Graduate Recruitment Programs

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

When I moved to the U.S. as an international student to pursue my Master’s in Data Science at Columbia University, I knew it would be an expensive and intense journey. But by the time I graduated, I wasn’t just debt-free—I had actually earned money during my program. How? I strategically combined research assistantships, internships, and scholarships throughout my Master’s. From the very beginning, I sought out research assistant positions, and by my second semester, I secured one that fully covered my tuition and provided a generous stipend. During my summer break, I balanced two internships—one at Columbia and another at IBM —while continuing to work on impactful projects and research. By graduation, I wasn’t just financially ahead, but I had also built a portfolio of high-impact work that propelled my career. Here’s my advice for anyone looking to do the same: 1️⃣ Be proactive about research assistantships: Most professors don’t advertise openings. Reach out directly, express interest in their work, and show how your skills can contribute to their projects. 2️⃣ Ask about scholarships, always: Even at private universities, scholarships and tuition waivers exist. Make it a point to ask professors or program coordinators and negotiate whenever possible. 3️⃣ Never skip negotiations: Whether it’s a stipend or internship salary, don’t settle for the first offer. Many positions are negotiable, and advocating for yourself can significantly increase your earnings. 4️⃣ Choose long-term value over short-term gains: Focus on projects, internships, and assistantships that align with your career goals. While jobs like working in a library or cafeteria might provide instant money, they don’t contribute to long-term success. To my fellow immigrants and international students: I know how overwhelming it can feel to chase your dreams in a new country, often with limited resources and endless challenges. But trust me, every opportunity is out there waiting—you just have to go after it. Be resourceful, stay persistent, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or put yourself out there. Your Master’s program isn’t just about earning a degree; it’s about building a foundation for your future, creating opportunities, and proving to yourself just how far you can go. You’ve got this—let’s make it count! What strategies or lessons have shaped your journey? I’d love to hear your story. 👇👇👇 Share this with your network ♻️ Follow me (Aishwarya Srinivasan) for AI insights, news, and educational resources.

UCL & efood collab on Analytics has now successfully concluded! (for now) Having a uni graduate take on Data projects within a business environment is awesome for both parties For students, infinite benefits: From experiencing a real-life work environment to see if it suits you, to learning how to apply your academic knowledge to real datasets & projects. On top of making industry connections and being mentored along the way But collabs are also valuable for companies for a couple of reasons: 🔶 Fresh ideas 99,97% of clustering projects in a business environment use k-means algorithm, which exists since 1967 Also the "let's run XGBoost" must be the most repeated phrase in ML projects So a fresh graduate may be able to challenge boring status-quos and push boundaries that we are too comfortable to explore otherwise 🔶 Academic knowledge Many companies during budget season use Excel + AVG() + gut feeling In the era of DeepAR, GluonTS & Prophet A graduate could bring some science + academic knowledge in similar projects, at least for cross-reference or as a back-up (because models will be overruled anyway, budgeting is mostly an art) 🔶 Talent Pipeline There is absolutely no coding test, interview process or assessment exercise better to evaluate a future talent than working alongside him/her for 6-months Applying models on real data, understanding his/her thinking on real projects and in general interacting outside a sterile interview process 🔶 POCs You can create proof of concept for projects that wouldn't be possible, due to limited time or other priorities of the core data team 🔶 Better branding + free FTEs You can put a badge on your website to show that you are a cool company that does internships Plus you get free hands to work on your projects** 🔶 Leadership up-skilling Having a graduate on your team can help team members build-up their mentoring or leadership skills Promoting someone to a people manager with no prior experience is already a huge bet for everyone involved. But starting with a graduate is an ideal scenario as the support is far greater and the risk much lower 🔶 Industry-University collabs Aside from specific individuals, collabs can become something much greater and important Research partnerships, workshops, speeches from university professors, closer access to talent-pools, collaboration memorandums etc etc 🚩 Only downside is that it requires a serious amount of time and commitment from both parties to actually work Otherwise, just coasting through a poorly-thought project, will be a immensely mediocre & boring mutual experience 💡 Long story short, solid Academia + Industry collab projects should become the norm. Benefits only #data #analytics #dataprojects #ucl **if you found either reasons very good & legit ones, please reconsider. Especially the "free-FTE" one Special thanks to UCL School of Management & Laurel Ye for making this happen

Companies are rethinking how they hire fresh graduates, moving beyond campus placements to identify potential employees outside formal applications, Sonal Khetarpal reports for India Today. And they are backing early hiring strategies with internships and hackathons, Tech Mahindra’s Chief People Office Richard Lobo says. “These platforms enable us to have a more comprehensive look beyond resumes and academic scores, as they create opportunities to test candidates for real-world problem-solving skills, design thinking, coding ability, and innovation under time-bound conditions,” he adds. Corresponding to skill-based hiring, hackathons and coding leagues also cast a wide net in terms of attracting talent across the country, HirePro’s COO Pasupathi S says. From multiple rounds of quizzes to problem statements with different levels of difficulty — these events are open to second and third year students, and often lead to internships and placements, the report says further. Another benefit? The proposed prototypes and concepts presented during these events provide companies with solutions that are scalable via real-world application, Lobo adds. ➡️ What is the impact of this new strategy on fresher hiring? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: India Today: https://lnkd.in/g4DJdWzn ✍: Dipal Desai 📸: Getty Images #freshers #hiring

