Graduate schemes and preparing for psychometric tests.
That time of year has come around, it’s finally time to start your job hunt. Whether you know exactly what you want to do, or whether you’re trying to keep your options open, you’ve probably considered looking at graduate schemes - and there’s plenty of them. Undertaking a graduate scheme is a great way to get a strong footing in a particular industry. You can learn on the job, gain a competitive edge, find out what it’s like working for a large company, and you might even land yourself a permanent position at the end of it. Although the interview process might be rigorous, it definitely pays off in the end.
So, where to begin?
When looking for graduate schemes, there’s a few key steps that you should go through in order to check that it’s the right path for you. Firstly, confirm that you’ve met the entry requirements. For many graduate schemes, they require candidates to achieve a minimum degree classification of a 2:1, and some may ask for more specific things such as a willingness to relocate or having a driving licence.
Next, you’ll want to consider which sectors you will be applying to. Look at your experience, you’re interests, consider which sectors your degree might make you suitable for, and understand the career path that you might like to take. Once you’ve understood which sectors you might want to enter, begin to short list some potential opportunities. There’s plenty of places that you can look for graduate schemes, and we’ve listed a few below.
- https://www.prospects.ac.uk/graduate-jobs
Once you’ve began to apply for some graduate schemes, be prepared for multiple rounds of interviews. The interview process for graduate schemes is known for being rigorous, and there’s a few processes that you might have to go through, such as psychometric tests. Psychometric tests are used for companies to assess your skills, knowledge and personality traits and are often considered to be a strong indicator of job performance. There are two main types of test, personality and aptitude tests and they are often completed online. Although this might seem daunting at first, at accommodation for students, we’ve put together some handy tips and tricks to help you ace them.
Get familiar with the questions that you’re going to be asked.
Before you complete a psychometric test, take some time to research the type of question that you’re going to be asked and consider what you’ll give as an answer. The more that you practice this, the better prepared you’ll be for the real thing.
Sit somewhere quiet and limit distractions.
With some tests, you only get one chance to take them, so make sure that your location won’t distract you and that you’ll be able to focus. It also might be important to check your wi-fi connection is strong in the place that you’re doing the test.
Keep your eye on the time.
With most tests, you only get a limited amount of time to complete them, so it is vital that you keep organised and watch your timings throughout the test. Again, the more you practice the better you’ll be at this.
Try to identify areas of potential weakness and work to improve them.
When doing your practice tests, try to identify any areas that you find particularly difficult. If you keep struggling with the same thing, then it’s definitely worth putting in some extra time in order to improve your skills. Keep a note of the areas that you think you’re strong in and where you think you might be able to improve.
Once you’ve completed the psychometric tests, you might find that you’ve still got a few stages to go through, such as video interviews and assessment centres. However, don’t let the long interview process put you off, it will be worth it in the end.
Although graduate schemes are known for being very competitive, there’s no reason to suggest you can’t do it. The first stage is just to get started and apply. Once you’ve done one application, those that follow will seem a lot easier.
