Job search

In recent years, we have had the pleasure of welcoming some of Denmark's large and recognized companies at DTU CareerWeek. The companies gave interesting presentations about their recruitment process, and below, you can read some of their most important recruitment tips and tricks.

Bain & Company (2021)

• Bain & Company is looking for bright and ambitious students with good results in quantitative courses.
• They want to see leadership and drive in your application, as well as knowing why you want to work at Bain & Company.
• The recruitment process has two rounds.
  • CV, application, grade, case interview, behavioural interview (How have you acted in previous situations)
  • Partner/case discussion
• Just be yourself and prepare for the interviews.

Bang & Olufsen (2019/2021)

• Bang & Olufsen is always on the lookout for qualified employees. They want to hire the candidates best suited for the job, so their job postings do not have an application deadline.
• In the written application, motivation is important to Bang & Olufsen. They encourage you to explain why you want to work at B&O and not solely why you would be suited for the specific position. If you are an international student, it is also good to mention why you want to continue living in Denmark besides the job.
• Keep the application short, relevant and to the point. It is a good idea to get someone to proofread it to avoid mistakes and/or tunnel vision.
• Bang & Olufsen´s work environment is friendly, open-minded, helpful and international – they speak English daily, meaning you are more than welcome to apply for a job even though you don’t speak Danish.
• Regarding your skills. They are not afraid of teaching you new stuff or a new programme language, but you need to show what you are already capable of. Explain your skills through projects, cases etc.; for the soft skills, do not only mention them but exemplify them. When you claim experience within a certain field, they will ask you how you gained it.

Chr. Hansen (2021)

• At Chr. Hansen, the profile on the CV is important - remember to target your CV to the job
• You can be creative when you make your CV if it suits your personality.
• Remember to focus on the competencies gained through your studies when making your documents.
• Chr. Hansen also recommends that you keep your LinkedIn up to date with relevant skills and jobs.
• There are two job interviews
  • The first is about you, the job and the company
  • The second is based on a personal test.
• They recommend that you prepare strengths/weaknesses before the interview.
• And remember to relax and be yourself.

Coloplast (2020)

• Make a CV that people remember, and remember to add what you do besides studying.
• At Coloplast, they check their applicants by LinkedIn, among others, so they advise you to create a profile.
• Take control of your branding before others do it for you. You must show the best side of yourself and appear as you think best. Do not let others define who you are.
• For the job interview, it is important to keep in mind who you are going to talk to, as you need to prepare differently depending on whether it is someone from HR or a manager you are meeting.
• At a job interview at Coloplast, they look at your self-awareness, drive, analytical skills and ability to communicate with others.
• Preparation is key to a good job interview, and Coloplast emphasized that you are welcome to ask questions.
  

COWI (2021)

• COWI recommends a clear CV that matches the language in the job advertisement.
• Always have a profile that targets the job
• Remember to put education before work experience as long as you are a student.
• If you have done voluntary work, they want to see it in your CV.
• In the cover letter, they want to read about your motivation and why you are the right person for the job.

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies (2021)

• FUJIFILM recommends a short and relevant CV (max two pages), and they want to see your relevant experiences from your education and work.
• If you have GMP experience, it is an advantage to show this in your CV.
• Also, keep your cover letter relevant, explain what you can offer the company and have examples of it.
• The actual job interview will have several rounds both over the phone and face-to-face.
• Preparation is important if you want a good experience with the job interview.

GN Group (2021)

• Always write in English; it is their work language
• In the CV, focus on your skills based on courses you have taken
• And remember to be honest in your documents, the tests and at the job interview.
• They are proactive when they find new candidates and especially use LinkedIn for that, so keep your profile updated.

Grundfos (2018)

• When choosing an employer, choose one where you are passionate about their purpose.
• Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses – be bold but realistic and show flexibility and a team player mentality.
• Grundfos provides tailor-made graduate programmes focusing on personal development; therefore, showing strong learning agility professional curiosity, and a strategic and global mindset distinguishes the good candidate.
  

