Student View: Applying for a degree-apprenticeship

Overall, my Uptree experience has been life-changing in such a positive way, as it has exposed me to a variety of opportunities and I have gained exceptional knowledge which has allowed me to aspire exceedingly high.

Josephine Mintah has been part of the Uptree professional network since early 2018 when she attended her first #FuturesUP with us, hosted by Ernst & Young . At the event, Josephine met many professionals from investment bankers to lawyers and she was inspired to attend more Uptree events to build her understanding of different career paths.

In this post, Josephine shares in her own words her journey from that first FuturesUP event to applying for a degree-apprenticeship, and what she has learned from the whole exciting experience.

Which events did you attend after #FuturesUP and how did you find it all?

I built my industry experiences through attending many networking events hosted by Uptree: #FuturesUP at Facebook, IBM (technology company), BBH (creative industry), UBS (investment bank), Europa Capital (real estate investment), Goldman Sachs (investment banking) and BPL Global (broker specialising exclusively in credit and political risk insurance). The most recent event which I attended was a partner breakfast where there were professionals from Arm , J.P. Morgan , KMPG , UBS and Clifford Chance .

Group picture from #FuturesUP at Facebook

Attending different types of events allowed me to become more open-minded about different higher educational routes, like a degree-apprenticeship or apprenticeship pathways.

I also found the Application Masterclasses very helpful as I learnt key tips on answering tricky questions which built my confidence and awareness on what employers are looking for in an application.

Can you tell us about your experience of the application process?

I met an inspiring member of an Early Careers team at an Uptree Partner Breakfast where he spoke about a finance degree-apprenticeships his company were offering. I decided to apply for their Financial Services Role although I did not have high hopes in being accepted!

The first stage was to upload my CV. Your CV should be 1 page and a clear representation of your education, work experience, skills, interests and extra-curricular activities.

A few days later I received an email inviting me to book a telephone interview slot.

The second stage of the application was a telephone interview, this stage lasted around 10-15 minutes.

My experience: This is where a member from the Early Careers team asked me a questions about what the company does and specialises in.

Due to the fact I was applying for the Financial Services role, I was asked finance-based questions. At the end of the conversation, I was told that I had passed the telephone interview stage and now I was invited to one of their Assessment Centres.

The places for the assessment were offered on a first-come first-served basis and were limited so I had to book early. Honestly, I was thrilled when I heard this because I did not expect much from this application.

The third stage was at the Assessment Centre. This is where I met potential co-workers and current apprentices. The Assessment Centre stage lasted around 30 minutes.

When I entered into the centre, I was placed into random groups and the group was then given a problem relating to a task that might happen at work. As a group we were expected to find a solution together.

My experience: companies are looking for effective communication amongst one another.

I found out I passed the 3rd stage later that day in an email and was invited to an Insight Evening.

During the Insight Evening , I met professionals from the company and potential co-workers. It is like a speed date interaction for 90 minutes; however, you manage how many professionals you speak to in that evening.

My advice: The more conversations you have with the professionals the better as you are scored on your interactions with them.

They asked me questions concerning the stock market, the government and myself but you must have some knowledge about what is currently going on in the finance world.

My advice: I suggest the Financial Times as a source of information to help build your financial knowledge.

The final stage of my selection process was a video interview. During this stage I was shown roughly 5-10 questions, and each of these questions appeared on the screen for around 10-15 seconds. Therefore, I had to come up with a response instantly as I was given 10 seconds to answer the question.

Top tip: Your answers must be clear, quick and concise.

After submitting the video, it took 2-3 weeks for me to receive a response.

How did you find the process overall?

Overall, I felt my recruitment journey was very overwhelming due my fear of the unknown and the various stages of the process. However, I received a lot of support from the Uptree team, particularly from Nana. I was able to voice my concerns to her and she was able to guide me through my fear of the unknown (in relation to the application process). I am thankful for this!

I am forever grateful that I was able to experience this even though I was not ultimately selected to be a part of the team. This experience has given me insight for future recruitment applications processes and what to expect. I hope my experience can help someone in the future with their application process!

Uptree is grateful to Josephine for sharing her experience of this application process and we are very proud that she faced her application fears and excelled in such a competitive process. Josephine decided to go to university and is currently studying International Politics, Economics and Law at Middlesex University.