Sharif says: What really stands out is if someone has had a sandwich year, a year’s experience, any kind of paid internships or voluntary experience. Sometimes extra-curricular things can also help, like the Duke of Edinburgh award, or voluntary work which shows communication skills and teamwork.
This especially stands out for roles in an SME environment—that you can show empathy for what it’s like to be in a workplace and can hit the ground running.
Seema says: Employers will look at academics but it really helps to include a profile about yourself and what you’re looking for in a job. Turn it into a bit of a story so that it becomes more than just a CV—it’s an insight into you as a person.
You could include achievements, such as voluntary work and part-time work or project involvement. Voluntary work is really attractive because there are a lot of graduates out there, so something which makes you stand out is good.
Henry says: In my experience, there are three killer differences that will set your CV apart: Excel experience, personality and work experience. If you don’t have any experience, go out and volunteer for free, even if it’s just for a few weeks. Any kind of work that shows you have the ability to work in an office is good and will definitely make you more employable.
Sharif says: Research the business and the person you’re meeting with. Speak with your recruitment consultant to get an understanding of what the key competencies are from the hiring manager’s perspective. In terms of competencies, it also helps to think of really good examples based on experience that demonstrates your ability.
For example, a competency could be resilience or collaboration. You may not have experience in a work environment but could give an example taken from during your studies where you worked as part of a group and demonstrated those key traits.
It’s also good for a finance graduate to be able to explain why a certain role appeals to them and to be able to articulate their career goals, as well. It’s okay to come across as ambitious, but it’s also important to come across as someone interested in working in the role in its current format and working up through the company.
Seema says: Firstly, I’d recommend researching the company really well—what they do, their competition and their numbers. Are they growing? Have they just acquired anything new? You can also check out LinkedIn to research the person interviewing you, so you know who you’re talking to. Don’t leave it until the night before!
If their graduate interview questions didn’t give you a chance to show your research, you can wait until they ask whether you have any questions and integrate your research into well-phrased questions that demonstrate your knowledge.
TIP: Research is key if you want to impress potential employers and secure good entry level finance jobs. Take the time to look at the company, the interviewer and any new business news which you can incorporate into intelligent questions.
When it comes to top careers advice for students, you’ll always be encouraged to present yourself well, to give plenty of eye contact and a good handshake. Come across as yourself and if they like you, you should be fine!
The graduate market is hard, so think about extra things that you can do to stand out, like taking a short A5 printed handout with you. It could be something small that they can focus on, so you can grab a breather between questions!
Henry says: It’s always a good idea to look up the interviewer on LinkedIn, so you know their background. You should also dissect the job description line by line, so you have a real awareness of the role and can have a proper conversation about it.
Potential employers are looking for someone they can hold a conversation with. Don’t overload yourself with research, which could potentially make you sound robotic when answering graduate interview questions, but you should have enough knowledge to show that you have done some research into the company’s competitive position.
Whenever we speak to hiring managers, they usually ask us to try and find someone who will fit the company culture, so take the softer side of hiring into consideration when you step into that interview room.
TIP: Study the job description thoroughly and apply each competency to your own experience or skill set to show that you know your stuff, even if you haven’t had a chance to use it in a job-scenario yet.
