Introducing the 2019 Undergraduate of the Year winners
Now in its tenth year, the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards brought together prominent employers and talented undergraduates for a prestigious awards ceremony presented by Rachel Riley at the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf on Friday 26 April 2019.
There were more awards than ever before, with 14 awards partnered by leading employers and professional bodies including ACCA, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, National Student Pride, Deutsche Bank, E.ON, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, IQ-EQ, Laing O'Rourke, L’Oréal, Rolls-Royce, #iwill, Teach First and Visa. There were fantastic prizes up for grabs for the students involved, including paid internships, trips abroad, meetings with senior executives and a graduate job! To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the awards, ten previous award winners were also invited to talk to the finalists about how the awards helped them to progress in their careers and where they are now.
Reaching the final is a huge achievement for the 140 or so student finalists. Engagement in this process was at a five-year high this year, with 4,500 entries from 138 universities across the UK. This is a great accomplishment for the TARGETjobs team, who worked with our vast university network, including department heads and careers services, supporting them to promote the awards to their students. The awards are an excellent opportunity for universities to showcase the calibre of undergraduates at their institution, while giving their students the chance to practise the graduate recruitment process and secure positions with internationally recognised organisations.
With all entrants completing an application, an online assessment with situational, numerical and inductive reasoning tests devised by SHL and an assessment day, the employers also have a pipeline of excellent potential candidates for future placements and graduate vacancies.
Both the finalists and the winners showcased an impressive range of skills, experiences and achievements, but what makes an Undergraduate of the Year? A sample of the incredible attributes of the winners include: a fencer who has represented Wales, an editor-in-chief of a student newspaper, a founder of a business that redistributes surplus food to local non-profits, a co-host of a radio show, an Army cadet, a lifeguard and volunteers in areas ranging from guide dogs and festivals to orphanages and conservation work. While some have worked and volunteered abroad, others have set up their own businesses or become ambassadors/leaders for excellent causes.
Congratulations to all winners and finalists!
Where are they now?
Hear from past winners and finalists of the Undergraduate of the Year Awards. We asked them to reveal all about their experience, the application process and their tips for students thinking of following in their footsteps. Just click on the images to read their blogs.
