In this day and time, the opportunities to connect are as many as ever before. Companies are posting on numerous channels, former graduates are sharing their experiences, and the companies invite you to open houses to see from the inside.
The many sources of information create a great chance to get under the skin of that graduate program you find a perfect match.
However, in our survey of how graduates felt about the available information when applying for graduates programme, 64 % said there was not sufficient information or only sufficient information to some degree. That’s why we in the following will give you 5 sources to mine additional info and explain how you can dig into the details of a graduate programme.
This source is listed as number one, because it often contains the main source of the information that the companies share. The website of the company often has one or more pages dedicated to their graduate programme, which covers the main points of the content, structure and more.
Here, you can often find
Brief information
Companies will often spend around 1/2 a page on describing 1) what kind of company it is, including products, scope and history and 2) a description of the graduate programme, including structure, mentoring and explanations of each track, if the programme has multiple trajectories.
Assignments within the position
Here, you will get an overview of the assignments you can expect to get in your graduate program. This will help you to get an idea about what the program contains and what your responsibilities will look like. Furthermore, you will normally find which teams or departments you will work within and together with.
Necessary qualifications
Obviously, you will need certain qualifications in order to get into a graduate programme and they will be highlighted on the website. You will see requirements ranging from interpersonal skills to analytical skills.
Most programmes require a master’s degree, but other contemporary topics of requirements can include abroad experience, relevant student jobs, extra-curricular activities, software skills and language skills. Be especially aware whether the graduate programme requires that you master the Danish language, like some of the programmes Graduateships posts do.
Formal information
You will also find a lot of formal information on the company’s website, which is necessary to pay attention to. It often guides your next steps in terms of writing an application and perhaps editing your CV, as well as how and when to apply. We have broken it down below.
For example, some companies prefer that you send a CV, application and your latest grade transcript, while others also encourage you to send any recommendations you might have. Some companies want it combined in a file; some want your CV uploaded piece by piece in their internal system. The video format is becoming a more and more frequent part of the application as well. If that is the case, expect to make a video of yourself, where you for instance explain how your values match those of the company.
Whatever approach the graduate programme your applying for has, make yourself aware and act accordingly. The first step towards a good application is to closely follow the instructions by the company.
You will also find information about deadlines for applications. Some companies work with a first-come-first-served approach, which is to say that they process the applications on an ongoing basis. If they find the right candidate before the deadline and you hesitated, the graduate programme hunt can be over before it begins. Therefore, check your spam filter regularly! However, sometimes the deadline also works on the contrary, where companies extend their application deadline, if they have not received a satisfying number of applicants.
Graduate interviews
The companies also make interviews with their current graduate programme participants. In the videos, they normally tell about themselves and their background for being a part of the graduate programme. The interview gives you an idea of what the program leads towards and how the students benefit from the program.
Application process
On the website you will also find the application process, which will lead you through the different steps. It is different from company to company how their application process is. There are various ways the company can progress the application process. It can be trough:
Preparing for the above types of contact with companies is a good idea, as you will most likely find yourself in new territory. Therefore, take tests online and try out interview sessions with friends and family.
Another source of information is open houses. Companies’ offer the chance to visit headquarters and meet with managers. The day will often consist of presentations from leading figures within the company followed by a small serving of food and drinks, which you can consume while walking about and talking to employees of the company.
Follow Graduateships on Facebook or LinkedIn to stay up to date on open houses as we will be monitoring and sharing time and dates of the events.
Here, you can often find
Company presentations
The presentation of the company has many similarities with what you can find on the company’s website, but you can expect a deeper demonstration of products, history and hear from different perspectives through a number of often senior management employees.
For example, Lundbeck Pharma brought CEO Deborah Dunsire to speak to the graduates for the company’s open house graduate day.
1-on-1 talks
It is already time to shine your shoes, because here you have the opportunity to make your first impression. You get to talk to managers, HR, current graduate programme talents and possibly c-suite level employees, which gives you every opportunity to get a great understanding of the company’s programme, as well as making a good impression.
Guided tours
Some open houses include tours around the facilities where you might end up working, which can enhance your understanding of intangible artifacts like company culture.
It will prepare you for the first day at the office, from dressing to finding your way around your new workplace.
An open house event takes approximately 3 hours but can vary from company to company.
The companies are trying to reach new graduate students through social media; thus, you will be able to find lots of information on their Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn mainly.
Pay attention to both paid media and organic posts from the companies. However, in order for you to reach organic content on the company’s graduate programme, follow the companies you find the most interesting.
Alternatively, follow Graduateships on social media and get the latest news collected about graduate programmes at one place.
Here, you can often find
Brief information
Explanation videos will give you an overview over the graduate program and about the company. Furthermore, you will find descriptions of the different programmes the company provides. There will most likely be a video, which takes you through the daily life as a graduate.
Graduate interviews
For all graduate students apply some of the same curiosity, therefore have the companies made question videos where former graduate students answer questions. This will give you answers to some general questions you might have about the company and/or the graduate programme.
