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Year 2: Applying for Internships & Work Experience
Helen Vaughan
Placement & Internship Adviser
Session aims
This session will cover information to improve your ability to:
• Research employers and opportunities • Understand what employers / recruiters are looking for • Know your selling points • Realise what makes a stand out CV • Excel at cover letters and applications• Tailor your applications to specific employers and opportunities • Action plan for the next steps you need to take
Why start preparing so early?
Company Deadline
PwC – Actuarial 30 October 2014
GCHQ (Mathematician Student Scheme) 9 November 2014
Oliver Wyman 10 November 2014
AWE – Materials Science 27 November 2014
JP Morgan 30 November 2014
Bank of America Merrill Lynch 4 December 2014
EDF Trading 24 December 2014
UBS 31 December 2014
Shell 31 January 2015
PwC – Assurance Tax / Consulting 27 March 2015
Before you get started
C
A
R
Clarity
Awareness
Responsibility
Doing your research and networking
Build Contacts Interact
Gain Insight
• Imperial Alumni
• Events on campus
• Online groups
• Professional bodies
• Proactively network
• Build relationships
• Prepare questions
Political
Economic
Social
Technological
Legal
Environmental
Finding opportunities• Company websites and social media
• Events on campus
• Job boards and professional publications
• Sector guides
• JobsLive (www.imperial.targetconnect.net)
• Proactive / speculative search
• Many opportunities are unadvertised • More formally advertised internship opportunities for penultimate years • Research companies to contact directly • Build your profile on LinkedIn • Take note of the following when applying speculatively:
Find a specific contact
Know where you could fit
into the business
Direct & tailor your app to that function/
department
Research company – show match & motivation
Evidence! How could you benefit
them
Make your availability
clear
Keep track of
applications
Making speculative applications
A 10 week programme in London and Glasgow runs from early/mid-June through early September. The internship provides a real-world, project based experience that will demonstrate first-hand what it's like to be a technologist for a top financial firm. Summer Analysts who excel may receive an offer to join the Full-Time Technology Training Programme. Based on their skills, Analysts will be matched to available projects within a Development or Infrastructure team:
Responsibilities:
Development Teams: our development teams design, develop and maintain applications used by our business units. Daily activities include meeting with clients to gather and analyse requirements. They make system design decisions, evaluating, integrating, and developing necessary software, and then test and deploy applications to production. Developing high-performing, low-latency electronic trading systems, and evolving complex workflows and life-cycle management capabilities are just some of the projects available for developers.
Infrastructure Teams: our infrastructure-facing teams develop cutting-edge systems to run our business. Our engineers provide tools, applications and platforms such as the Firm's networks, computing hardware, operating systems and databases for the Firm's trading applications, mobile applications and other end-user applications. They also engineer the Firm's websites, manage the Windows plant, and develop client reporting delivery systems.
Qualifications/skills/requirements• currently pursuing an undergraduate degree or graduate degree in Computer Science, Computer of Electrical
Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or a related technology/science/engineering discipline.• outstanding academic achievements, and are on track for a 2.1 honours (United Kingdom).• familiar with the foundations of at least one programming language: e.g. Java, C++ or C#.• a good understanding of operating systems (Windows or Unix), data structures, databases and algorithms.• excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.• excellent communicator and team player.• fluent in English and you demonstrate interest in technology.
Providing evidence
Competency Example
Communication Giving talks to prospective students as a college/department representative
Teamwork Running an investment banking event for the student finance society
Analytical Analysing a companies to invest in for a fantasy stock portfolio
Problem solving Devising a programming solution to a technical problem as a project assignment
Organisation Creating a schedule for mathematics tutoring
Creativity/innovation Creating new marketing to recruit members for the Malaysian society
Adaptability Succeeding in the UK education system
Commercial awareness Coming up with a new idea for managing stock in the shop where you work
What a CV / application shouldn’t be
• Generic
• Unclear purpose / intent
• Unplanned / rushed
• Disorganised / Illogical
What a CV / application should be
• Targeted to an organisation / department
• Allow you to stand out / be achievement orientated
• Show motivation and match for the opportunity
• Demonstrate understanding of the role and organisation
• Get you to interview / assessment stage
Writing your CV
• Clear layout to highlight most relevant experience • Logical and easy to follow structure • Use of bold and bullet points to focus on key points • Consistent font throughout
• Action verbs at the start of bullet points • Check spelling and grammar – UK not US spelling • Be concise
• Give evidence and examples • Include results, achievements and quantifiers for impact • Avoid jargon
Visual Impact
Language
Content
Writing your cover letter
Key paragraphs:
Why you are writing
• Why you
• Why the company
• Why the role
Summary closing paragraph
Page 17
Teamwork
Analytical & Programming Skills
Why this job
Summary of suitability
Why this company
Leadership
Showing your motivation
I was really attracted to working at Credit Suisse not only because of the opportunity to discover a new world with one of the leading global investment bank, but also because of its excellent reputation and recognition in the finance industry.
