (Product Technology)

1a. Application form.
1b. Psychometric tests - half of the questions were multiple choice 'what would you do' type questions and the others gave three attributes and you had to say which you quality you were most and which least. My tip for this is to be honest as I've heard that only a few of these questions count, the others are there to check you're being consistent and not saying what you think they want to hear.
2. Online verbal and numerical tests.
3. Phone interview - around 30 minutes of competency questions with somebody from HR.
4. Assessment centre - this day involved another competency interview (this time with a manager), a couple of role plays with some 'actors' and a 3 hour in-tray exerise where you received emails and had to deal with them accordingly.
5. The result - we found out via email either way the following day.
For more info, contact Steve Gregory

Unilever (Innovation & Technology Management)

  1. Application form.
  2. Phone interview - more competency and "why us/you" type questions with somebody from personnel.
  3. Half day assessment centre - This was with candidates who had applied for a different scheme. First we had to read a case study and present to a manager the answers to some of the questions posed.They asked you some questions on it,then they asked some competency type questions for about 15 minutes.This was followed by a group discussion on the case study.
  4. Full assessment centre. In the evening of the first day there was a logic type test finding patterns. The next day we had to do another case study ,for which we were given more information during the day. This involved planning a factory timetable, answering questions etc. We had a couple of group discussions on this too. There was also a psychologist on hand who asked us questions about our motivations. This wasn't as bad as it sounded,though they can give their opinion in the final verdict.
  5. The result - a phone call the next morning whatever the verdict.

For more info, contact Steve Gregory

Mars (Reseach and Development)

1. Application form.
2a. Interview - this was a face to face interview with two people from Mars.
2b. A logic type test. They send you a sample when your hear about the interview.
3. Assessment centre - dinner with some of the managers and graduates the night before and then a full day assssment centre. This involved a 2 on 1 competency interview, a group exercise involving building a model and a case study , part of which you had to do on an OHP presentation.
4. The result - an email within the next 48 hours.
For more info, contact Steve Gregory

Nestlé (Production and Technical)

  1. Application form.
  2. Online verbal and numerical tests.
  3. Phone interview - only about 20 minutes and at the end of it,I was told I was through to the next stage.
  4. Assessment centre - competency interview, preparation of a flip chart presentation from a case study and a tour of the factory.

For more info, contact Steve Gregory

Rolls Royce

  1. Decide which programme you want to apply for : Professional Excellence is a programme to develop technical specialists Leadership Development is more of a fast-tracked managerial programme
  2. Online application form
  3. Online personality questionnaire
  4. Assessment centre (1 day for Professional Excellence, 1.5 days for Leadership Development) 4.1 Verbal/Numerical Reasoning 4.2 Technical Interview 4.3 Competency/Soft Skills Interview 4.4 Pre-prepared 10min Presentation - about yourself and what you would bring to the company
  5. Offer

It is a very straight-forward process really. The only bit of confusion is deciding which programme (PE or Leadership) to go for, but the Rolls-Royce careers website is very useful and comprehensive, and gives a lot of information to help you decide between the two. There is even a short questionnaire that asks about career preferences and life-style, to help give you some guidance on which programme would be best for you. I would really recommend looking at this information and the rest of the website as well - its much better and contains a lot more useful info than a lot of the other sites I visited.
For more info, contact Chris Webb

Alstom

(make trains/trams etc and also gas/steam turbines for power generation)

  1. Send CV and covering letter through Milkround.com
  2. Online personality questionnaire
  3. One-day assessment centre
    3.1 Group exercise - bridge building 3.2 Verbal/Numerical Reasoning 3.3 Competency Interview 3.4 Pre-prepared 15min Presentation - technical to be understood by non-technical audience (I spoke about my final year project) 3.5 'Surprise' Presentation - (5 mins to prepare, 5 mins present) on your skills/knowledge/experience that will benefit the company
  4. Second Interview - technical
  5. Offer

As I said above, the original application is by sending CV through Milkround.com. I couldn't find a direct way of doing it through Alstom's website, which is not so well organised or as helpful as Rolls Royce's.
For more info, contact Chris Webb