Haldor Topsøe (2019/2021)

• In your CV, it is a good idea to describe your hobbies and activities in your spare time. Companies like to know what you interests in besides work and/or study.
• It is recommended that you bring a few notes for the job interview to ensure you cover all aspects (Remember: It is a conversation and not an interrogation).
• It can be a good idea to reach out to friends and family to help you identify your key skills and personal strengths that would benefit the company.
• Remember to be honest and true to yourself.
  

KPMG (2020/2021)

• The degree to which grades count depends on the skills needed for the specific job. If you apply for a management position but only got between 02-7 in the management courses, it may not be enough, but it is the total picture that counts! If you don’t have the best grades but relevant experience, it can make up for the grades.
• Regarding the CV and cover letter, it is not enough to drop keywords - Give examples! Remember to include extracurricular activities such as volunteer work and extreme sport since it says a lot about you as a person.
• After you have been to an interview, follow up. You are more than welcome to send an email after a week. It shows that you are eager to get the position.
  

McKinsey & Company (2018/2019/2021)

• McKinsey & Company needs a variety of different profiles and offers different kinds of entry options: Internship, the first stage of career (Junior Associate), or joining with professional experience.
• You can join as a generalist or a specialist (digital, operations, marketing, risk assessment, research, and analytics). As an engineer, you can contribute a lot to management consulting with your skills in innovation and problem-solving.
• When you join, you will get training on key topics grow with the role. You get to learn new things and work in areas in which you do not have any prior experience or knowledge. Moreover, when you start, you get a mentor assigned to you when you start, and you are given continuous feedback to ensure your personal development and growth.
• The company are aware of work-life balance. Your co-workers have an international mindset and diverse backgrounds, and it is possible to work in interdisciplinary teams.
  
  McKinsey´s application process (find information on their website)
  
  During recruitment, McKinsey & Company focuses on whether the applicant knows and matches the company's values (see website), as well as the degree of initiative and language skills. They need decision-makers as the ability to make decisions is important.
  
  When applying for a job at McKinsey & Company, you must first and foremost submit your resume, application and grades transcript. If you continue in the process, you will be invited to a full day of interviews with different people. Finally, case-solving will be a part of the application process, and therefore, it is a good idea to get more information about case-solving before you apply.

Microsoft (2018/2019)

• Your CV should include extracurricular projects (for example, if you have already built an app, have been active on GitHub, have taken MOOCs, etc.) and relevant leadership experience.
• Come prepared and show your interest. Being proactive and asking questions at a job interview is key to making a good first impression.
• Present your strengths, whether it is your GitHub activity or ideas/projects you have worked on.
• The great advantage of Microsoft’s internship is that you work on real projects and have responsibilities which can lead to a full-time position.

Mærsk Drilling (2021)

• Check their website to see available positions.
• Keep your CV and application short and precise, but remember your motivation and why you are suitable for the company and the position.
• They are interested in your personality and why you fit in.
• If you have any questions, it is okay to call before you apply.
• There will often be two interviews and two different tests in between them.

Nets (2018/2021)

• Keep your CV clean, tidy and short. And remember a picture.
• Your CV should highlight your skills and experience. Further, they would like to see a mission statement.
• Nets recommends that you update your LinkedIn continuously and use keywords found in job ads to highlight your profile.
• Nets’ Don’ts
  • Do not write all the summer jobs you have had in your CV.
  • Do not lack direction in your CV - It should have a purpose and be targeted.
• At the job interview, Nets recommend that you research the company prior. If you have questions, do not be afraid to ask them.

