Case study interviews

Case study interviews:  three words to chill the blood.  Many companies now use these instead of or, worse, alongside, conventional interviews.  Why?  To identify those who can think on their feet, be logical, analytical and objective, deal with problems and produce solutions.  Oh, and demonstrate a hint of commercial awareness into the bargain.

There are several variations on the theme:

- pre interview preparation, before drafting a report for discussion with the recruiter(s)

- group interviews where teams consider a case of which they have no prior knowledge

- the “purest” form of case study interview: you are presented with a  written overview and expected to verbally untangle this on the spot.

No pressure there then.

To add spice, vital information may be with-held or changed and lobbed into the mix later.  Sneaky or what?

Prepare by looking at company websites: consulting firms such as McKinsey, Bain and BCG have online information including sample case studies.  In addition

http://www.mbacase.com/t-resources-free-practice.aspx

http://www.caseinterview.com/

http://www.consultancylinks.com/case_study_interviews.html

www.vault.com

contain examples of case interviews, while publishers WetFeet have dedicated no less than three “Ace Your Case” books to this topic.

Top Tips

Expect to be challenged – however good your ideas are they will be mercilessly and minutely interrogated

Make no assumptions. In a reversal of accepted interview technique, YOU are supposed to ask the questions.

Use a step-by-step approach: in finest GCSE Maths tradition, points are awarded for working it out, even if the best solution proves elusive

Deliver a definitive answer.  This where other (non QM, of course) candidates fail, being used to producing assignments that evaluate all the facts without a clear-cut conclusion.  Raise your game, raise your score.

Gill Sharp
Careers Consultant QM Careers

Work experience oppportunities on campus to help the environment

Want to help the environment? Want some work experience? Why not combine the two in an exciting new opportunity by becoming an Environmental Auditor!

You will take part in a project concerning the environmental impact of QM buldings.

No experience required, full training provided and an excellent chance to boost your CV, gain a fancy certificate and even attend the Green Impact Awards Ceremony!

Email your C.V. to: greenimpact@qmul.ac.uk or sarah.taylor@qmul.ac.uk
Deadline for applications: 9th March 2012

Sunny Kalyana
1st year QM English Literature and Linguistics

So you wanna work in Marketing or PR…?

Last Monday QM Careers hosted their annual Marketing and PR Panel discussion. Members of the panel ranged from a variety of firms within the field, including representatives from Ketchum Pleon (PR communications agency), the V&A Museum of Childhood (Marketing and PR) and Kantar Worldpanel (consumer insight company). The panel welcomed a wave of insightful questions raised by QM students.

So you think it’s for you, but what type of person did our panel of experts think would make it in the harsh yet rewarding world of Marketing and PR?

• Shy? Reserved? Scared to voice your opinions? NEXT!!! Now this doesn’t mean you have to be bossy, loud and overbearing. Blowing out the candles of others so yours shines brighter comes across as arrogant. But being too modest or quiet may make the interviewer think you’re unsure of yourself and consequently unsure of the job.

• Appreciate social media. Use it, immerse yourself in it. Understanding how a totally innovative platform, unavailable just 10 years ago, can be used in Marketing and PR is essential for anyone looking to go into this profession. Knowing about the world around you is the mark of a good PR or Marketing person and social media is an amazing way to achieve this. If you are still yet to set up that twitter account, do it now! (even if you don’t want to tweet about what you had for breakfast this morning).

• Don’t sit back and expect to take take take. A lazy “what can you do for me?” attitude from graduates is off-putting. Instead ask “what can I do for you?” Whether it’s making a cup of tea or making some phone calls, give it your all. Yes of course you want to be more involved, you want more responsibility, you want your creativity to really shine through, but we all have to start at the bottom. Get stuck into whatever you’ve been given. If they see that you can commit yourself to ANY task and do it well, you’ll prove yourself as a reliable and positive member of the company. As a trusted employee, increased responsibility will soon come your way. Remember no one ever choked to death from swallowing their pride.

• A degree in PR or Marketing is great but not essential to get into this field. Members of the panel were graduates from a mixture of degrees, including English, Economics and even Music!! Showing passion, interest and competence are fundamental.

So now you’re certain that this is the career for you but how can you stand out from the crowd?

• Experience. Experience. Experience. Universities are a great place to try out something new and gain some new skills so get involved!! Whether organising events, becoming a student ambassador or writing for the university paper, take part. Organisational, management and writing skills are key for any branch within Marketing and PR, so don’t wait for the opportunity to fall into your lap. Seek it out!

• Spend time on the cover letter. There is no point in having a CV that you laboriously laboured over for days accompanied with a covering letter that you barely spent half an hour on. Believe it or not they are equally important. Most employers will just skim over the first couple of sentences. If they don’t like it they won’t even look at your CV! So make it good and as obvious as it sounds check for spelling and grammar errors, especially if you later boast about your amazing writing skills.