KPMG

  1. You can apply all year round, but I recommend applying in October-November as this is likely to result in your interviews happening over the Christmas hols - handy if you're applying to your local office. Also means that it's over and done with by early Jan and you can concentrate on final exams/dissertation etc.
  2. Application form self-explanatory - show motivation ,enthusiasm and willingness to work - experience isn't crucial, though helpful to justify your choice.
  3. Online tests - can't stress enough to practice before doing these. Try and find as many practice ones as possible online as difficulties vary and if you are invited to do practice tests for another company (even if you think you don't really want to work for them ) take advantage of their tests.
  4. First round interview - Prepare answers for: Why KPMG? Why Audit? Why the office you have chosen? Then have plenty of examples ready to show when you have demonstrated team work/ leadership/ initiative / overcome a challenge etc etc etc
  5. Graduate assessment day: a) Email intray exercise - common sense, but find practice ones online. b) Group exercise - again common sense, but focus on the team effort as well as showing your own ideas c) Partner interview and presentation - interview questions as above,then preparation of a presentation on a company but plenty of guidance on all of this from KPMG beforehand.

For more info, contact Catherine McKillop

Deloitte

I applied for Deloitte's summer vacation scheme in the 1st term of my penultimate year, along with my applications for the other big 4 accountancy firms. They were very friendly and made the application process very straightforward, whilst emphasising the need to do all the research and preparation for the interview.
The interview process for a graduate job involves routine interviews, an e-tray exercise and competency testing. It is a comprehensive interview, giving you the chance to show off your research but also ensuring you really truly understand what the job entails.
If anyone wants any info, my email is apjsainsbury@hotmail.com.

Ernst & Young

  1. To begin with, applicants must fill out an online application form. This consists of basic personal info and also questions such as "Why do you want to work for EY?", "What do you know about the role you have chosen to apply for?", and "What do you think you will be doing on a day-to-day basis?". These kind of questions are pretty standard for applications to the big 4.
  2. The next stage in the process is a first round interview. I think the EY interviews are mostly conducted by phone and take about 40 minutes. The other big 4 usually request you go to the office which you have applied to for the interview, although I think that if you put across a good enough case you could convince them to do it by phone. One hint about telephone interviews (whch, silly as it may sound, does actually make a difference) i to *smile* whilst speaking. There is a noticeable difference in the tone of your voice and makes you sound more positive to the interviewer, even though they can't see you.
  3. The first round interview follows a very rigid structure. They always ask you to "tell me a little bit about yourself". The answer to this should be brief and concise. Don't spend too much time telling them everything you've ever done. My answer was in the form:"My name is xxxxx, I'm currently studying a degree in xxxxx at Durham University. In my spare time I like to xxxxx. When I'm at home I work part time at xxxxx."Just mention 3 or 4 simple points. The rest of the interview is all competency based. They ask you to give examples of times when you've demonstrated transferrable skills such as motivation, courage, convincing somebody of something, inspiration, times when you've found something hard but pulled through, etc etc. I found these the hardest questions to prepare for and I overcame the difficulty by thinking of every possible competency they would be likely to ask me and preparing two or three answers for each scenario. Memorise these over and over because if you can nail these questions you're guaranteed to get to the assessment centre. If you can't answer these they won't consider you at all, unfortunately.
  4. The final stage of the application process is an assessment centre, which is essentially a whole day at an EY (or any other big 4) office, where they test you on all disciplines necessary. There is usually an IT exercise where you're asked to answer emails rapid-fire or otherwise they may ask you to produce a typed report. Both of these exercises involve you being given a lot of data and you having to figure out which bits are useful and which are not and then using the useful data to complete the task. I don't really have any advice on how to prepare for this other than to make sure you're alert and not tired. There will also be another interview, this time with a more senior member of the firm, probably a Partner or Director. These people know what they are talking about so you really need to be prepared and up to date with your service line knowledge (what you're applying for) and also on current affairs (try to read a good newspaper each day for the week or two before the assessment centre). I recommend using wikipedia along with EY's website to get a good solid background knowledge on EY and also the service line you're going into. There is also a group exercise at the assessment centre. This is where 5 or 6 of the candidates are asked to perform a task (possibly brainstorming, or preparing for a fantasy meeting) and there will be about 3 people judging your performance. I think the key here is to make your comments during the exercise valid and concise. Don't say anything which is unnecessary and may leave you vulnerable to being marked down. At the same time, don't say nothing at all! If you feel the general sway of the task is digressing from the points you've been asked to consider take a leadership role and try to take control for a minute or two to pull the team back on course. This is a big points-scorer.
  5. Offer -you will normally hear within 48 hours.

