Hints and Tips

Hints and tips on passing a graduate selection process

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We hope you find these hints and tips useful. If there’s anything you think is missing, or if you have additional feedback for us, please email graduates.careers.uk@capgemini.com.

We hope that these hints and tips are useful in helping you either get a future role in Capgemini or in your desired career.

Our view on graduate recruitment

Application forms

Interviews (telephone & face to face)

Presentations 

Case studies

Group exercises

General assessment centre advice

Our view on graduate recruitment

• We view graduate recruitment as a ‘two way street’: we hope our selection process helps you select us as an employer as much as it helps us select you as an employee.
• We look for candidates with talent, potential and character. 
• We look for three key skills: 1. Communication 2. Innovation 3. Collaboration (for more information on each of these click here).
• A ‘thinker’ and a ‘doer’: someone who can come up with the ideas and can then drive them through with an entreprenurial spirit.
• Not just academically bright: able to demonstrate how they can apply their skills, knowledge (and experience) to the benefit of Capgemini.
• “Square peg/round hole”: someone who has the drive and ambition will re-shape the business around them.

Application forms: things to focus on

• Spelling and grammar: including spelling the company’s name right! Run a draft through MS Word or a get a friend to proof read it. Over 20% of applications (up to 40%) get rejected because of the most basic errors.
• Reasons for applying: demonstrate that you have researched the company and relate that to why you’ve applied. Companies want to hear that you really want to work for them!
• Previous work experience: may not be as important as you might think. Yes, you may have worked for a competitor company but how do we know you were actually any good? Try including any transferable skills, e.g. teamwork, communications skills, general customer service skills, and IT skills (especially MS Office).
• The following are important things to do or show:
  • Use positive language: don’t mention something that didn’t work out in the end: “despite my best efforts we lost the deal.”  Mention examples you are proud of, this will come across in your response
  • Evidence of on-going learning: this is a graduate training or development role you’re applying for. Companies want people willing to learn from them; demonstrate experience and practice as well as your theory.
  • Balance 'we' and 'I'. Focus on how you helped your team succeed. Lone operators will not pass most selection processes.
  • Innovation/creative thinking/problem solving: most recruiters are looking for a fresh pair of eyes and an extra pair of hands.
  • Tenacity/resilience: most roles talk about being challenged, so demonstrate that you can meet this head on.
  • Create your own unique selling point and stand out from the crowd: all applicants will have worked hard to get a good degree. We’ve all had that underperforming team member on a project. And if I had a pound for every ‘team captain’…
• Remember, it’s not what you did but how you did it, and most importantly why you did it!

Having got the basics right, however…

You would be surprised the number of candidates who do the following things:

• Assume we were familiar with the situation and gloss over key details. Don’t talk about the situation without describing it first, e.g. “during one of my many team meetings…”  What team? Football? Society?  Club? What meeting? Project meeting? Weekly meeting? Who was there? When was it held?
• Refer to existing skills without actually demonstrating them. Don’t refer to what you haven’t yet demonstrated. "Using my excellent communications skills..." "Drawing on my excellent entrepreneurial skills..." The example should be used to describe or demonstrate the skills rather than simply refer to them!
• Briefly mention many different things they’ve done rather than talking in detail about one thing and telling us more how and why they did it. Listing many titles and awards as bullet points isn’t as impressive as it may seem. Spend time on one (or two) and provide us more detail on how you did it.
• Use buzz words or jargon. Don’t!

Interviews

Why are people afraid of interviews?
Can you have a conversation? Can you build rapport? Can you retell a story? Can you talk about something you did that you are proud of? Can you tell someone good things about yourself? Can you talk about how great you are? Yes? Then you can do an interview!

An interview is simply a conversation with a purpose.

General interview tips

• You should prepare one or two strong, specific examples (per competency: see below) that best demonstrate your skills and abilities. Think of the experiences from your past you are most proud: these can be from your work experience, personal or social life or hobbies. Again, do not use examples that end negatively, e.g. “despite my best efforts it didn’t work”.
• Keep your answers focused. You will need to think of at least one or more strong, specific, example for each identified competency which best demonstrates your skills and abilities.
• Consider following the STAR method for each experience that you will be describing to the interviewer. Situation: What was the situation? What was the background and context? Task: What specific task did you need to accomplish? Action:  What specifically did you say and do? What were the actions you took? How did you do it?  Why did you do it?  Result: What were the results of your actions? What was the impact? What did you learn?
• Don’t bluff.
• If you don’t understand the question then clarify it with the interviewer and if you don’t have an example don’t make one up!  And don’t use an example that isn’t yours. This often becomes obvious when the interviewer asks for more detail.
• Ask questions. This is your opportunity to find out more about the organisation you could be joining. Remember it is as much us choosing you as an employee as it is about you choosing us an employer. Think about those things that are important to you in advance, e.g. working hours, training, lifestyle, support, salary, travel, etc.

Remember: Be prepared. Be honest. Be yourself!

Competency interviews

The purpose of a competency-based interview is to get evidence of how you have behaved in the past to indicate how you will behave in the future. The more recent and long-standing the behaviour, the greater its predictive power. 

Telephonic or 'tele-chronic'?

