A huge congratulations to Nifemi who starts her graduate role at Capgemini this September. Here she tells us how she found the experience of apply for Capgemini and gives some helpful tips to future applicants.
Why did you choose Capgemini and this role in particular?
After attending several Bright Network events and Capgemini run events which afforded me the opportunity to speak with a number of people from the company, I decided to apply to Capgemini because I felt that I would genuinely be valued not just as an employee but as a person.Throughout the entire recruitment process the emphasis was less on my academic achievements but on me as a person and my interests and how they could help me if I were to join. Everyone I spoke to before I applied genuinely seemed interested in and was so willing to speak with me. In addition to this, the people that were already there were so enthusiastic about the company whether they were speaking with me on Linkedin or speaking at a public event that it just added to the appeal of Capgemini as a whole. In addition, working in a diverse environment is very important to me. Capgemini has employees in over 40 countries and just from the subset of people I met here in London I could see that the company really tries to maintain a diverse workforce. I chose to apply for a role on the Technical team as I am a computer science student and this is where my interest lay. I wanted a role that would challenge me but also allow me to develop my existing skills and gain new ones.
What was the hardest part of the application process? And your favourite part?
The most challenging part of the application was the digital interview mainly because I was not sure what to expect. The tasks in the interview were very different to what I had experienced before as Capgemini take a strengths based approach rather than the usual format of psychometric testing but overall it was a good experience. My favourite part of the application process was actually the face to face interview. I had an interviewer who was very nice made me feel at ease and the interview ended up feeling less like an interview and more like a conversation.
Were you surprised by anything in the process?
I was surprised by the speed at which Capgemini moved me through the application process. As a postgraduate student I am not unfamiliar with graduate job applicatiations which can sometimes take several months to get through. I have to say this was one of the quickest I have experienced with frequent communication which was great!
Do you have three top tips for BN members looking to follow in your footsteps?
My top three tips for anyone thinking of applying would be :
- Be yourself - Capgemini really do care about you and they want to see all the qualities that make you unique, not just your academic transcript.
- Do your research - This will show that you are serious about the company and the role you are going for.
- Talk to as many people as possible that work at the company both in the role you want and in other departments and attend as many events as possible. Building a relationship with people who are where you want to be will really help you prepare as they have already been in your position so the advice they can give you is invaluable.
What was the toughest question you faced at interview?
I wouldn't say there was a single hardest question but the style of interview is very different to ones I have experienced before. Capgemini have a strengths based approach to recruitment so focus is very much on what you have done rather than what you would do in a certain situation. This can be a difficult if you have not experienced it before as you have to think a lot more thoroughly about your responses.