For more info, contact Steve Coughlan

Police

My main piece of advice would be that the application process can take a long time for the Police so either apply early or be prepared to wait after you have graduated. I originally applied in December 2006 and am not due to start until January 2008!

  1. First you need to decide which force you want to apply to join (England and Wales are currently split up into 43 different forces each of which recruit separately and at different times of the year). The best place to start therefore with the application process is the Police website (www.police.uk), this will tell you which forces are currently recruiting and will direct you to each individual force's website.
  2. From there, if your chosen force is recruiting, you will be able to either order an application form to be posted to you or some forces now have on-line application forms. On the application form there are all the usual questions about qualifications etc, but there are also some initial security questions for example you have to provide details about your immediate family and if they have any criminal convictions etc. You will also have to give 3 examples of situations in which you have had to act in a certain way, for example you are asked about when you have had to give somebody news which they wouldn't like. You also have to say why you want to be a Police Officer and what research you have done into the role so it's always worth going to your local station and asking if you could discuss it with somebody, you'll always find someone who is willing to help you. Importantly you also need to be able to drive!
  3. If you are successful at this stage you will be invited to attend an assessment centre and sent a preparation pack for this. The assessment centre consists of 3 different components. There is a written component where you have to complete 2 x 20 minute exercises. Here you will be given some information and asked to write some form of report about it. There is also an interview which lasts for 20 minutes in which you will be asked 4 questions (the same type as on the application form about situations you have been in) with each answer lasting no longer than 5 minutes. Finally there is a role play component. Here you will undertake 4 x 5 minute role plays where you are given some information about a situation and 5 minutes to prepare after which you interact with a role-play actor for 5 minutes. All of this is explained in more detail in the pack you get sent though!
  4. After this you will generally find out within 2 weeks whether or not you have been successful. Either way you will be sent a feedback form which tells you how you performed in each of the components. The current pass mark is 60% overall.If you are successful here it can be a long time before you hear anything so don't necessarily worry if you don't! Eventually though you will be sent further security clearance forms to fill in(counter-terrorist forms, etc) and some medical forms. The medical forms include a stress test, an eyesight test which must be competed by your optician and a general form to be completed & signed by your GP, before you undergo a medical with a Force nurse and doctor , and undertake a fitness test. Details about this and training you can do before hand are all on the website but it's pretty easy really and not worth worrying about! Currently you only have to get to level 5.4 on the bleep test and be able to push 35kg and pull 34kg on a gym machine (which is exactly the same as the one in Grey gym).
  5. You generally have to do this stage about 8 weeks before starting.If you have passed all of this then your force will now take up the references which you have provided them with and will check your DVLA records. You will then eventually be given a start date, however you may go months at a time between stages without hearing anything from them and you will generally only be given a start date 4 weeks before you are due to start. Different forces may be different but the communication from Cumbria Constabulary is minimal and at times I've had to ring to see what's going on and even then information is often sparse!

For more info, contact Claire-louise Marshall

PwC

I got the job with PwC through completing their internship so didn't actually go through the application process for a graduate job although I think the process is pretty much the same for internships as it is for graduate positions.

