Online Application

The first stage was an online assessment. These are typical to find in application process for many companies. You are tested on a range of competencies. Although challenging and engaging, it wasn’t as big a mind field as what some organisations make it to be. Interestingly, this is where you see the Fujitsu values, as a lot of it is based on your morals, ethics and character. Then there was a short online video interview, which was essentially recording yourself to articulate why you wanted the role in which you were applying for. I also had to attach CV, and if my memory serves me right, a cover letter. Although don’t quote me on the cover letter!

How to respond for success

I think if we are all being honest our CV’s are pretty much generic, we might tweak the odd bit, but they are very familiar. What I done to try stand out, was I just thought I am going to be completely myself here. I was desperate for the role in question, I knew if I had a chance I would be good at it, and I am very honest with myself. I know what I bring to the table. And I went with my skills, and was honest about where my weaknesses lay. I was brought up on old fashioned principles, I get called a granda all the time. But there is a series of corporate videos at the beginning of stage one. It was emphasised the whole way through about the kind of people they value. So I did genuinely feel empowered to be myself.

Expect a 1-2 month wait before advancing to the next stage.

Assessment Centre

Stage two was an assessment centre. This is a time when the candidates who passed the original screening where invited along. I was honestly so caught up in the moment, I can’t remember to many specifics. But there was a lot of group activities and presentations involved. You were in real company situations to see how you would respond. You were also put in real market scenarios to see how you responded You were assessed during this period. They also wanted to see how you acted within a group. Yes knowledge and aptitude are key, but your behaviours are as important. From this you then had to a presentation on yourself and why you wanted the role, and what you offered the company to the accessors. During this time you also got to hold a Q&A session with current staff members. It didn’t really feel like an assessment centre to be truthful. I really loved it, and I normally think these events are very samey and not great. But a great experience.

Example

Genuinely no point giving specifics here because they are constantly changing their assessment centres, to cater for the evolving scenarios the business face. I think what I have said above gives a real flavour of what you face during the day. The more individual stuff so the presentation for example, it is the standard interview questions you face, a long with a real drive on who you are as a person. LinkedIn learning have a bunch on interview questions if you are behind.

How to respond for success

Gosh, where to start? On clothing, they say smart casual. I am a big believer in ‘first impressions. I wore a suit and tie because I am overboard, but you’d get away with shirt and a blazer, or shirt and tie. It is currently in a virtual format, so I wouldn’t not advocate bedroom slippers!

Again, I made a real point in being myself. And to be honest I think that is what made the difference. I will never be an SME, but in terms of what I bring as a person, I would back myself. So be authenticate, they won’t appreciate you for being false. I was relaxed myself, and tried to be not uptight as one might be in these situations.

I read up on the company and the market, but nothing too manic. You get a strong flavour of this from the original assessment centre.

My key bit of advice to students is, your grades have some sort of bearing but not critical, and I mean this both sides of the spectrum. Thousands of people apply for these roles. So if you have an ‘A’ for example, big deal. So do many other people, it doesn’t make you special. Equally, if you have ‘C’ in a subject or from a graduate perspective a 2:2 lets say. The recruiter will have seen something in you if you have got to this stage. Don’t not back yourself if your grades aren’t top marks, but don’t forget the value of basic personality traits if you think you have a good set of grades.

Expect a 1-2 hour wait before advancing to the next stage.

Final Interview

This is the same day, but a different assessment. So the facilitators will take a break at lunch time. They will decide who has earned the opportunity to get an interview with the panel team. Then you get around a half-hour notice of your interview. Do not sweat the lack of notice. It is designed to be back-to-back and force spontaneity, this how you separate authentic people, and false people. If you have got this far, they really have seen values in you. Again be yourself. 

The interviews are in-keeping with the previous themes. Why Fujitsu, what do you bring as a person, tell us about you and your experiences, what has been your achievements etc. Technical jobs will obviously have more technically minded questions. So depending on the role, this will have a different feel. They give you freedom of time to really explain and sell yourself. Then once that is done, you are finished. Time for a cup of tea or something stronger perhaps!

Example

Again, I pretty much cover this in the above. But my heads up would be, the more technical the role, the more technical the questions will be. Personally, they asked me a lot about myself and who I am, but I tee’d it up that way almost because I put myself across for who I am as a person, as opposed to everyone else. Perhaps if you done a Jose Mourinho and declared yourself ‘the Special One’ you will be asked to evidence this.

How to respond for success

I very much when I left school, and when I left university, used to have a cold sweat about interviews. I would have been a very anxious person at that stage of my life. I had been diagnosed with chronic anxiety at this stage in fact. But the key with interviews, and I have always been good at interviews is mindset. There will be some companies that are stuck in the stone age and it is an interrogation. Your better not getting these kinds of jobs. The trick to interviews I have found, is to view it as a conversation. 99% of the time that is what it is. But with Fujitsu, the subtle difference was the focus on people and the empowerment you get from start to finish. I used the phrase “sell yourself” in my description. This is what this is, go and sell yourself.

Expect a 3-4 week wait before advancing to the next stage.