I was particularly attracted to the culture at Morgan Stanley for two reasons. Firstly, from speaking to graduates at a skills workshop at Imperial College, I learnt about the level of support with regards to career development within the business. Specifically I liked the opportunities to meet people across the business through the diversity networks. Also, I was really interested in reading about Morgan Stanley’s Foundations, particularly the Global Health Alliance and the opportunity to do outreach work as an employee of the firm. Having volunteered at several charities, including Oxfam, raising funds for children’s health projects around the world, I would like to work for an organisation that has a similar commitment to making a difference.
Ask yourself if you understand:• What you will be doing day-to-day?• What you will be doing in the first six months/ first year / first few years
in the role?• How your career will progress and what training or experience will
enable this to happen?• What skills, qualities and experience you have that make you well
suited to the role?• What the organisation does (products, services) and who their clients
are?• Who their competitors are? • What differentiates them from their competitors?• The culture of the organisation?• Challenges they face and trends in the sector as a whole?• What, if any, action they are taking as a result?
Application Forms
Why do employers use them?
• Easily screened as they are in standard format
• Questions are relevant to that employer
• Can deter casual applicants
• Can test written communication
• See how interested you are in the opportunity / company, what research you’ve done
• Competency-based
Creating STAR examples
S
T
A
R
Situation
Task
Action
Result 80%
Steps to making an application
Save a copyRead case studies on rolePrepare skills examples
Prepare motivationThink career aspirationsResearch the company
Read the instructionsCheck closing dates
Draft answersSave work regularlyCheck with CareersSave a copy of form
Check form with CareersProof read
Submit online
Before starting While completing Prior to sending
Some example questions
Describe a recent development in the banking industry. What implications might this development have for the division to which you have applied? (300 word maximum) (Barclays)
From the research that you have done on our industry, how does Barclays differentiate itself from our competitors?
(300 word maximum)
Please explain your motivation for applying to J.P. Morgan and more specifically for an Internship in Investment Banking
(200 words)
Please describe a recent task or project where you have shown personal accountability and used initiative to exceed expectations (JPM).
Describe the strengths you possess that would contribute towards you being successful in the role and business you are applying to. Please identify valuable skills, experience and attributes that would support your application.
(JPM 150 words)
Don’t forget the STAR technique when answering these!
Some common mistakes
Situation Situation Situation…• Too detailed on situation; summarise this quickly
Not explaining the HOW• Focus on the actions you took, the skills you used
The royal “we”• Avoid lengthy sentences which describe what the group did; focus on your role
Indirect language• When I won the elections for the president of the waffling on society we held an event to
recruit new member
• When President of the Waffling Society I organised a new members’ recruiting event
Not answering the question • Focus on the skill they’ve asked for; example should relate to question
Internships and Student Visas
• 20 hours per week during term time • 40 hours per week out of official term time • Check with International Office
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/international/
Action planning • Consider career options and make
decisions• Research relevant opportunities
within your sector of interest • Find out closing dates for application
for this year and next year’s schemes
• Draft & perfect CV, application and applications
• Get these proofread / checked
• Make your application in a timely manner
How the Careers Service can help
• Department Drop-Ins – Monday 12 – 1pm, MLC 2
In Careers Centre
• 20 minute consultations
• Afternoon seminars, daily
• 5 min CV checks
• Recruiter in Residence
• Employer-led skills workshops
• Lunchtime talks
• Employer presentations
Book on JobsLive
Upcoming Events
• Maths Career Speed Dating – this Thursday evening! (23 October) • ICU Careers Fair – Today • Engineering Careers Fair – 23 October • Consulting Forum – 30 October • Science Forum – 6 November • IT& Technology Fair – 13 October • Manufacturing Forum – 20 November • Charities & NFP Forum – 27 November • Science Careers Fair – 29 January • Internship Fair – 19 February
Any Questions? Thank you!
Helen Vaughan
Visit the Careers Service:
Mon – Fri:10.00 – 17.15
020 7594 8024 Level 5, Sherfield Building
Book most appointments on JobsLive
