Attention, graduates! Still hoping to apply for some of the big sci-tech companies? Here’s what they want.
The University of Limerick (UL) hosts one of the biggest careers fairs in Ireland and it is the perfect place for graduates to search for a programme that will get them on the first rung of their career ladder.
Not only that, but some of the biggest multinationals set up camp at fairs such as these to find bright, young candidates and snap them up before someone else can.
With the war for talent particularly strong in the world of science and technology, competition is fierce – but that doesn’t mean candidates don’t have their own battle to fight.
Want to work at Apple? Bank of Ireland? Boston Scientific? You’re not the only one.
So, how can graduates stand out from the crowd when it comes to applying for one of these companies’ positions?
“We want people with a broad set of skills who are looking to challenge and push themselves in their career,” said Seán Young, graduate recruitment manager with Bank of Ireland.
While it might be easy to discount a number of companies or roles because you feel you lack the technical capabilities or ‘hard skills’, the general consensus was aptitude over skillsets.
With so many people vying for positions, many recruiters believe it is the soft skills that win out for candidates over technical knowledge.
Edwina Feehely of Three Ireland said: “What we want to find is bright, ambitious, hardworking, energetic people who want to come into the company, make a little bit of a difference and make a change.”
While this time of year usually sees a major recruitment drive for graduates, some companies, such as financial services firm Northern Trust, are looking to hire graduates all year round.
Northern Trust recruitment coordinator Stephanie Moloney said: “[We’re] looking for good team workers, people with good communication skills, people who are outgoing; people who are willing to learn, looking to progress and develop their skills.”
