Step one - start thinking about you as a potential employee!

First of all, you need to start thinking about you – as a potential employee! Have a look at the following bullet points and plan how you could highlight these attributes through the recruitment process.

  • First of all, register on Training Vacancies and create your profile – you can keep up to date with the latest ACA training vacancies and receive regular newsletters from the Student Recruitment team about careers in chartered accountancy.
  • Employability – this is sometimes known as soft skills. In a business context it is the ability to communicate with internal and external colleagues, work as part of a team, plan and organise your work, and develop leadership skills. We would suggest thinking about any work experience you’ve undertaken – paid or unpaid, any extracurricular activities you have taken part in at university, for example, being a student brand manager, organising on-campus sports or membership of student societies.
  • Commercial awareness – this is one of the attributes that can really impress a potential employer. How do you keep up to date with current affairs and the business world? The internet is, of course, a mine of information and you can access news websites easily. On TV you could watch the main news, or more detailed analysis on BBC2’s Newsnight. If you’re an early riser try the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, or simply pick up some print media like the FT or the Economist. Also, bear in mind that it’s not just what’s happening in the UK, consider what’s happening around the world too. More about commercial awareness in Step three…
  • Personal branding – have you ever thought of yourself as a brand to be ‘marketed’? Pop over to our careers website and find out what Lesley Everett, our personal branding expert, has to say about making a positive first impression with a potential employer.