We recently caught up with Caitlin about how she secured a graduate role with Ofcom, how she built her commercial awareness before the interview and her top tips for Bright Network members looking to follow in her footsteps.
What stood out to you about Ofcom?
I was really keen to secure a role with Ofcom as I wanted to work somewhere that makes a difference and has a positive impact on people across the UK, as well as a company where the work would be exciting and I would be pushed and challenged. I therefore think that working at Ofcom is the perfect fit for my skillset, interests and career aspirations. I was then attracted to the Policy, Research and Enforcement scheme more specifically because of how wide and varied it is, reflecting Ofcom's work.
How did you build your commercial awareness before the interview?
Before I began my application, I had a good read of Ofcom's website to really understand its role and the work it does. I then kept going back to the website at each stage of the application process to again refresh my knowledge of the company and to keep up to date on any current developments. I also read the stories of current graduates at Ofcom and their experiences of going through the application process for more tips.
What would be your top tip to members going through the application process?
My top tip would be that you really need to be resilient and be able to recover quickly from setbacks through the application process without taking them personally. I think that if you let each setback affect you too much it will negatively impact the rest of your applications so it's best to focus on what you're doing well. It's definitely true that rejections aren't personal, and everything happens for a reason so, as hard as it may be, try and remember this through the application process!
How did Bright Network help you secure this role?
Without Bright Network I doubt I would have found the role because I was previously unaware that Ofcom offered graduate schemes and only found this role when looking through jobs advertised by Bright Network. I also found it really useful that Bright Network ran a webinar to answer questions and explain what to anticipate ahead of the assessment centre. This really helped calm my nerves and I felt more confident going into the assessment centre having an idea of what to expect.
What’s been the toughest interview question you've faced and how did you tackle it?
Fortunately, I didn't face too many tough interview questions in my application to Ofcom since they were mainly competency-based or asking about my motivation to join Ofcom. In my video interview I was asked to explain what Ofcom does, which is a question that I hadn't anticipated. I was really glad I had done so much research about Ofcom, its role and the work it does as otherwise this question would have really stumped me.
Did you use Bright Network Academy in your career search and if so, how did it help you?
I used the Bright Network Academy 'How to succeed at Assessment Centre' module to get some tips on what tasks to expect at assessment centres and what the assessors would be looking for. I found the module really useful as it explained the aim of assessment centres in simple terms and helped me understand how to really show that I was the best candidate for the role.
What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?
- Practice and keep practicing for the online tests.
- Be confident in your abilities!
- Make sure you really understand what Ofcom does and how this relates to why you're applying.
Let us know where you've secured your work experience, internship or graduate role. We want to celebrate your success with a gift from us and exclusive invitations to evening networking drinks throughout the year.
