Graduate programmes

A graduate position is intended for recent graduates only, which means that applicants are not in competition with others, who have many years of experience within the specific field. For this reason, one may think that landing a graduate position is easier than getting a regular job. This is far from the case: There is a lot of competition for the graduate positions, and companies are looking for only the very best and most qualified – in other words, graduate positions are for the select few.

A graduate position is a fixed-term employment, where you get to be part of different departments of a firm. Both the duration of the employment and the number of departments you will be part of will vary depending on the company. Most graduate programmes will last 2 years and have 4 rotations of departments, each for a duration of 6 months.

It is most common, that the company will choose in which department the graduate begins the programme. However, most companies will let the graduate have a say in which other departments the rotations will include. Some companies may require that the graduate goes abroad during the programme, but that is far from everyone.

Your grades will matter to most companies when selecting the right candidates for their graduate programme, because good grades indicate high academic standards. However, grades are not the sole focus – they weigh personal competences just as high. In order to be considered for a graduate position, you need to be able to take part in teamwork, be result oriented, and be curious, as well as very ambitious and highly motivated to join the company. Furthermore, it is necessary for you to be able to explain your abilities – both orally and in written form.

Being able to document your skills is a great advantage. Such documentation could, for instance, be a letter of recommendation from an employer of a relevant study job or from companies where you have done internship or collaborated on semester projects.

In addition, as an international student you have the advantage that you that you are used to be part of an international environment, both during your studies and in private. Most graduate programmes are internationally minded, and your multicultural understanding and language skills are highly valued. Make sure to highlight these skills and how you have used them when applying for the programmes.

The application deadline for most graduate programmes is between December and February, and the programmes will typically begin in August or September.

Some companies use an online application system and some companies ask you to send your application via email.

Common for most companies is that they wish to receive:

• application 
• CV
• your grades
• letters of recommendation (if you have any)

Many companies will make use of tests during their recruitment process. These could be personality tests, cognitive tests, and tests on problem solving. Quite a few companies may also use Case Competitions or Assessment Days during the process.

Companies usually conduct 2 or more interview sessions before having found the right candidate to hire for their graduate programme.

When the right candidates have been found, they can look forward to achieving a broad sense of the company and build a great network. The candidates will meet lots of challenges, great opportunities and experience having a great degree of influence – not least on their own career. It will also be expected that you work on project management, which AAU students already have experienced in their projects. The graduates are often considered future key employees of the company.

In AAU Jobbank, you can search specifically for graduates programmes within your field.