• Tailor make your cover letter. Employers can tell if you’ve sent out a cover letter so generic that twenty other firms have received the exact same one. Do your homework! Know the company but don’t regurgitate information from their website. They already know who they are. Instead explain how you would fit into their company; convince them why theirs is the only company you want to work for, even if it’s not entirely true. Well you have to keep your options open.

Shakira Browne
QM Linguistics Student

Competitions- The new way to gain an internship, network and more!

Who would’ve thought the you can gain some work experience/Internships or network with professionals through winning a competition? Remember Employers love to see something different like winning a competition on CVs and applications. It shows that you’re enthusiastic and like challenges. Keep your eye open for competions all year round, but here’s a selection of what’s on offer at the moment:

Business:

• If you think you have what it takes to cut it in today’s business environment just enter Grant Thornton’s “Think it. Film it. POST it” competition and win a weekend trip for two to the Wireless Festival in London, dinner with Grant Thornton trainees, a dedicated careers coach and an iPad 2.      
  For more information go to: www.graduates.grant-thornton.co.uk

Law:

• How about answering some important law questions for the UKSC Blog essay competition, where the first prize of is a week’s work experience at the London office of city law firm Olswang and publication of the essay on the UKSC blog page www.ukscblog.com.
  Questions:
  1) What has been the most important Supreme Court case and why?
  OR
  2) Is the Supreme Court independent?Enter before 5pm on the 27^th February 2012 and email your 500-1000 word informal essay to editors@ukscblog.com with your name, contact details, university and course year.

• This month, Freshfields are offering students the chance to win tickets to the upcoming Olympic games, spend a day at their Paris office, and secure a place on their first ever development programme for first years!
  For more information on how to apply for each of these opportunities, see the ‘latest news’ section at: www.freshfields.com/uktrainees

Engineers:

• Finally engineers, how about entering a competition in partnership with Engineers Without Borders UK and Arup. Identify what makes a city resilient for your chance to win an internship with Arup International Development. Enter before 3^rd March 2012
  For more information on how to apply go to http://climate-resilient-cities.org/index.php

Is a 2:1 the best qualification for landing a job?

This weekend The Guardian published an article looking at the issue of recuriters using 2.1 degress as a cut-off for applications (read it here).

It found that a growing number of companies require graduates who apply to have a 2.1 degree or above. But the article also highlights that a qualification in itself is not enough. Employers are also looking for skills such as problem solving, relationship building, resilience and time optimisation. And extra curricular activities are an important way to show recruiters that you have developed these skills.

This is what Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young said in the article: “A good degree from a respected university no longer guarantees a job. We interview over 3,000 bright graduates every year, but only about 25% have the all-round skill set we recruit for.”

He added: “You don’t need to have thrown yourself out of a plane to show that you have a sense of adventure or are resilient. Think about examples from your work experience placements or even your part-time job.”

For further information about developing your skills and selling them in applications see the resources page of our website. You can also book an appointment with one of our Careers Consultants to talk about this on 020 7882 8533.

A careers in Politics Panel – hear from the experts

Last week things got political!
We invited a fantastic line-up of speakers from the industry to talk about what it is really like to work in politics and to give their tips and advice on how to get a job in this area.

If you missed the event, but would like to hear what was said listen to:

You can also see what people were Tweeting about the event here:

View “Live Tweets for the Careers In Politics Panel” on Storify

The speakers were:

Dr Andrew Blick – Senior Research Fellow, Democratic Audit
Dr Jon Davis – Director, Mile End Group and Lecturer of ‘New Labour in Government’ & ‘Cabinet & Premiership’, School of History
Matt Korris – Research Fellow for the Parliament & Government Programme, Hansard Society
Josh Peck – Leader of the Labour Group in Tower Hamlets
Felix Preston – Research Fellow Energy, Environment and Development Programme at Chatham House

Work experience and volunteering for science students

Volunteering can be rewarding in many ways. It gives your CV or Job Application that extra factor which shows not only that you generously give up your time to help others, but that through doing so you have developed your skills and experience. Science related experience also shows that you have gained an understanding about what it is really like to work in that field.

These skills will be useful when it comes to applying for future jobs and even for postgraduate degrees and other courses.

Basically volunteering allows you to build up your experience and skills to kickstart your career AND gives you a chance to help others – so what’s to lose?

If you wish to gain experience in science communication or contribute academic expertise to Association events, the British science association are offering many different volunteering roles which could suit you.

The British Red Cross are looking for volunteers to help people in their homes by just helping out with tasks and keeping someone company for a few hours in their home.

How about trying something even more exciting like Volunteering abroad? There are projects across Asia, Africa and Latin America working on community development or environmental work.  Gain valuable work experience whilst travelling to exciting new countries in unique environments and make a positive impact on the world and your CV!

If you are looking for something that is closer to home, there are lots of activities on or near campus too.  If you’re looking to go into research, how about some hands on experience at your own university?  Approach an academic member of staff to see if they could offer you some voluntary work experience alongside PhD students over summer.