Often, you can find presentations from such talents in the programme, and therefore see what they do and feel about the experience. They share how the program contributes to their work life and what opportunities they get from being a part of the programme.
Responsibilities and everyday life
Both the day-to-day tasks as well as occasional projects are usually covered in the social media content the companies put out. Furthermore, many of the companies use mainly Instagram to show more than just the formality about the graduate programmes.
It includes the graduate students’ everyday work life, from their work group to where they live during the rotation abroad.
Social media content is a great opportunity to peak behind the scenes and get in touch with the more informal parts of the programme.
Just like you look at companies’ social media profiles, 54 % of companies look at your too. Read Graduateships’ article about how to improve your Linkedin profile.
A fair has some similarities with the open house that companies host, but here you have multiple companies gathered at one place.
A fair can assist you in the beginning of your graduate programme search, as it will easily help you get a brief overview over multiple graduate programmes and understand what they can offer.
Here, you can often find
Mostly, it’s universities who host graduate programme fairs, for example Copenhagen Business School has hosted Graduate Night, which gathered companies like Deloitte and Carlsberg. CBS’ programme for 2019 looked like this:
After presentations, the host organization often provides stands where companies will reside, giving you the opportunity to discuss topics like programme structure, mentoring and salary. Usually, it is experienced HR personnel available in the stands, which means you can get exactly the information you are looking for. Therefore, the fairs offer a wide range of information. It is a good opportunity for you to walk from stand to stand and meet the companies of presentations you found interesting or companies that you want to elaborate on certain information.
However, Due to corona, most fairs this year have unfortunately cancelled or have moved online.
Graduateships also monitors and shares time, dates and news of graduate programme fairs, which we share on our website and social media pages.
How to prepare for the fairs
It is a good idea to prepare yourself for the fair. Research some of the companies before you attend and make a list with the companies you would like to talk to, as it makes your approach more convincing.
Furthermore, write down the questions you would like to ask the company, questions which they perhaps did not answer on other platforms. In that way, you will not forget what you would like to know, and it will show your enthusiasm, if you are asking concrete questions to their programmes.
Exploit fairs to your own advantage
Fairs are not only a tool for companies to promote themselves – so can you. Create an impression, which can expand your file with their HR department. Therefore, bring your CV to hand out to the companies you are planning to talk to.
Additionally, it is a good idea to prepare so you can present yourself, what you do and why you find the programme interesting.
The number of graduate programmes are increasing year by year, why Graduateships have collected them all in our Graduate Guide 2020/2021 to create a better overview for you. Furthermore, you are able to find a broad range of helpful articles about graduate programmes and help to the different parts of the application process on our website.
Other websites give you a similar opportunity to find graduate programmes and accompanying information in Denmark, which we will share in the following.
At Graduateships you can find
As well as…
Rankings
At Graduateships it is possible to find rankings of the different companies within different industries. This can help you to see what company has the highest ranking in your field, and afterward look up their graduate programmes. We intensively research the companies that offer programmes through our website, and our rankings are therefore developed with a methodology that ensures quality.
Companies have an incentive to perhaps share less information on unattractive parts of the programme – for example, bad company reputation or low wages. Unbiased sources like Graduateships can give you a more holistic picture, as we share the better as well as the worse parts about each company and their programmes.
You can find our company ranking here: Graduateships Company Ranking
Overview
Graduateships provides information on Danish graduate programmes, which means you can find an overview of the jungle. This can help you to get an understanding of the different options you have and in that way find the program, which have the requirements you are looking for.
Guides
You can find articles and introduction to how to write a good application and how to improve your CV. The CV is the first impression the company will have of you. If it is not impressing, you generally only have a 50 % chance that your cover letter is being read.
This fact applies even more to graduate programmes, which often have applications in the hundreds and recruiters therefore have to skim.
Interviews
At Graduateships we interview many interesting figures in the Danish graduate programme world – take for example our interview with former Novo Nordisk Graduate Programme manager Caroline Sehested and interview with Wolt’s Talent Acquisition Manager Mikala Beckendorff-Leavens. Hence, you get insights from top companies on how to approach the whole application process.
Furthermore, you will also find articles and introduction on how to make a good interview. You can find do’s and don’ts, advice from former graduates and much more.
Other websites
Graduateland
Graduateland is a platform like Graduateships, which address graduate programmes. The company focuses on general jobs and internships too, why a portion of jobs might be less relevant for graduates. Additionally, they do virtual fairs, which is a rather new concept. Instead of meeting companies in person, you can communicate online.
Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a global job bank where you can find info on many companies and their graduate programmes. The website differentiates themselves by also having information on salary, working conditions and rating on the different programmes. This is all done by former graduate students and therefore is related to some uncertainty about how valid the information is. However, it is a good way to increase your understanding of a company.
Indeed
Indeed brings information on the latest graduate programmes. As with the first on our list, they have a broad focus, which includes all types of positions. Indeed has well-developed features to sort programmes based on posting date, location and language requirements.
Thank you for reading our tips on how to find information on graduate programmes. If you know someone who is thinking about joining a graduate programme, help out a friend and share this article with them.
Feel free to contact us about any questions you might have!
