There are ways to stay in college forever, but being an eternal student is generally far more depressing than facing the big, bad, exciting world. Contrary to the expectation that college-leavers should abandon all hope of ever getting a job, there are many companies looking to hire bright, young, ambitious staff.
Graduate recruitment fairs and college careers offices can give a good overview of what’s out there - here’s a selection of some of those hiring graduates at the moment.
IBEC Export Orientation
Running since 1983, this combines on-the-job experience with an international placement for one or two years, and the chance to develop educational qualifications. Participating companies include Apple, Tourism Ireland and Hertz. Recruitment for the programme begins in January 2015.
IBEC’s food and drink marketing programme launched this week, in association with Bord Bia. Now in its third year, this gives 28 graduates an opportunity to work with sponsor companies for 18 months and study for a graduate diploma in international business development through the Dublin Institute of Technology. ibec.ie
PWC
One of the big four accounting firms is this year recruiting 250 graduates across its divisions, which include tax, assurance and advisory. This, says PWC people partner Susan Kilty, is a return to the intake levels from before the downturn after a slight contaction in 2009-10.
“We want the best graduates we can get. We offer technical training, financial support in the form of generous paid study leave options, educational supports and internal exam supports,” says Kilty. “For people starting their professional careers, we focus on their wider business acumen and skills, including their network and presentation skills and how to communicate with impact.” pwc.ie
Lidl Ireland
“Lidl’s Graduate Programme is our way of ensuring we have a continuous flow of bright and energetic employees,” says
Tara Kleebaur
, talent acquisition and employer brandmanager for Lidl’s HR department. “The difference between our programme and many others is the amount of responsibility that we give our graduates.”
Lidl’s programme has 13 streams which graduates can apply through, and they do not have a quota or set number of places. “Instead, we ensure those who fit our business and really perform in our selection process are hired,” says Kleebaur.
The programme is open to graduates with a 2:1 degree, and includes six months in-store training, beginning as a store assistant and progressing to deputy manager, store manager, and shadowing a sales operations manager. Graduates then spend six months in a particular field (advertising and marketing, finance and accounting, procurement and supply chain, HR and payroll, governance and compliance, and IT systems and support) and six months managing a major project. lidl.ie
Public appointments
Jobs in the civil and public service? They’re back. After an effective freeze on recruitment since 2009, the Public Appointments Service recently took its first steps back into the graduate recruitment market, and has a variety of jobs available through gradpublicjobs.ie website, which recruits staff for the civil and public service. At the moment, graduate economists are being recruited to work in the Irish Government’s economic evaluation service, while administrative officers are sought at graduate entry level, with opportunities to work across different jobs and sectors, including local authority positions dealing with local employment schemes and community activation, the Revenue Commissioners, the health service, and Government departments including the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Finance.
"This year, we are having an open competition for senior public servants of the future," says Fiona Tierney, chief executive of the Public Appointments Service. "We are hoping to attract people with good academic records and the drive and ambition to be leaders across a range of disciplines." Graduates are sought from a range of backgrounds including health, the arts, law, business, psychology, agricultural science, social services, science, and statistics.
At the moment, the Public Appointments Service is focusing on this particular campaign, but other opportunities, such as audit trainees with the Auditor and Comptroller General and third secretary (diplomatic) positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs, arise from time to time.
Tierney says there are major draws for these public service jobs: “Attractive and competitive remuneration, good starting salaries and excellent training and career development, further education on a funded basis, flexible working arrangements, good promotional and career development opportunities, and the chance to work in EU institutions or across different government departments. There are good chances to start here and have an accelerated career path – not to mention the chance to make a real difference at the centre of power.” gradpublicjobs.ie
Aryzta
Aryzta, a bakery specialising in ready-to-eat snacks, has a European graduate development programme with opportunities in finance and accounting, supply chain, procurement, research and development, new product development, food technology, quality assurance and technical services, operations, sales and marketing, human resources and information communication and technology, in their European operations. The company is based in Zurich, Switzerland, with operations in North and South America, Europe, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The 18-month programme – with 50 graduate placements – includes customised training, coaching, mentoring and sponsorship and three rotations last six months each, and with a permanent role at the end. The company looks for multilingual graduates with a strong academic background in a relevant discipline, entrepreneurial spirit and a highly results-orientated approach. aryztagraduate.com
KPMG
KPMG is also recruiting graduates. “You don’t have to have a business degree but you do need to prove a strong interest in business combined with evidence of being up for a challenge,” says Paul Vance, head of recruitment at KPMG.
Many who join the company are looking for a good training and KPMG points to its exams success and its business school. “Over the past four years, KPMG trainees have been awarded half of all ACA exam placings and the firm’s overall exam success is well above the national average. Along with a great pass rate, we also have all of the tax summer final exam prize winners from 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 in KPMG,” says Vance. kpmg.ie
