Damil is a Economics Graduate from the University of Leicester. He's secured a Finance Graduate position at Smiths Group Plc through Bright Network. 
First, we’d love for you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
“I’m someone who loves working with different people and helping them to solve their problems.
I’m motivated, enthusiastic and resilient.
Working with numbers is something that I’ve always wanted to do and to work within a team is something I love, as I love to collaborate with others.”
What motivated you to apply for the role?
“I was attracted to Smiths Group because they’re a global leader in smarter technology and engineering and they solve global issues the world is facing.
The role of the finance graduate is something I always wanted as I wanted experience working in a number of rotations, such as financial planning and analysis, treasury and general accounting.
This is all whilst being funded to study for my ACCA qualification to become a Chartered Certified Accountant, which is hugely important to me.”
What was your application journey like?
“My application journey was challenging but exciting at the same time. I enjoyed constantly refreshing my emails to see if I got to the next round or if I was invited to do an online assessment.
For Smith Group in particular the process included an online application, an online assessment, a call with HR and finally an assessment centre which includes a final interview.
I made sure I prepared thoroughly by checking out online resources, reading through Glassdoor and looking at generic interview questions.”
How did Bright Network help you secure your role?
“I read articles related to how to succeed during the application process and looked at previous success stories. I also used the graduate tracker to track my applications.”
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What are you most proud of about your journey?
“The thing that I’m most proud of is the fact that I managed to secure a role without the access to professionals in my network or external help.”
“I’m also proud of my resilience and the fact that I kept going even after dealing with rejections.”
What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
“Start early. The earlier you start, the easier it becomes. Most schemes, particularly the top ones are rolling, which means that the graduate scheme will close once they fill the spaces, so it’s better to be early.
Get your CV ready before September, so you don’t have to worry about editing your CV when everyone else is applying.
Lastly, I’d recommend applying to the graduate scheme of your choice after you’ve applied to some other schemes first. This means you’ll have the experience of knowing what makes a good application, how the online assessments work and how to prepare for interviews.”
Tell us about the future. What’s next?
“I’m looking forward to joining Smiths Group and contributing to their ongoing success. I can’t wait to work at a company where I know my work will have an impact on others.”
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