We recently caught up with Louis about securing a role with Willis Towers Watson, making an application stand out and tips for how you can secure a role too.
What stood out to you about WTW?
The thing which stood out about WTW for me was the culture of working in such a highly respected corporate company. Rather than tailoring yourself for the company, it is clear WTW is accepting and helps you progress from intern to graduate, and so on. The vast number of divisions and sub-divisions inside WTW makes it a company you could work at for your entire career. This could range from working with financial institutions to working with Marine and Aerospace companies.
How did you make your application stand out?
First of all, it is essential you get the basics by presenting yourself in a friendly and enthusiastic manner. This is important for making a good first impression and showing the person behind the CV and cover letter. Additionally, it is important you know what WTW does, and what the division consists of. This is so any company can trust that you have researched and not submitted a blank application. Remember quality of quantity! As well, in the assessment centre, I was purely honest. I never finished one of the tasks, and when saying this to the assessor, they were entirely positive and were not fussed whatsoever, as long as I could present myself in the role play tasks, that was what they cared about the most.
How did Bright Network help you secure this role?
WTW hosted a 4 week CV, cover letter and application tip webinar in partnership with the Bright Network. This consisted of advice from senior professionals which allowed me to network and ask about what their jobs consist of in a day-to-day situation. This allowed me to show I have networked with people at the firm prior to joining, something recruiters find entirely impressive. Although I didn't attend all the sessions, it was useful to understand an aspect about WTW which I could not find online. The real-life perspective provided me with a successful outlook into the world of insurance and WTW.
What are your top tips for tackling tough interview questions?
Make sure you practise or look over similar questions found on Glassdoor, or through direct connections on LinkedIn. Ensure you use the STAR technique - Situation, Task, Action, Result. This shows a clear and succinct example for the interviewer to follow. Even if you haven't fully done one of the tasks the interviewer is asking about, be truthful, and say you haven't, but make sure you respond with a hypothetical STAR answer which you could do in a realistic manner if you were to do this in real life. Breathe and make a note of the interviewer's question whilst being asked.
Did you get any feedback in the past that helped you with your application?
I did a previous assessment centre where I was told my presentation wasn't clear in the response they wanted. I took this feedback to my assessment centre with WTW, and in result I was able to present my findings in a succinct manner. My solution was given in a hypothetical situation where I assessed multiple routes as an alternative.
What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?
- Do not submit tons of applications. Make them high quality and provide alternative reasons to wanting to join, instead of the bog standard answers.
- Make sure to attend Bright Network events and internships, such as Internship Experience UK.
- Network with professionals, and try to figure out what career path you may enjoy the most prior to submitting applications.
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.
