Ian Irvine
Company: RWE Group, NPower
Title: Head of Consulting & Planning / Head of Graduate Programme
I recruit four graduates a year into the Finance Programme, and I also lead the assessment centre to recruit 80-100 graduates into the company as a whole.
Specifically for finance, I look for intellectual horse power, the ability to get on with people, inquisitiveness and an understanding of the business.
From psychology to mechanical engineering, we take graduates from any discipline – but we do give you a numerical test. Britain’s Brightest Graduates is our strapline and that’s what we’re looking for: raw talent that we can train up.
Do your research. Ring the switchboard and ask to speak to someone in finance to get an inside view. At interview, you need to match the statements on your CV to a breadth of solid experience. If you say you’re a problem solver, explain that when you worked at a petrol station you had to regularly resolve customer issues such as X and Y.
Any examples of excellence through service are valuable. And don’t rely on one big experience; look for examples in smaller things you’ve done to demonstrate skills and competencies. Spending time researching and thinking about why you want to do this job is crucial. Have a good response prepared for why you want to work in finance.
A degree will open the door but it’s the individual that steps across the threshold. You need to demonstrate passion and focus. Don’t underplay yourself. Use every example you can to highlight why someone should employ you. If you haven’t got the experience to illustrate a question, say you know you can do it and demonstrate how you have achieved something else through determination.
I worked as a temp in finance and law departments to get a flavour for what I wanted to do. Work experience, from formal placements to temp work during the summer holidays, gives you a fantastic opportunity to talk to people about what a job’s like. It also demonstrates that you’ve got a savviness about you.
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