Top Tips from our graduates

Worried about the recruitment process?

Unsure about what we expect from you?

Below are some top tips from some of our existing Graduates...

 

Tom’s Tips

1. Prepare – do your homework! We want to see that you’ve made a deliberate and thought-out application to Nationwide. Why have you chosen to apply to work with us and not our competitors?
2. Prepare some more! We also want to see that you’ve carefully chosen the role you’ve applied for. How does it match your skills and attributes, or your aspirations and career goals?
3. Think outside the box! We receive applications from a huge range of people, at different stages of their careers…so think about how you can make yourself stand out from the crowd. What work experience can you draw from? What experience do you have from outside of University? Have you been travelling or done voluntary work? Have you had involvement in community groups or societies? You can demonstrate relevant experience or attributes from any of these (or any other) activities, so show us how dynamic and versatile you are!
4. Engage with us! The recruitment process is a two-way street – you need to make sure that Nationwide is the right place for you, so ask us questions and let us show you why we’re such a great company to launch your career with!
5. Be yourself! Make sure you show us the ‘real you’, the person we will be working with. It’s your one chance to impress us and to convince us that you’ll make a great contribution to the Society, so show us what you’re made of!

 

Ellen’s Tips

1. Find out about the society! You need to understand the role you are applying for and what it actually does. This will help you to demonstrate the relevant skills and will assist you to answer any questions your assessors may have about why you want the job.
2. Learn a bit about the industry – they won’t ask specific questions, but it will show that you are interested in the job and will help you to have more confidence on the day.
3. Use the resources available to you. Read the website, keep your eyes peeled for articles in the newspapers, and maybe even visit a branch.
4. Be prepared! I found it really useful to make a list of all the activities I’ve been involved in during the past four years, and how each of these allowed me to display key competencies. For example leadership skills, team work, organisational skills.
5. Be honest! If they ask you in the interview to describe a time when something didn’t go as well as you hoped, don’t be afraid to talk about it – the most important thing here is how you learnt from the experience, what skills you developed and what you could do differently next time.