• Typically a first round interview but don’t underestimate it. This is normally used as a 'screening out' tool.  Most organisations will look to reject approximately 60% of candidates via this method.
• Have your application/CV and covering letter in front of you as you might be questioned on it
• Print it out but don’t read it out; have notes but what you say should come across as natural, not scripted. Add your own comments/observations/insights to demonstrate your understanding of what you have obviously read in advance.
• Of the way we communicate 55% is non-verbal, 37% is tone of voice, 8% is the actual words. So during a telephone interview you are down 55% before you start.
• Research has shown that people remember a well-told story better than simple facts and figures. So tell your examples well. Look at the difference between the way a story is told on the radio (e.g. The Archers) versus the way it’s told on TV (e.g. EastEnders).
• Find a quiet place: don’t take call where there will be planes flying overhead, in a taxi, on a train or in a call centre!
• Good phone signal/battery power: or better still use a land line. The calls are normally booked in advance so prepare.
• Have a glass of water handy: in a good interview you will talk for 80% of the time.

Face to face interviews

• Typically a second round or final interview.
• Turn up on time: check your transport route in advance. Allow for traffic/rush hour. Print a map if required. Or use the company’s own directions as these are usually written by employees who know the area well.  Better two hours early than two minutes late! 
• Dress appropriately: partly whatever makes you feel comfortable’, partly to look like an existing employee. It's easier to take a tie off then to put one on.
• Be happy to be there. Don’t say “this place is hard to find”, “is this it?!” or “it took me ages to get here!”
• A less scripted interview: it is more important to build a rapport with the interviewer.
• Remember: interviewers are human too and they want to find the best candidate for the job – so make their job easier!

Most common interview mistakes
According to a recent survey of hiring managers the most common and detrimental mistakes candidates have made during an interview are:

• dressing inappropriately – cited by 51% of hiring managers
• speaking negatively about a current or previous employer: 49%
• appearing disinterested: 48%.

Other mistakes include

• appearing arrogant (44%)
• not providing specific answers (30%)
• not asking good questions (29%).

Presentations

Putting the presence into presentations

• Plan your presentation. Remember you’ll be presenting to someone who has seen probably thousands of presentations over their career so won’t be easy to impress.
• If you get the chance, practise and get some feedback from friends and family.
• Speak clearly, make eye contact and be aware of your body language.
• You should have an introduction, a middle and an end that summarises your main points.
• Support ideas and themes with anecdotes, examples, statistics and facts. People will always remember the story over the list of facts.
• Adapt your talk to your audience: is it to an experienced manager or consultant? Are you being assessed on your ability to present or to analyse data or communicate a key message?  Or all of the above?
• Use humour appropriately.
• Keep to time – bear in mind that your nerves can speed you up or slow you down on the day. A 20 minute presentation usually becomes 15 in practice. Allow five minutes for time for questions and asnwers!
   

Remember: Presentations came before PowerPoint.  That is, slides are used to support a presentation not to be the presentation.  It should be all about you and how you communicate during the presentation – not the fancy slides.

Case study activities

If asked to review a case study in advance you should remember these three things.

• Research: read background material on the subject, the industry and the company. Typically you’re being asked to demonstrate how an employee of that company would respond to the situation. So demonstrate knowledge of that company’s offers or services.
• Examine for all angles. The better candidates spot the not so obvious. You need to stand out by suggesting something different – but based on your research.
• Be prepared to present something in writing! You should be trying to impress – so don’t just have a load of hand written notes. The interviewer will know how long you’ve had to prepare, so don’t disappoint

If you are asked to study a case study on the spot these are the three things to bear in mind.

• Take time to think: summarise and confirm
• Be structured. Headline key facts. Focus on what’s important and avoid waffle. You often only have five minutes to think and five minutes to answer.
• No wrong answer – you’re often simply asked to demonstrate commercial awareness, not in-depth industry knowledge.

Group exercises

• The assessors are good but not mind readers, so even if you agree with what is being said, say something.
• Try to join in early: don’t wait until you’re asked to contribute.
• In light of the information given, decide objectives and priorities, make a plan and follow it. Stay focused. Remember the plan.
• Be assertive and persuasive, yet diplomatic. Get your message across in a positive, supportive way. Often a company is looking for team player not team leaders – remember you’re applying for a graduate position, not to be the new CEO!
• Remember that the quality of what you have to say is more important than the quantity.
• Actively listen to what everyone has to say, through nodding, smiling and eye contact – try to get the best contribution from everyone.
• Find a balance between putting forward your own ideas and helping the group to complete the task set.
• Keep your cool and use your sense of humour, where appropriate.
• Make sure the group keeps to time.
• Remember, do join in but don’t be the one doing all the talking. It’s a discussion not a public speaking exercise.
• Finally, the group exercise is often the best indicator of future performance at an assessment centre.

General tips for assessment centres

Before the day

• revisit your application
• research the organisation
• think about the competencies sought by the employer
• give yourself time to prepare any information for which you've been asked
• practise assessment centre skills e.g. interviews, presentations, etc.
• plan your journey.

On the day

• arrive in good time
• listen carefully and be polite
• join in
• stay calm and focused
• always be yourself
• ask for feedback.

Remember, it’s an event not a location

We hope these hints and tips are helpful to you in future applications for graduate positions. And if you have any feedback for us on our application process, please contact us.