Is a graduate scheme right for you?

Uncertainty; apprehension; excitement; fear: All common emotions among finalists looking ahead to a post-university world. It is a fortunate few who know exactly where they are heading upon graduating; but many of the others are still sought-after commodities. In the final year of university, the words ‘milk round’ stop meaning the obvious, and instead refer to the biggest graduate employers’ recruitment drives around universities. These companies want the brightest and the best; they want you. The question is, do you want them?

Graduate schemes exist in many sectors and industries, proving a popular option for university leavers with almost any degree. They typically offer the security and prestige of working for a big name, opportunities for fast career progression, and a good salary. For an idea, the Association of Graduate Recruiters says the median starting salary offered by its members (typically the large, blue-chip companies that offer graduate schemes) is £22,953. This is compared to an overall average graduate starting salary of £18,000, when the smaller companies that might not have dedicated schemes are taken into consideration. As examples, in 2007 the Vodafone IT graduate scheme offered £24,000; the Sainsbury’s IT graduate scheme paid £25,000, and the Nestle Marketing graduate scheme offered £26,500 with a £1000 London weighting.

So where to start when finding out more about the available schemes? Perhaps with the top ten graduate recruiters as chosen by student and graduate jobs site, The Big Choice. These are:

1. Aldi
2. Sainsburys (both also in The Times top 50 graduate recruiters, along with fellow retailers Marks and Spencers, Tesco and Arcadia Group)
3. Thales
4. IBM
5. Bloomberg
6. Shell
7. Tesco
8. BAE Systems
9. MSD
10. Carillion.

What’s so good about working for these companies? Let’s take Shell as an example. This corporate giant does not offer one generic scheme; instead it makes sure that the scheme is tailored to suit the graduate, whose role is based on their skill, potential and personal preferences’.

The company also provides an extensive range of diverse career opportunities in both technical and commercial areas, and in more than 130 countries.
It’s clear that Shell takes choosing its grads seriously. In addition to the selection and interview process, applicants take part in The Gourami Business Challenge. This is a five-day residential event for finalists. The selected 45 students must develop and present a five-year business plan for Shell in the fictional country of Gourami, and students that impress could receive an offer of a full-time position upon graduation. Furthermore, internships are available to penultimate-year students, and year-long industrial placements are in demand among non-final students.