A graduate scheme is a structured training program that allows recent graduates to gain practical work experience with a company. The structure of the scheme usually involves mentoring, training and work in different areas of the organization. The structure of the scheme varies depending on the workplace and the employer but grad schemes tend to last between six months and two years.
Why should you
apply for a graduate scheme?
1. Job training and support
Entering the workforce as a wet-behind-the-ears graduate can be very tough. There's no syllabus to follow, everything is new and working a fulltime job is probably not something you're used to. Graduate schemes are designed for these reasons. They allow you to learn the skills you need to succeed at work and provide the training and support you need to start your career. They usually include mentoring programs from a senior at the organization, or other forms of ongoing training and mentorship.
2. High earning
Graduate schemes typically offer their employees comparatively lucrative salaries. New graduates may earn an average of £25K, an amount that will likely rise with experience. Along with a respectable salary, many graduate schemes offer a range of perks to graduates from- holiday allowances to private medical insurance. For example, Aldi's Graduate Area Manager program offers graduates a package that includes an Audi A4 or a BMW 3 series.
3. Job security
Graduate schemes usually last between one to three years. As long as you work well and do not break the rules, this means a reasonable degree of job security. Furthermore, the structure of the schemes means you'll become experienced and qualified enough to pursue even more advanced opportunities at the end of your contract if you so choose.
Which companies
offer graduate schemes?
Graduate schemes are offered across many careers and job sectors so you have many options when it comes to picking an employer. A few fields and employers that offer graduate schemes include:
- Information Technology: There are graduate training
programs run by Information Technology and Telecommunications companies in
the UK including Google, Microsoft, Intel, HP and CISCO.
- Advertising and Marketing: Many companies provide
graduate schemes for graduates in marketing and advertisement. Notable
mentions include Halfords Graduate Scheme, IBM's Marketing Placement and
Amazon's Retail Graduate Programmes in Manchester.
- Accounting and Finance: Quite a few banks in the UK
offer Graduate schemes including Standard Bank, Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group.
- Transport: WYG, Arriva London and many other transport
companies seek graduates for their finance commercial and even IT-related
airline graduates schemes
- Retail: Big retailers in the UK including Aldi, John
Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Boots train their staff through Retail
Graduate schemes for various customer relations and management roles.
Where can I find more information on
Employer programs?
If you are interested in working for a particular company, you can visit their
website and engage with their recruiting team. You may also follow their social
media on popular channels like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. By engaging the
recruiter, you stand in a better position to understand the ideas, culture and
values of the company. Furthermore, students can attend career fairs while
still at university and communicate with students who have chosen a career with
the company and find out about the work ethics in the company.
Eligibility and Requirements
In many cases, you'll be able to apply for graduate schemes from the end of
your second year onwards. Ideally, you should apply during the first term of
your final year after conducting your employer research. While deadlines for
application are usually set for November-December, a large number of employers
have 'ongoing' recruitment processes.
This means that they take applications
all year round. However, you are advised to apply early because more often than
not, these employers close their scheme as soon as their vacancies are filled.
On the Other hand, many employers
give closing dates and also state that they will close their recruitment
process as soon as they've filled up their vacancies. For success in
recruitments, you are advised to read up on the application and interview
methods used by employers. In cases where large recruitments are conducted,
employers use online application systems to sort prospective candidates for the
various training opportunities. If your application is successful, you may then
be invited to an interview.
For most students, the pathway to a
profitable career is a graduate scheme right after graduation. Graduate schemes
with the best companies in the UK are every competitive, however, and simply
have good grades is often not enough.
To successfully get through a
graduate scheme, you will need to pass through a series of steps, from creating
a C.V to attending an assessment centre, and subsequent interviews. If this
sounds overwhelming, that is because it actually is for many people. With our
expert guidance, however, you will be in a much better position to land the
graduate scheme of your choice.
Would you like to get started now?
Talk to us, and we would be delighted to get the process started.
