Rebecca is a Social Policy with Social and Political Studies graduate from the University of Edin
burgh. She secured a Government and Infrastructure graduate role at Deloitte in Edinburgh through Bright Network.
First, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
“I’m a final year student studying Social Policy. I started studying economics but switched to social policy as I found it to be much more suited to my interests.
My motivation for going into Government and Infrastructure Financial Advisory is that I want to help governments work out how to best allocate scare resources to secure the best policy outcomes. This field suits me as I have always been interested in how policies are made.”
What motivated you to apply for your role?
“I was motivated to apply for the role as I had a peer in my year group who worked for Deloitte and really enjoyed it. The position appealed to me as it allows me to use my existing knowledge and skills at work.”
What was the application process like?
“First, I had to do some verbal, numerical and diagrammatic reasoning tests, followed by an interactive job simulation. Once I’d completed these stages I was invited to the final stage assessment.
I practiced for the psychometric tests using online guidance and practice tests, which helped make me feel much more comfortable and prepared, as you find out which areas you can study and improve on.
For the other stages, I looked at the helpful preparation guidance given by Deloitte.”
How did Bright Network help you secure your role?
“I took part in Bright Network’s Internship Experience UK, which helped me to learn about what companies look for when hiring candidates. I really enjoyed working through consultancy cases during my internship experience and this helped me to see that I would enjoy financial consulting.
Bright Network helped me to learn about commercial awareness which was really useful when it came to interviews and I’ve also used Bright Network’s CV and interview guides.”
What are you most proud of about your journey?
“I was always told that studying social science would lead to diminished job prospects. I’m proud that I proved critics wrong and secured a job which makes excellent use of my social scientific skills and knowledge of government.
I think one of the biggest challenges for students is identifying which opportunities might be suited to the skills they acquire at university, but Bright Network offers great resources to help students with this.”
What have you learned from going through the process?
“I’ve learned to be patient throughout the process, as it sometimes took a few weeks to find out my application status and if I’d been invited to the next stage.
I was also surprised by how conversational the interview felt, which really helped me to feel at ease.”
What are your tips for people looking for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
“My advice would be to not be so pessimistic about the job market and to believe in yourself more.
I was doubtful that I’d actually find a job, which made the whole process much more anxiety inducing. My advice would be to try to find advice and resources on building confidence and self-esteem in relation to job applications and interview processes.”
Tell us about the future. What’s next?
“I’m looking forward to finishing my degree and starting my graduate role.
I’m looking forward to starting professional qualifications too, which should bring a whole new challenge!”
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