Today, I had a highly informative careers appointment with James, one of the Careers Advisers at the university, which was instrumental in preparing me for my upcoming interview and assessment centre with Dyson, for a software engineering role. I started by explaining the information I'd received from Dyson about the structure of their interview process, which includes both technical and interview components. After listening to me describe the role and my previous experience, James helped me to develop my technical and personal skills into responses that could be used in an interview. Notably, he introduced the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) as a way to structure my responses effectively and helped me practise answers to common behavioural and technical questions.

When it came to the assessment centre, James explained that it would assess a range of skills, including teamwork, communication, and technical ability through group exercises, case studies and presentations. He provided strategies for active participation and collaboration in group exercises, emphasising the importance of listening to others and contributing constructively. For case studies, he advised breaking down problems methodically and presenting solutions clearly and confidently.

By the end of our meeting, I felt much more confident and prepared for the challenges ahead. James's expertise and structured approach has provided me with a clear roadmap for my preparation, making me feel better equipped to showcase my skills and enthusiasm for the software engineering role at Dyson. With his advice, I am now ready to focus on practising my coding, refining my interview responses, and perfecting my presentation skills to make a strong impression at Dyson.

Related Blogs

• 

  Maximising Your Employability: Building Essential Skills During University

• 

  The Benefits of Working While Studying - A Student Perspective

• 

  Using AI effectively and ethically in your job applications

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by our bloggers and those providing comments are personal, and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lancaster University. Responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained within blog posts belongs to the blogger.