In Fall of 2014, I was a college senior, and I decided I didn't want to do consulting or investment banking (like a lot of my peers). I wanted to work in a product business. Ideally one that made something that helps people -- like medical or environmental tech. It was all very idealistic. Maybe a little naive. The idealism paid off though, because deep in the Northwestern careers board, under some keyword I decided to punch in I found this: The Halma Graduate Development Program (now called the Future Leaders Program) A highly selective rotational program for recent STEM grads. You gain hands on experience working in 4 different medium sized manufacturing businesses in 2 years. Businesses that make environmental, medical, and safety technology. During every rotation, you complete a project in a different area of the business: manufacturing, product development, product management, marketing. You can figure out what you like and what you're good at, all while trying to drive business impact inside of 6 months. Did I mention you can do rotations internationally? I did 2 -- in the UK and in China. It is not an overstatement to say that this program changed the entire course of my career (and probably my life). I met some of my most important mentors -- including my first great boss who taught me how to develop real executive presence.... ...and this super smart 25 year old product manager named Chris Walker, who I basically followed into SaaS. And of course I developed my lifelong fascination with the business of actually building stuff. The world needs more smart people working on industrial scale problems! And I can't think of a better way to start your career doing that. The application process just opened up (link in the comments). So if you have a college senior or recent grad in your life, pass it along. #manufacturing #careers

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰👇 Breaking down the UK Graduate Job Market, 2024 complete summary After diving deep into the latest Highfliers Graduate Market Report and market trends, I've uncovered some fascinating insights that every international student needs to know. Here's the complete picture. 📊 Market Reality Check: 2023 threw us a curveball: -6.4% graduate roles (against predicted +6.3%) 2024 showed green shoots: +1.5% vacancy increase Applications up by a staggering 27% Median starting salary: £34,000 (£500 increase from 2023) 💼 Sector-by-Sector Breakdown: Booming Sectors: Engineering & Industrials (+20% growth!) Consumer Goods (substantial growth) Public Sector (especially NHS) 🔄 Transforming Sectors: Accounting & Professional Services (-8.2%, but still hiring) Technology (slight reduction but remains strong) 💰 Top Paying Industries: Investment Banking: £55,000 Law: £50,000 Consulting: £47,500 🌟 Golden Opportunities for International Students: Key Players Still Actively Sponsoring Visas - Financial Services: HSBC, Barclays, JP Morgan Engineering: Arup, WSP, Mott MacDonald Healthcare: NHS (continuous recruitment) Professional Services: Big Four (reduced but ongoing) 🎯Game-Changing Insight: Most of these sectors welcome graduates from ANY degree background. Your degree doesn't limit your options - your skills and potential matter more! 📌 Strategic Application Timeline: September-October: Peak hiring season Early applications show serious intent Most visa sponsorship decisions made during this period 🔑 Success Strategy for 2024-25: Start Early: Research and network before peak season Cast a Wide Net: Apply across sponsorship-friendly sectors Skills Focus: Highlight transferable skills, not just academic achievements Digital Presence: Optimize LinkedIn and professional profiles Network Smart: Connect with alumni and industry professionals ⚡️ Power Move: Despite market fluctuations, companies are still competing fiercely for top international talent. Your unique perspective and global mindset can be your biggest differentiator. <70 days remaining in 2024 Make this info count and get straight up on to your goal 💪 Your timer starts now

𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞? Here's the 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩-𝐛𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 you didn't know you needed 👇 1. 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞—think about your ICP. Ideal Candidate Profile. The first step is to clearly define who you are trying to reach. What are your ideal candidates' key skills, experiences, and attributes? Use data from your past successful hires and current job requirements to create candidate personas. 2. 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐂𝐏. Different platforms do have different audiences, but there are huge overlaps, so just because people keep their LinkedIn profiles up to date with their work history does not mean that you can’t reach that person on Instagram. Use data. Remove guesswork. 3. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥! Your content should be tailored to attract and engage your target audience. This means creating visually appealing job ads, videos, and stories highlighting the benefits of working at your company. Think about leaning into trends such as a day in the life. 4. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲. Paid social media ads allow you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviours, ensuring your job posts reach the most relevant candidates. Whilst organic has a place, paid ads are much more effective in targeting specific candidate profiles. Social networks have been pay-to-play for a long time. 5. 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚. Use analytics to track the performance of your posts and ads. Metrics like engagement rates, click-through rates, and application conversions will help you understand what works and what doesn’t. Review these metrics regularly and adjust your strategy to improve results. Feel free to drop me a comment or DM if you want some advice. 🌍🤝 🤖 #socialrecruiting #recruitment #socialmedia #talentattraction #AI

