Graduation – some hints!

PIR Graduation

This blog wasn’t published in time for last summer’s graduation ceremonies so this year I think it would be useful to give some useful hints for what to expect if you haven’t attended one before. Academic gowns are very much a tradition. In some Universities and indeed some schools they still play a significant role.

Do you know about Cumberland Lodge?

Cumberland Lodge is a unique conference centre. Its Patron is The Queen, who has granted sole occupancy of a splendid seventeenth-century house for discussions aimed at the betterment of society. Cumberland Lodge provides opportunities for the exchange of views and beliefs. It does this primarily through a programme of conferences, retreats, seminars and public conversations, some of which it hosts and some of which it arranges independently or in partnership with a like-minded organisation. The Lodge is in Windsor Great Park and so is close to Royal Holloway (you can walk there from Bishops Gate at Englefield Green but it is an excursion!).

So why am I mentioning this? Because Cumberland Lodge is not only for high level academic debate. It also does a lot of work with students, particularly international and Commonwealth students. For example, at Christmas time there is a special Christmas Weekend for international students.

Queuing at Tesco’s

Last Monday I met with Madhiya Tarannum from Talent Acquisition, Tesco Hindustan Service Centre. Like many large corporations it is set outside Bangalore in the Whitefield commercial area and has a significant security presence. The centre is a large campus, possibly bigger than it’s UK headquarters, but because Tesco as a brand is not so familiar in India the site is fairly anonymous. Apart from this site, Tesco is involved in retail in India but only through working with Tata on the Star Bazaar brand.

From Egham to Bangalore

I am having another of my meetings today with employers in India. On a slightly bigger scale than our Tesco Metro in Egham, I am meeting with the Talent Acquisition unit at Tesco’s Hindustan Service Centre. This is the global services arm for Tesco.It provides IT‚ business and finance services to Tesco operations across Europe‚ Asia and America. Tesco HSC went live in May 2004‚ and currently has over 3000 employees.

Marks and Spencers India needs you!

Today I visited with Shalini Naagar, Head of Human Resources for Marks and Spencer Pvt Ltd. Marks and Spencer’s have two distinct operations in India. MSI (Marks and Spencer India) is a wholly owned subsidiary company which is responsible for the ethical sourcing or products for M&S in the UK and overseas. Marks and Spencer Pvt Ltd is the retail business which currently operates fourteen stores in India. This organisation is a partnership between M&S and Reliance with M&S controlling operations in retail and Reliance providing infrastructural and logistic support. The company was formed by buying out previous franchise operations.

India is known as a nation of entrepreneurs and shop-keepers but there is a strong move towards branded retail outlets in the many malls being developed throughout the country. When I visited M&S in Gurgoan, Delhi, I passed one fully functioning retail mall with another large retail development being constructed close by. Marks and Spencer’s has very much focused on the elite high end market which still forms its development strategy over the next few years. M&S intend to hold fifty stores in the next five years. The company currently employs 325 staff but will more than double that over the next five years.

The company recruits into two central areas – retail and head office. Retail positions start with Store Advisor  to Supervisors and Store Managers. Progression is encouraged including laterally to Head Office.

Head Office business areas fall under a line structure from the CEO to department managers of Retail, Merchandising and Purchasing, Marketing, HR, Finance. Typical entry level for graduates would be around R 25000 per month.

Recruitment is through print media and online jobs boards but speculative letters are not encouraged. The company operates a staff referral scheme where employees can encourage friends to apply for jobs there. Many store advisors will be graduates interested in the career progression offered within the organisation – many do not stay at that level for long.

MBAs are encouraged either at entry level with a non accredited MBA or perhaps at a higher level position with an accredited one such as Royal Holloway’s MBA International Business. M&S are definitely interested in recruiting Indian nationals educated in the UK.

The growth of this sector is clear and M&S, in partnership with Reliance, are in a key position to dominate the high end market. In the UK the company has a great reputation as an employer and from what I have seen the ethos continues in India. The strong line on ethics and the environment is apparent as well as their ambition to develop a strong presence in India. At the moment it is not possible to transfer from the UK graduate recruitment scheme to India directly but any experience within M&S in the UK would make you significantly more employable, at a higher level, in India either in store or in Head Office.