Oticon/Demant (2020/2021)

• When you apply unsolicited, use the link on Oticon's webpage.
• Write in the same language as the job ad.
• CV: There are no rules regarding the CV format, but it should be structured and easy to read. Don’t make a too detailed CV. Make sure that it is as short and precise as possible. Show your relevant skills by giving examples. E.g. what does it mean for you to be structured?
• Cover letter: You don’t have to use the entire page. It should be short and to the bone. Show why Oticon is the place for you to work. If you have a history with the company, include it in the cover letter.
• Interview: Prepare for the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” and “Why did you apply for this job” etc. Prepare questions for the job you apply for to show interest.
  

PwC - Graduate Programme (2019)

• The PwC graduate programme is a 1-year development course, with permanent employment from day one.
• The programme consists of three different tracks:
  1. Digital trust
  2. CFO service
  3. Trust and transparency
• The programme gives you a unique network and includes an onboarding course. During the programme, you will be mentored by an assigned coach, which will facilitate professional as well as personal growth.
• This is the process after you have applied:
  1. A recruitment advisor will review your documents and application.
  2. First interview. A few experienced staff members from the three graduate fields will participate. They expect the candidate to elaborate on their professional profile, motivation and ambitions for the job.
  3. Evaluation.
  4. The second interview will be based on a skills and personality test and a case that the candidate has prepared in advance.

Rambøll (2018/2020/2021)

• At Rambøll, you can apply for a student job or an internship. Furthermore, it is also possible to write projects with Rambøll.
• It is important to describe your courses, and include your grades in the application. They will look at your grades. However, they are not crucial for your application. Your experience and skills will also be taken into account.
• If you want to write a project with Rambøll, they recommend contacting the relevant managers.
• The company's values are very important when you apply for a job at Rambøll. Be sure to check their website and show them that you match their values, not just the job add.
• Be aware of your online footprints. When they want to check a candidate, they look you up on Facebook, Instagram, and so on.
• For the company, it is important to know what you want to gain from the job, but certainly, also what will be your contribution to the company/position.

Simcorp (2020)

• At Simcorp, they are especially looking for graduates with the following academic background: Software Engineer, Data Science, Mathematics, IT and Finance.
• They especially use Graduateland and LinkedIn to find new employees.
• They look at relevant work experience, experience from previous projects, and how you handle a cognitive or technical task.
• Simcorp have five characteristics of potential they look for when recruiting; Motivation, curiosity, insight, commitment and determination. Their recommendation is to consider how you can highlight these in your application.
  

Ørsted (2018/2019/2020/2021)

• Ørsted’s recruitment process: Applications > Reviewing > 1st interview > Assessment tests (cognitive and personality) > 2nd interview (test) > Job offering
• It is not enough to be skilled. You also need to be able to explain what makes you competent. Therefore, do not be afraid to highlight yourself and the strengths that will make you valuable to the company.
• Ørsted offers three career paths: General management, project management and specialist. Each one has several internal levels based on skills and experience. It is possible to change your career path during your working life.
• Candidates need to complete two assessment tests before the 2nd interview, a cognitive test and a personality test.
  
  1. PLI test: It has 50 verbal, abstract and numerical questions. There is no specific baseline, but 25 correct answers and over is usually acceptable.
  2. Saville Consulting Wave: It mainly has behavioural or situation-based questions. There are no right or wrong answers, but the test's purpose is to define the competencies of the candidate in 4 main areas: Thought, influence, adaptability and delivery.
  
  
• The interview process is mainly focused on the job description in the job advert, so the candidate should be well prepared based on the information provided in the ad (required skills, work tasks, etc.). The candidate is expected to have prepared some questions relevant to the position. Focus on your competencies and remember that it is okay to be different, as it will also allow Ørsted to maintain a diverse working environment.
• A candidate should be able to demonstrate their competencies and personality through specific professional or personal examples, always using the SAR (Situation, Action, Result) method. It is very important to possess a positive and engaged attitude and present yourself in an honest and straightforward way. Remember to stay calm, take your time and think logically before answering especially unexpected questions.
• Use the same structure and style for the CV and cover letter, and tailor both documents in order to target the specific position – generic documents will not be valued. Your CV is not enough – you must also make a good version on LinkedIn.