What to do before applying for a graduate scheme

Young woman in cap and gown looking at newspaper. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Right after university comes the mad rush to get a well paying job. Grad students running frantically from pillar to post to land that one good position in a company.  Among them, many are lucky enough to get a position on one of the coveted graduate schemes offered by the companies. However, is it luck really? Some hard work, organisational skills and planning can still land you that graduate scheme that you want so badly.

The media and almost everybody around will tell you the nightmarish tales of recession and spout statistics of unemployment. Don’t let that discourage you from applying or thinking that you will never make it. The ideal time to start applying is after you get back from your summer vacations in your final year. Start looking at potential jobs and graduate schemes that you would like to apply for.

Step 1: Do your research

The first thing to do is to make a list of all the potential companies that you want to apply for. Your university will probably have an online career resource which will have job vacancy listings, advice on how to write a CV, cover letter, applications and so on. These resources are really helpful and coming from experts, can give you quite an edge while applying.

Step 2: Research the companies

Once the fundamental research is done, it’s time to do an in-depth background study on the companies that you have chosen to apply to. Before writing the cover letter, make sure you go on to their website and read about the history, their clientele, the kind of work they do, their goals, etc. Find out what were core values and principles that led to the founding of that company so that you can make subtle references in your application. For example, you can pick up any one of their core principles that you identify with and talk about how that principle was one of the reasons you are applying for their graduate schemes.

Step 3: Research the graduate schemes

Most people tend to think that a graduate scheme is more of an umbrella structure. However, it is much more than that. A graduate scheme is not just some standard training with a standard structure. It all differs from one company to another. Different kinds of schemes include ones where graduates are trained on a rotational basis, to give them an idea of different sectors; some are highly specific involving professional credentials. There are others which depend on team work while some schemes are more about individual performance and development. So, before going in for a application, look at the print and detail and find out what it is really about. Don’t waste your time applying for something that will not benefit you or the company in the long run.

On the other hand, if you are not sure what exactly you want to do with your degree, then the best deal is to apply for the rotational graduate schemes. These typically last for a couple of years and will place you in different areas of the business. This flexibility will allow you to explore your interests and find out what exactly you want to specialise in.

Step 4: Quality not quantity

It is always better to spend more time on one job application and make it really high quality than apply to five schemes with an average application.  Start out with prioritising your choices and really spend quality time on the applications for the top ones. It will always help in the long run.

About the author

Jenna has been on the selector panel for graduate schemes in a financial corporation for the past eight years at http://www.graddiary.com/. She has personally interviewed and selected many promising students. In her spare time, Jenna loves to watch movies with her two daughters.