How the WBS CareersPlus team supported me to achieve a placement year at EY

Undergraduate student Sneha shares how the WBS CareersPlus team helped her to secure a placement year at EY.

When I initially started applying for job opportunities in my first year, the WBS CareersPlus team provided me with comprehensive support and guidance to help me prepare for job applications. The countless workshops and webinars organised by the CareersPlus team also helped to build my skills and knowledge which gave me an insight into what to expect when applying for a placement year. This motivated me to apply for a year in industry. I was excited to be able to secure a placement year at EY.

Tailoring my CV

During my first year, being quite unfamiliar with job applications, I was able to attend a one-to-one consultation with a CareersPlus team member who directed me to do research for work opportunities from various recommended websites. The CareersPlus team also helped me improve my CV by going through it in depth with me and showing me how to tailor it according to my industry of interest. They also recommended me to use platforms such as VMock that rated my CV and provided suggestions on how to refine my CV.

Building my industry knowledge

Unfortunately, I was not able to secure any work opportunities during my first year as I lacked experience in the application process and did not have an elaborate CV. Soon after, I spent quite a lot of time focusing on building my industry knowledge and skills by attending a diverse range of free workshops, webinars, and company insight events which were all organised by the WBS CareersPlus team via ‘my advantage’. Using all the valuable advice provided to me from these workshops, I started applying for placement schemes where I used my skills and knowledge to successfully navigate through a challenging but exciting application process to secure a placement year at EY.

Attending careers events

The CareersPlus team hold various events, with one being an in-person year in industry event which intrigued my interest in applying for a placement year. I got the opportunity to listen to students speak about their placement year where they offered advice and guidance about what it is like to be on a work placement. The CareersPlus team also sent regular emails, at least once a week, with all the opportunities relating to my degree – BSc Accounting and Finance. This was quite beneficial as I was able to explore multiple roles in several industries that helped me choose the top companies that I wanted to apply to for a year in industry experience.

Preparing for the interview process

During the application stages for EY, the WBS CareersPlus team played a major role in supporting me by providing lots of information, advice, and guidance which is what helped me at each stage of the application process. Before I had my partner interview with EY, I was able to book several mock interviews with the careers team who guided me through the interview process and helped me prepare answers for specific questions that employers ask which helped me build on my answers. They also guided me with different techniques that I could use to improve the structure of my answers which gave me the confidence to do my best.

The CareersPlus webpages on my.wbs have resources such as handbooks, video recordings, and online resources to help you with every stage of your application. Starting to apply for jobs can be quite daunting, however, the extensive amount of services provided by the CareersPlus team will prove to be invaluable in every way possible. I attribute a large portion of my success in securing a placement year at EY to the WBS CareersPlus Team.

As a Warwick Business School Undergraduate, you gain access to our dedicated WBS CareersPlus team. They provide specialised career services solely for WBS students; this includes 1-2-1 careers coaching, application workshops, and employer-led presentations and skills sessions. You can find out about all of the Undergraduate Programmes at Warwick Business School here.