Five Beige Terms To Avoid in Job Applications

I have a shiny £5 note here for anyone who can tell me who the first person was who used this phrase in a CV or job applications. It seems strange, as clearly at some point there was a trend for taking basic human functions and displaying them as core employment competencies. As usual, clarification…
The year of development – Jonathan Evans
Our guest blog is written by Jonathan Evans, a University of Kent student studying Computer Science. He has been taken on as a Software Developer for his sandwich placement/year in industry at Sensible Development. I found out about the opportunity through my University’s placement office, and I applied immediately. I received a call from Step a few weeks…
The importance of industry experience – James Haslam

Our guest blog is written by James Haslam, a University of Portsmouth graduate with a 1st class degree in Product Design and Innovation. He took on a Product and Packaging Design Internship with Hing Designs who design, market and distribute a range of designer pet products. James is a runner-up winner of our Placed Candidate Blog…
A warm welcome – Gbenga Asaolu
Our guest blog is written by Gbenga Asalou, a Computer Systems Engineering graduate from the University of Northampton. He took an internship with B.I.G. (Brackets and Bolts) Ltd, who offer a custom fabrication design service and create an enormous range of bespoke metal work for construction contracts, including an ordering and delivery service all over the UK. Gbenga…
Preparing for a Skype interview

At Step we use Skype a lot, whether it’s for an interview, a way of meeting the candidates, or to do your pre-start checks (passport check, payment schedule etc). It is still extremely important to be professional when using Skype, so we’ve listed a few tips to help. Is your Skype ID professional and appropriate? Remember…
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers – and our version (don’t forget the SMEs!)
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list for 2015 released recently and it’s been making the rounds on social media. There’s a lot of big name employers on there that will stand out of course; Google, BBC, John Lewis, HSBC, Apple etc. All attractive companies that I’m sure are a pleasure to work with. For…
A Step forward – Maria Verykiou

Our guest blog post was written by Maria Verykiou, a Molecular Biology graduate from The University of Edinburgh who took on a Business Research Internship at Research Instruments Ltd. She has recently been taken on permanently by the company. On my first day, entering the business park where the company is located, my heart was pacing,…
Step success – Collis Engineering Ltd.
At Step we’re enthusiastic about helping dynamic high-growth businesses access students and graduates for placements, internships or permanent roles. For constructive and balanced feedback on our work we like to hear about the candidate’s and the employer’s Step experience. We recently worked with Collis Engineering Ltd., an engineering consultancy operating in the rail signalling and infrastructure sector.…
Time flies when you’re having fun – Charlie Williams

Charlie Williams is a Manchester Metropolitan University student studying BA(Hons) Sport Marketing Management. She is currently on her Sports Marketing Sandwich Placement year at PUMA. Winner of the Step Blog Competition 2015 Suddenly I am already 2 months into my placement, I think the famous phrase is ‘Time flies when you’re having fun!’ So, where do I start?! I could…
6 reasons you could have been rejected

You’ve just spent hours upon hours applying for graduate jobs around the country and have lost count of how many times you have resaved your CV and cover letter. If that rejection email comes through, it leaves you feeling disappointed but mostly disheartened. Don’t wrack your brain for hours on end causing endless worry and…