  1. The first stage is an online application form and my advice for this would be to apply as soon as you can and to have the form checked before you send it off for spelling mistakes etc.
  2. Secondly there is usually an assesment day in London which consists of three phases:
    2.1 Psychometric testing - I would just practice as much as you can before you go, there are websites which can help you do this
    2.2 Case study discussion - make sure you read all the information they give in the time allowed and present yourself clearly, but don't worry about knowing too much about the content
    2.3 One on one interview - this is generally to find out how much you know about the area you want to go into and why you want to do it, so make sure you do know why. They will probably also ask why PwC so make sure you can answer this question even if you have applied to other similar firms and PwC isn't necessarily the leading contender at this stage. Try and relax in the interview, it generally goes better if you are able to have a chat with the interviewer rather than just a question and answer session.
  3. If you get past the Assessment Centre, there will be a second interview with someone from your chosen office. If you get to this stage it pretty much means that they want you, they just want to check that you will fit in with the office etc, though it will probably be quite similar to the interview you already had - don't worry about repeating stuff. Additionally they will probably ask why you have chosen this location because they want to think that you will stay there and not want to move on in a year or so.
  4. Offer

For more info, contact Nicola Daniel.

Mercer- Investment Consulting

  1. Filled in the online application, using key words I’ve heard they look for such as motivation, organisation etc. Research the processes involved with the line of work and the Company to show you are not just applying to everything.
  2. Next came the telephone interview. They will call you and arrange an interview date and time. Note that for my interview they rang half an hour early. Don’t think it was intended in order to throw me but you never know!During the interview they asked the general questions, and a lot of “name a time when…” Make sure you have an answer demonstrating: Teamwork , Organisation , Leadership Skills , Problem Solving , Teaching or explaining a complex problem (investment consulting is about explaining and advising complex strategies)
    Research the process, and make sure you can regurgitate exactly what you expect to be doing – look on the Company website and in booklets given out at the Careers Fairs and Careers Service.
    Highlight any exams or qualifications you can take and what they allow you to do. In Investment Consulting you take the IMC first which forms a basis of investments and FSA Regulations. Then you can opt to take either the Actuarial examinations or the CFA. The actuarial exams are more technical and maths based, taking on average 5 years to complete, whereas the CFA is more investment and economics based, and can be completed within 3 years. The choice does not affect your application, but if you have a preference, voice it.They will in any case be pleased that you understand there is more study for the first few years of your career.
  3. If successful, you move on to the face to face interview. This is usually held at the office you have applied to. They will ask you the basic questions face to face and take notes, but don’t be put off. This is usually with two consultants. You will be asked before the interview to put together a 10 minute presentation for a member of Human Resources. They want you to explain something complex in more simple language to a person who you have to assume has no previous knowledge of the subject. Subjects I have come across have been mathematical matrices, poker, bridge etc.
    Then you have to take psycometric exams which are about half an hour each. Make sure you have a calculator.
    Lastly, I had a group discussion where we had to work out the costs of different events separately and then discuss between the group which event should take place, in terms of both financial and social benefit. Make sure you speak up but are not too aggressive – let others speak. I was told by a friend to use sentences like “we must take a multifaceted view…”
  4. Mercer got back to me rather quickly with their decision, but I’ve heard it has taken them a couple of weeks with other people so don’t be put off if you don’t hear anything straight after the interview.

For more info, contact Jessica Luter

HP (Hewlett Packard)

The interview process for HP is as follows:

They are looking for interpersonal skills, not out and out technical skills, and for:
Creativity , sense of humour, enthusiasm for change, a passion for IT.They like self-driven people who are customer focused

At the Assessment Centre and interview stages "we reward those who exhibit initiative, problem-solving abilities, interpersonal skills, leadership potential and a sound knowledge of HP" .
The application deadline for the 2008 Graduate Development Program is January 31st 2008, however applicants will be reviewed in chronological order so I would strongly encourage you to apply ASAP.
For more info, contact Will Dallender-Jones.

The charity careers ladder

In 2007, I graduated from Durham University (Josephine Butler College) with a degree in English Literature and moved to the big smoke to seek my 'fortune' in the charitable sector. I would love to have a successful career in fundraising - see how far I've got.