The Students’ Union volunteering service PROVIDE have the following roles available for QM students NOW!

UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre Welcomers and Guides:
You will support patients in understanding the services available in the Cancer Centre, how to access them and guide them around the centre.

Speaker Scheme Volunteer: Diabetes UK:
Give talks and presentations about diabetes to: local community groups, student clubs and societies, local businesses.

Electrical Workshop Volunteer: Bright Sparks:
To assist with the sorting, testing, distribution and cleaning of donated electrical goods.

Conservation Day Volunteer: BTCV:
The UK’s largest practical conservation charity is looking for volunteers to help on DAY projects across London. Activities include gardening, woodland work, pond work, a green gym and much more.

Residential Nurse Woodrow High House
Responsible for medical & personal care of all special needs guests. A very hands on role, working alongside our nurses.

Biodiversity Volunteer: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
You’ll be responsible for helping them with conducting surveys, and keep an eye on the life of the Lee Valley Park!

Ranger Student: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
As a volunteer student ranger, you will be responsible for site maintenance, liaising with visitors, as well as having the opportunity to contribute to any future plans and projects!

Substance Misuse Worker: Lifeline Project Ltd Hackney
Work with people affected substance misuse and support them in treatment and recovery.

Bittern Information Point Assistant: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Enjoy birdwatching? You don’t have to be an expert to help us manage our Bittern Information Point in the Lee Valley Park, all you need is an interest and an enthusiasm to learn!

Farm Volunteer: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Get up close and personal with all your favourite animals! There are lots of volunteer opportunities, ranging from feeding the animals to helping out with animal demonstrations!

Riding Centre Volunteer: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Love horses? Come and help out at our fantastic riding centre! Various roles are available, from helping with stable duties, to assisting with events!

Getting Work Experience and Making Your Application Stand Out – Tips from the BBC

As you may know from our blog post last week, the BBC has launched its Production Talent Pool scheme for people interested in working in broadcasting and media.

The speaker also gave tips on getting work experience as well as  how to make your application stand out. His excellent advice is useful for applying to media opportunities in general – not just if you are interested in the BBC.

Application Know-How

• Tell your story in a creative and compelling way – the BBC is interested in entertainment, so make yourself a protagonist, not a secondary character
• Read and consider their questions carefully
• Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – avoid dull, standardized answers that don’t reflect who you are, but keep to the point!
• Don’t think about what the BBC wants. As long as you’re creative and original, the BBC wants YOU!
• Be specific – when discussing your past roles and experience, clearly state what your role was and what tasks you accomplished
• Talk about what’s unique about yourself, whether it’s writing essays or film scripts
• Post weblinks to your blog or website to provide samples of your work

Short on Experience?

Getting work experience in the media isn’t just about doing a 3-month internship for a glossy magazine. It’s also about pursuing your interest by making use of all the resources available to you, such as the Internet. Here are some great ways to build a portfolio for yourself and gain valuable new skills:

• Get involved in anything, whether it’s a student newspaper or promoting a local charity, to show your interest in the field
• Start a blog – great for honing your writing skills and showcasing your work
• Create a media presence for yourself – start using such social media platforms as Twitter, LinkedIn or even Tumblr to make your voice heard.
• If you’re politically engaged, join causes and forums and participate in online discussions to support your ideas
• Contact organizations and groups you’re interested in to ask about work experience schemes

Raluca Maria Chereji
2nd year French and politics student at Queen Mary

QM Careers is open during reading week

Have you been meaning to come to careers, but not made it yet due to busy lecture schedules?

Whether you are looking for part-time work, work experience or have no idea what you would like to do next,  contact us on 020 7882 8533 to arrange an appointment.

We can also:

- offer feedback on a CV,  application or personal statement
- give advice on interviews, assessment centres and psychometric tests
- talk to you about your options for after graduation (jobs / further study / working abroad)
- provide job hunting and networking tips
- give information about various job roles, salaries and employers

See www.careers.qmul.ac.uk to find out more…

The NHS Healthcare Scientist Training Programme Open Now

Applications for the 2012 intake to the NHS Healthcare Scientist Training Programme are now open.

The NHS Healthcare Scientist Training Programme is a comprehensive work based training scheme. Lasting three years, the programme involves work-based and academic learning, whilst undertaking a university accredited master’s degree.

There are 3 different pathways:

• life sciences
• physical sciences and biomedical engineering
• physiological sciences

Each pathway includes training in different rotations, before specialising towards the end of the programme. To see more about the pathways and which specialisms they lead on to go to http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/hcsi_scientific_pathways_in_HCS.shtml

The healthcare science workforce is one of the most exciting and dynamic in the NHS. Healthcare scientists play a vital role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease and the rehabilitation of patients. Their innovation and expertise help save lives and improve care and is crucial in helping the NHS to respond to the challenges of public and patient needs in the 21st century.

For further information and details on how to apply see: http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/hcsi_how_to_apply.shtml

The deadline for applications is the 27th of February.