Thanks to Shalini Naagar for her patience and enthusiasm in meeting with me.

UK Malaysia alumni network

The British Council’s alumni network is a web-based portal designed to help Malaysian UK graduates stay in touch with the UK. The launch of the network was inaugurated by HRH, The Duke of York (Prince Andrew) at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on May 21, 2001, and currently has a membership base of 11,000 UK graduates.

One of the chief benefits of joining UKAN is Job Help, an employment avenue established by British Council to help Malaysians with UK qualifications find employment in the country in a faster and more efficient manner.  The Career Guide is the latest complement to our commitment to help UK alumni to better understand the job market in Malaysia, and thus increase their chances of securing better jobs.

Click here to visit the site.

Opportunities in Ethiopia and Southern Sudan: Diageo’s Pan-Africa Graduate Programme

About the company and the programme

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks company with over 23,000 employers in over 180 countries globally. Now it provides excellent opportunities for talented individuals to work in the Commercial, Finance and Supply Divisions in Ethiopia and Southern Sudan.

This programme is a functional training and leadership development scheme featuring a 3-year rotation plan within your selected stream to build your functional expertise and knowledge. Each rotation will last approximately 12 months and there are opportunities for rotations within a different African market.

Support and Development

The three-year programme includes:

• Functional training – to gain skills, knowledge and experience
• Leadership expertise – to encourage thinking, stimulate people and drive change

During your first rotation you will have the support of a graduate ‘buddy’ and spend time with the sales force out in the field. You will focus on understanding the brands, the customers and the way they sell.

In the second year of your programme you will have a mentor, chosen from the Africa leadership team.

Successful candidates must have:

• Work authorisation for Ethiopia or Southern Sudan
• An excellent academic record. You will need to have or be expected to gain an upper second-class Honours degree in any discipline.
• Ability to speak and write English, Arabic and Arabi-juba (for Southern Sudan) or English, Amharic (for Ethiopia)

The deadline for application is 26 June 2009. For futher information about these vacancies, please visit: www.careersinafrica.com/diageo .

First ever international careers fair!

The Careers Service at Royal Holloway, University of London hosted the first ever International Careers Fair at the College on Tuesday 2 June 2009.

The purpose of the event was to give international students ideas for career options throughout the world. In attendance were a range of global multinational companies with diverse career routes as well as smaller businesses interested in recruiting international students for positions in the UK. These companies included Gartner, JP Morgan, Proctor and Gamble and Wilkins Kennedy.

The event was the culmination of extensive careers activities for international students throughout the academic year. The Careers Service has developed its bespoke international student careers programme, established online resources including the highly successful blog and piloted an international mentoring scheme.

Adrian Glynn, Director of Human Resources at Wilkins Kennedy, says, ‘The event gave me the opportunity to communicate the advantages of modern professional training within the UK. It also gave me the chance to meet high calibre candidates, which is what we are looking for’.

Juan Sun, an MSc Information Security student who attended the event, comments, ‘I had the chance to meet some prospective employers who have a need for my specific qualifications. It was really helpful and a brilliant opportunity’.

‘I am pleased to have had such a positive response from employers’, adds Andrew Falconer, Careers Adviser at the College. ‘Given the economic situation, many companies have limited their campus activity but Royal Holloway bucked that trend with the companies that attended our International Careers Fair. The Careers Service hopes to organise another fair next spring term and for it to become a key part of the student calendar’.

Now online: Working in the UK

Last week’s Working in the UK event considered the realities of finding work in the UK after graduation. We had three guest speakers: IT consultant Lin Lixiu and Arsim Shillova and Deiva Sundarranandan from Business Thinking consultants, Portsmouth. All three were alumni.

More opportunities in China

Following the recent success of Royal Holloway students receiving employment offers from them, Zara (China) have been in touch once more.

The company is offering graduate positions as part of its continued expansion. If you are interested please email your CV and covering letter here or ask in the careers centre.