The landscape of talent acquisition is undergoing a seismic shift. Gone are the days of traditional hiring practices; today, cutting-edge technologies are enabling us to attract, assess, and onboard talent in powerful new ways. Imagine harnessing AI-driven recruitment tools that don’t just identify top talent but can predict cultural fit and long-term success. Or a world where VR allows candidates to experience your company’s work environment before they even step in. And let’s not forget blockchain technology, ensuring transparency and trust every step of the way. Virtual Reality (VR) is changing the way candidates connect with companies. Instead of simply reading about a company’s values or culture, candidates can now step into a fully immersive, virtual work environment. Imagine a VR experience where a candidate could "sit in" on a virtual team meeting, get a feel for collaboration styles, or explore company projects—before even accepting an offer! This firsthand exposure to daily dynamics enables candidates to assess if the environment matches their values and work style, ultimately enhancing retention and cultural alignment. AI-driven tools go one step further by analyzing candidate experiences, skillsets, and alignment with company values. For example, AI can consider experiences like volunteer work or leadership in diverse settings, ensuring that candidates who bring unique perspectives and commitment to inclusion are recognized and valued, advancing diversity and inclusion across the company. It’s important to adopt these tools in ways that align with transparency, inclusivity, and employee empowerment—not as rigid or restrictive measures. These aren’t just futuristic ideas—they’re here, actively reshaping the way we attract and retain talent. As HR leaders, adopting these innovations can help us create more engaging, inclusive, and empowering experiences for candidates. Let’s reimagine the hiring process for a new era, together!

Fresh Grads: How to get hired when no one’s hiring you Traditional hiring is a black hole that swallows fresh grads whole. You’re stuck in ATS filters, competing on your biggest weakness (no experience), while AI already does the work you thought you'd be doing. If you're only offering what AI can do, you're not a candidate — you're a cost. The smartest graduates I know didn’t apply. They solved.   The Direct Path to Get Hired Fast   1. Pick a niche and outcome “I help SaaS companies increase trial-to-paid conversion.” Not “I want a marketing job.”   2. Find the pain Study five companies. Spot what’s broken — weak content, poor UX, low engagement.   3. Build the fix Create a two-page audit, a mockup, or a three-step plan. Show, don’t tell.   4. Pitch it directly Email the founder or team lead. Skip HR. “I noticed [problem]. I built [solution]. It could help with [outcome]. Can I show you?”   5. Offer to prove it “Let me run this free for two weeks. If it works, we talk.”   What Will Hold You Back (Mindset Blind Spots) “I’m not ready yet” → You get ready by doing “I want a real job” → All real jobs start with proof now “No one will listen” → Founders and bosses love initiative “I’ll look desperate” → Pitching value is bold, not begging “This won’t work for me” → Clarity and guts beat credentials   Example: One grad found weak CTAs (Call To Action) in a B2B blog, built a three-month editorial calendar, and pitched the CMO. Hired in seven days! Stop competing with other candidates. Focus on solving problems no one else dared to notice. Stop waiting for permission. Start proving your value. Get hired. Share this post to help your fresh graduate friends! #nojobnosweat #AIalreadyhere  

Hired 50 People in 4 Months with LinkedIn (Without Throwing Money at Ads) 1. Ditch the generic job post. - Create captivating stories that highlight your company's culture and the role's power. Consider "day in the life" video snippets or employee testimonials. People want to experience the environment rather than read an endless list of responsibilities. 2. Simplify the Application Process: - Candidates decide within 14 sec whether to continue reading your job post. Streamline the application process & track metrics like completion rates. 3. Become a content magnet. - Regularly share relevant industry articles, insights, and company updates. Engaging with others’ content also boosts your visibility. 4. Engage, engage, engage! ️ - Don't just post and pray. Participate in relevant discussions, comment on other people's content, and actively network. Show you're a real person, not just a hiring machine. 5. Leverage the power of connections. - Ask your employees to share your posts and reach out to their networks. Encourage referrals with a sweet bonus program. 6. Optimize your profile. - Make your company page irresistible! Include high-quality visuals, showcase your team's diversity, and highlight employee perks. 7. Make it easy to apply. - Streamline your application process by using LinkedIn's one-click apply feature. No more clunky forms or endless resume uploads! 8. Build relationships early: - Don't wait until you need someone to connect. Start nurturing relationships with potential candidates months in advance. A friendly message or comment goes a long way. 9. Utilized Advanced Search: - LinkedIn's search is a goldmine. I used advanced search filters to find candidates with the skills and experience I was looking for. Boolean search is your friend – use it wisely! 10. Leveraged InMail Wisely: - I didn't spam InMail. Instead, I crafted personalized messages, mentioning specifics about why I thought the individual would be a great fit. Quality over quantity. Don't forget to share your own LinkedIn recruitment hacks in the comments! We can all learn from each other. #recruiting #linkedintips #hiring #employerbranding #linkedinrecruiting #hiringtips #TalentAcquisition #hydraxxmarwari #recruitmenthacks Hiring Global Talent Acquisition Technical Recruiting Job Search Strategies