We recently caught up with James about how he secured a graduate role with Ofcom, his top tips for the application process and how he built up his commercial awareness before the interview.
What stood out to you about Ofcom?
COVID-19 has separated much of the population for an extended period and illustrated the importance of a strong communications sector to keep things afloat.
It’s because of this that a role at Ofcom appealed to me, boosted by the fact that its remit is also so large, unique: regulating communications so as to get the best services to the general public whilst also protecting them from harm.
The nature of Ofcom’s work also gives it a valuable bird’s-eye view of the industry, something which will hopefully help give me a strong holistic understanding of the communications sector.
How did you build your commercial awareness before the interview?
I started by researching Ofcom’s history and its remit. Their website presents all of this information very clearly, with some of the more complex concepts helpfully explained in videos.
From there I went on to read Ofcom’s annual review, helping me to understand both the nature and scale of impact Ofcom’s work has, and any key challenges that the organisation is facing.
To bring up at interview, I picked out a couple of the especially interesting or unusual examples of Ofcom’s work that were mentioned in the review - ones that I thought might have slipped under the radar of other candidates. These were Ofcom’s new role in regulating online harms, and recent reports on the sustainability of the universal postal service.
What would be your top tip to members going through the application process?
As covered in an earlier question, make sure you research the organisation, have a broad understanding of its remit and a remember few examples of recent projects it has carried out. It’s very easy to get bogged down researching the ins and outs of the organisation in great detail, but it’s really not necessary to do this.
For the interview, have a few strong answers prepared for the motivational (“why do you want to work for us?”) and competency (“give me an example of a time when?”) questions, but also think about how you might adapt your answers to suit different questions. For competency question in particular, use the STAR method and try to provide quantifiable evidence where possible.
Being well prepared should help ease nerves, but make sure you talk slowly and clearly. Under pressure it’s easy to start speaking quickly and unclearly without realising but slowing yourself down will make your responses easier to understand and help you think clearly - hopefully leading to stronger answers!
How did Bright Network help you secure this role?
Without Bright Network I wouldn’t have known that this graduate scheme existed, so their advertising of the role was crucial. Many public sector roles are advertised through the Gov.uk website and department or organisation websites, but there are exceptions such as this one.
The application process was always very clearly explained, with key dates and deadlines emphasised. Bright Network also did a very helpful session ahead of the assessment centre outlining what candidates could expect. This transparency really helped guide my preparation and settle any nerves.
What’s been the toughest interview question you've faced and how did you tackle it?
One of the tougher questions to come up with a strong answer to is “what is your greatest weakness?”. I’ve struggled to answer this not because I don’t have any weaknesses (and this would be the worst answer you could give), but for fear of making myself sound unfit for the job if I answer honestly, undoing any good impressions I’d given in earlier questions.
The key is to approach such a question honestly but positively. Admitting to and understanding your weaknesses is a sign of humility and self-awareness and shows that you are keen to develop. I’ve tended to highlight public speaking and procrastination as my weaknesses, but then emphasise the work I have done to address these areas: e.g., making to-do lists and better prioritising my work, or taking development courses and accepting all opportunities to lead meetings or do presentations.
What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?
- If you’re very nervous you may not think clearly, stutter and come across as lacking in confidence at interview. To keep nerves down try to keep things in perspective: if your interview goes badly, you’re likely to have many more opportunities to secure positions elsewhere, and you’ll have gained valuable interview experience.
- When trying to secure a graduate job, keep a record of interview questions you are asked and exercises you are required to complete. You can then use these to help you prepare for future assessment centres and having an idea of what to expect can help ease any nerves.
- Don’t try to ‘cram’ in the hours before the assessment centre. You’re unlikely to remember what you’re reading and will just make yourself stressed. Having very detailed and exhaustive commercial knowledge is not really necessary, and it’s better to just relax ahead of the assessment centre to put yourself into a good frame of mind.
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.
