How To Stand Out In Your Graduate Scheme Application

How To Stand Out In Your Graduate Scheme Application Calling all graduates and finalist; you’ve either finished your degree in the past few years and you’re now looking at what fancy graduate schemes you can apply for, or you’re finalising your degree this year and want to get a head start! Either way; you’ll find that graduate schemes tend to be full of weird and wonderful questions and you have no idea where to start with them. When it comes to graduate schemes, it’s pretty likely that you’ll find yourself feeling overwhelmed 1) Take Your Time So you’ve decided to go down the graduate scheme route and you’re amazed The application process takes a while and there’s no point spending a lot of time on a graduate scheme that you’re going to despise. Also, if you decide to apply for every graduate scheme in the United Kingdom (slightly dramatic, but you know what I mean) then you’re more likely to rush through them, finding yourself with rejections, again and again. Cherry pick the graduate schemes that suit you down to the ground and then spend time making sure that your application is flawless! 2) Research The Company Before you do anything make sure you understand the company inside and out if you understand their brand personality and their missions then you can weave that into your application. So get yourself online and research the company and don’t just look at the information they have offered to you, look at genuine external sources. For example; if you’re going for a marketing grad scheme, then have a look at their marketing strategy and understand the message that they’re trying to get across.  If you can show that you have used your initiative, you’re onto a winner. 3) Examples, Examples, Examples Right so you’ve filled in all the generic questions like name, age, and degree (you get the picture) but now it’s time for the important stuff. You get loads of competency questions like, ‘give an example of when you led a team’. Pretty straight forward question you think! So you begin writing, boasting about how you give clear instructions and you work well with your team members. But this isn’t enough you need to give detailed examples and show that you inspire others and think outside the box. Back this up Also make sure that it’s the best example you have got you want to wow your reader. Think about how many applications they will have read so far you need to stand out. The first answer that pops into your head will probably be the first that will have for everyone, so try and be innovative. 4) Work Experience And Volunteering I know it’s not how you want to spend your summer particularly, but work experience and volunteering give you those interesting examples to pop into your application. Yes, you may have dreamt of jetting away to somewhere really hot or going to loads of festivals that are on offer, but getting some practical, professional experience under your belt will really pay off when it comes to writing your application! If you find yourself panicking because ‘you have no experience and you are never ever going to get a graduate job’… take a look at our top tips for graduates with no experience. 5) Don’t Lie! So you’ve started writing up all your great examples and you’re getting into the flow of it so you add a few porky pies here and there; what’s the harm if it means I get to the interview stages?! Well the problem with that lovely idea is that your interview tends to be based on your application, so unless you fancy yourself as a bit of mastermind I wouldn’t risk it. Your employer will have seen loads of candidates and will be able to tell if you’re doing a Pinocchio after a couple of questions about your experience. And what’s more â€" we reported recently about candidates that have been jailed for lying on their CV! So… make sure that you can talk about the examples in depth on your application. 6) It’s Not The End Of The World If You Don’t Get A Graduate Scheme Even though it’s a brilliant opportunity to get involved in a large business with a great salary and training scheme, it isn’t the be all and end all.   There are plenty of small-medium businesses that are offering lots of training schemes for you. At the end of the day you’re an investment for them so they’re going to make sure you’re trained to a high standard. So don’t panic if you don’t get your dream graduate scheme â€" there’s a high volume of applicants and big firms have to filter people out somehow. And besides, a graduate scheme isn’t your only option â€" there are lots of great graduate and entry-level positions available across a range of industries â€" you can check out our graduate digital vacancies here. So there you go; our top six tips to help you bag yourself your dream graduate job. If you work hard and have a bit of commitment, chances are you’ll see the results. Good luck!