Where can I look for jobs?
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Understanding Graduate Schemes
There isn’t a strict definition, but graduate schemes tend to be defined by the following criteria:
- Operated by large organisations which are often household names e.g. Civil Service, NHS, PwC, GSK, BT
- Fixed term – usually 18 months – 2 years. Most people are offered permanent jobs with the organisation at the end of the fixed term.
- These are real jobs with some additional study/support elements. Many operate a rotational system so that graduates spend some time working in different departments.
- Well paid – they usually have better pay and benefits than other graduate options.
- Competitive – when you read in the media c.80 people applying for every graduate job, it’s generally graduate schemes they are talking about.
- Some organisations set entry requirements of 2.1 or above and some set UCAS requirements. There is also usually a long recruitment process.
- Timeline – most (but not all) are open for applications in autumn and many (but not all) close by December.
- Graduate schemes are not the only route to a graduate job! Most graduates find graduate level work outside of graduate schemes.
Find graduate schemes:
- Accounting and Consultancy
Key companies include the following. Some, but not all of these companies, participate in the annual Graduate Milkround.
- Accenture
- BDO Northern Ireland
- Cavanagh Kelly
- Corr & Corr Associates
- Deloitte UK
- EY
- FSCom Limited
- Goldblatt McGuigan
- Banking and Finance
- eFinancialCareers – Banking and finance related jobs board
- FinTRU – local company hiring graduates of any degree to work in finance
- Inside Careers - Banking & Investments - Banking and finance related jobs board
- State Street – international company hiring graduates locally to work in banking and finance
- Economist
- Econ-jobs – vacancy board for economics jobs
- Dun & Bradstreet – an international private sector economic analysis group.
- OECD
- The Supply Curve – vacancy board for economics jobs
- Government and Public Sector bodies
- The NI Civil Service
- The UK Civil Service and the Civil Service Fast Stream
- DFID Department for International Development
- HMRC have a graduate programme
- HSC NI Graduate Scheme and NHS Graduate Management Scheme
- National Graduate Development Programme (ngdp) Graduate training scheme for management within local government
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HR, Recruitment and Training
There are a number of specific HR Graduate Schemes across a range of sectors from retail to banking – see below for a sample. Alternatively you can apply for a general graduate management scheme which includes a HR rotation. A number of recruitment agencies offer trainee recruitment consultant roles to graduates.
- BT– offer a Human Resources graduate scheme and placement programme
- Rolls Royce – offer a HR Graduate and Placement Scheme
- NHS – offer a Graduate Management Training Scheme in HR
- Hays– recruit interns and graduates interested in becoming recruitment consultants
- Angela Mortimer – run a Graduate Development Programme leading to the role of Trainee Recruitment Consultant
Key Employers– Northern Ireland:
- Health and Social Care NI
- Moy Park
- PwC
- Grafton Recruitment
- Anson McCade
- Abacus Recruitment
- MCS Group
Key Employers- UK and Global:
- BP
- Civil Service Fast Stream
- Nestle
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Unilever
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Robert Walters
- Reed Global
- Consumer-related fields: Advertising, Marketing, Market Research plus PR and Communications
General
- Campaign Jobs
- MediaWeekJobs
- Many student and graduate jobs for Marketing and Market Research will be advertised on the main graduate websites.
Marketing
Market Research
- Research jobfinder
- Market Research World
- Some big Market Research companies with graduate programmes and internships (GfK NOP, Ipsos MORI, Nielsen)
Advertising
Public Relations & Communications
- Student and graduate jobs aren’t always advertised through the main graduate websites, so look at the member directories for CIPR and PRCA and then individual company websites. Speculative approaches work well in this industry.
- CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations)
- PR Week
- PRCA (Public Relations Consultants Association)
- Mediargh – entry level roles in media and communications
- Statistics and Data Science
- Allstate – Insurance company with data science roles for graduates
- AquaQ Analytics – local data management, data analytics and data mining company who have hired a number of QUB graduates
- Datatech – a data science, analytics and statistics company based in England
- Management, Purchasing and Supply Chain
Management
There are many graduate schemes in this area. Most of these will be well advertised on MyFuture and other student and graduate job websites. Examples include:
- Consultancy: Accenture, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, McKinsey
- Public Sector: Civil Service Fast Stream, HSC NI, NHS Graduate Management, NGDP
- Private Sector: Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Randox, Royal Mail, Ulster Carpets
- Retail: Aldi, ASDA, Boots, Henderson’s, John Lewis, Lidl, M&S, Musgrave, Tesco
Some of these organisations will run placement and internship schemes which will be well advertised on MyFuture and other student and graduate job websites.
Purchasing and Supply Chain
- Retail
There are many graduate schemes in this area. Most of these will be well advertised on MyFuture and other student and graduate job websites. Examples include:Aldi, ASDA, Boots, Henderson’s, John Lewis, Lidl, M&S, Musgrave, Tesco
The Following websites are also useful: