We recently met a very impressive set of candidates for our LEDA scheme at the assessment day I mentioned in my last blog post. They arrived, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, eager to impress and with great credentials. We knew it would be a difficult task to choose between them from the off.
But as the day progressed they quickly showed their true colours: levels of preparation, confidence in presenting, knowledge of PR and, perhaps most importantly, attitude, soon showed themselves.
Now that we’ve selected our UK grads, I have some tips for those hoping to be selected from France, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany, and for our next UK intake:
1. Remember you are being tested from the moment you arrive
It must be nerve-wracking to arrive at our offices and see the room set out through the glass doors. Nonetheless, you need to use the time before the meeting starts to prepare yourself, feel comfortable in the surroundings and, if other candidates are arriving, be friendly and help them to relax, too. The recruiter will ask everyone who met you for their opinions, which includes whoever’s on reception or who met you around the office – you need to impress us all!
2. Remember the Scouts’ motto: be prepared
And preparation can continue when you arrive. Breathe, centre yourself and make the most of the opportunities to learn about LEWIS from what you see around the office. We have the day’s newspapers in our lobby, there for visitors to read. It was amazing how many candidates couldn’t tell us, in the interview, of a news story they’d read that day…
3. Remember, we know you’re nervous
And we know this may be the first big interview you’ve faced. We can account for nerves in our assessment, but we can’t excuse that being the main focus of conversation, or how you present yourself. Please practice your presentation in front of an audience, and get friends to rehearse possible interview questions with you, so you feel as confident as possible when you meet us.
4. Remember to have fun
PR is a great industry, and an amazingly creative place to be. Every day our clients look to us to suggest new ideas for inspiring campaigns, we are constantly monitoring the news agenda for opportunities to comment on their behalf, we’re engaging with their communities via social media channels and talking to journalists, persuading them to listen to our stories. We are looking for fun, creative people to be part of our team, so please do show us your lively, imaginative side during the interviews.
5. Remember why you want to be here!
You are looking to work here, and in PR, long term, so it’s key we get a sense of your enthusiasm and passion for this career and our company. And on your side, you need to be reassured that we are people you could work with day in, day out. Ask lots of questions, get to know us, and assess whether this is where you want to be as we’re assessing you.
Good luck to everyone applying. I love to meet talented people and it has been a privilege to be part of selecting the next generation of LEWIS people.
Tags: Graduate jobs, LEWIS, LEWISPR, London, PR careers
